Page 20 of Love Undiscovered
Chance and Ethan arrive with our drinks, one of the first times I’m actually happy to see Chance. Not that I’m not happy and excited for Kat, because I am. But marriage makes me uneasy. That whole idea of being with one person, the same person, for the rest of your life. Or the rest of theirs. I can’t think of anything more monotonous or tedious than that. And since engagements usually lead to marriage they make me uneasy as well. So, this martini is going to go a long way in helping with that uneasiness.
“I can’t believe you did this.” Kat turns to Brad a huge smile on her face. He shrugs in return as if to say it’s no big deal.
“And I really can’t believe you did this,” she turns to me and motions to Bauer.
“I’m offended, Cookie,” Bauer says. “Icy and I have become friends.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to sayfriends,” I assert.
“How about tolerating one another for an evening for the sake of a friend,” Lexie suggests.
“I’ll drink to that,” I say with a grin.
“Hear, hear,” Ethan says raising his beer bottle. Chance shakes his head at the idea but drinks to it anyway. Brad excuses himself from the group, and everyone except Kat knows why.
The Chief calls everyone to their tables and we find our seats. I take the one farthest from Chance, so I can avoid him for the bulk of the evening.
The Chief announces a special presentation that’s about to take place, it’s cute to watch Kat look around for Brad, not realizing she is that presentation.
Brad gets up on the stage and starts talking about Kat, it takes her a minute to realize what’s going on. The mood at the table is practically giddy, and the rest of the proposal is nothing short of magical. This from the girl who doesn’t even like them. If I were the emotional type, it may have made me cry. It certainly made enough other women in attendance go all weepy in the eyes.
After dinner, Kat begs us all to stay for the dancing. There’s a live band and I have to admit they are really good. The lead singer is a woman with a very sultry and bluesy Etta James/Stevie Nicks kind of voice that is well suited to a lot of slow dancing. Which is why, I’m surprised when Chance grabs my hand and drags me to the floor.
The band is playing the song “Somebody Stand by Me” by Stevie Nicks, and the singer is doing it some serious justice. I expect Chance to pull me in for the grope and sway, but he surprises me with a standard slow dance stance.
My breath catches as he pulls me tight against him. I hate that my body responds to him. It’s been almost 10 years. And in those years, still the only one to ever get a physical reaction from me. At all.
He starts to guide me around the floor. And the man can move. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Problem, Ice Queen?” he asks, one eyebrow arched.
“No. Why would you ask that?”
“You seem a little tense.”
“I’m not tense. Maybe you’re tense.” My voice is way too shrill for my liking.
“I would say there are parts of me that are very tense right now,” he murmurs into my ear. His breath hot on my neck.
Breath I can feel down to my very core.
I try to stay and dance with him for the entire song. But the longer I’m in his arms, the more palpable the sexual tension gets, which makes my desire for him that much stronger.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I say. “I need to visit the ladies room.” I retreat on shaky legs, feeling like a coward, looking for the restroom and then the bar, in that order.
