Page 61 of Handle with Care
I laugh. “Promise you won’t ghost me tomorrow?”
Will gives me a sheepish look. “I won’t ghost you tomorrow. Or the day after. I promise. I’m sorry about that.”
I give him a thorough kiss. “Well, what now? Can I convince you to come out tonight?”
“What, you want more of me?”
“Hell yes. I’m a naturally greedy man. You should know this about me by now. And you’re amazing. Of course I want more. If you’re up to it, that is. I know it’s been a long day. But I’d love to go dancing with you. If your leg is on board.”
“Dancing it is, then.” The way Will says it, with his expression soft, is another promise I’m totally into. His lips curve into a smile. “I have a performance leg, you know. And I can dance for a little while, for the record. I do feel self-conscious, however, if I’m honest. Probably because I don’t dance often.”
“I won’t do anything too crazy with you if you don’t want. You tell me if it’s too much. Can’t wait to see the rest of your performance parts, by the way.”
Will laughs, thrilling me. “Deal.”
We interlace our fingers, lost in a moment of gazing at each other, before we pull our public personas back on to sign out at security.
Chapter Twenty-Three
True to his word, Will’s leg is performance issue, which he explains is some kind of premium prosthesis for mobility, to my understanding, and he’s got the moves down in the club too. We laugh and dance, and I spin, showing him what I can do. On the dance floor, I’m free, and my worries slip away. Eventually, we retreat for drinks at the bar to catch our breath.
“You never told me you could dance like that,” Will says, impressed, over his cocktail.
“You never asked, as the saying goes.” I grin affectionately at him. “That’s why.”
He laughs. “Seriously, you’re excellent.”
“Well, to come clean, I did lots of dance classes as a kid, and I taught dance classes during university. I always wanted to go on tour with a pop star, and one summer, I did a tour as a dancer for one during uni. That was a great summer job.”
He looks startled and impressed at the same time. “That explains a lot. And makes sense, judging on what I saw out there on the dance floor.”
“I love to move. As you’ve seen, sitting still isn’t my strength. My mom wanted to channel my energy as a kid from full-blownchaos into something more expressive and less destructive. I loved it. So much fun. I love to dance any chance I get. And it’s hard for me to sit for too long.”
We gaze at each other for a long moment of mutual admiration. Then we’re kissing, and apparently, that must be quite the show because there’re cheers around us. Grinning, I bow, and Will’s laughing, and that moment in the club under the strobe lights stands out. The way his dimples crease, the sheepish gesture he makes when brushing his hair from his eyes. And then I take his hand, and he squeezes mine.
We consider each other for a long moment, searching each other’s eyes. The way I feel with him is special. I love to have fun and go dancing, including on dates, but with Will, it’s more. Decidedly more. And to my shock, I like it. I like it a lot. And the danger is wanting this to continue. Because last weekend was meant to be a one-off. Now, my feelings are off the charts, and judging by his face, he’s having the same problem.
“Let’s sit down,” Will says at last. “I could probably use a break.”
We find a couple of seats in a booth, where he sighs with relief. “Fun, but definitely muscles I don’t use often,” he confesses. “And I don’t want to overdo it with my leg. If I get too much rubbing or blisters, then it makes life difficult. I’m not used to dancing these days.”
I wince. “Yeah, totally makes sense.”
He gives a wry smile. “I wish I could keep up with you.”
“You totally did.” I give him an affectionate smile, shifting closer and sliding my arm around Will. He leans into me. “And I’m having the best time with you.”
“Me too. I think… does this count as a second date? I mean, we did say last weekend was a one-off to get this out of our systems. Then look what happened. In the prep room, no less.” Will shakes his head.
I laugh, delighted. “No regrets.”
“Me either. But… I think we should continue to keep this secret from work. I don’t know what they would think. And save your reputation.”
“Savemyreputation? Save yours!” I laugh over my drink, shaking my head at him. “But yeah, I don’t know what they feel about workplace dating. I mean… do you think we have this out of our systems now?”
Will gazes at me, his expression soft. “No.”
“Huh.” My heart thunders. I give him a squeeze. There are no words for this incredible feeling, knowing he wants more of me. And I’m not totally freaking out over it. Secret is better. Like we can test the waters. “We could do this again. I’m into it—into you.”
