Page 51 of Some Like It Scot
My attention shot to Lennox, who sent me ayou promisedlook, and with a deep breath, I braced myself for the inevitable battle. No, not battle. Katie wasn’t my enemy, but this attraction warring in my chest certainly was.
And then Craig nodded and turned back to the room, as if Katie and I knew exactly what to do next. Well, she probably had a betterhold on her emotions than I did. In fact, her slack-jawed expression gave off every indication that I was the last person she wanted to dance with.
“Butler now, huh?” Her lips trembled into a smile.
“It seems so.”
“A carpenter-butler.” She nodded as her gaze trailed down and back up. “Well, I have to say that the look isn’t hurting you at all.”
I tilted my head as comprehension dawned. Had she just given me a compliment? And why did I like it so much?
“It’s temporary,” I added, attempting to keep my expression neutral. Very butler-like.
“Though, you must admit the occupation ‘dancing butler’ does have a nice ring to it.”
A twinkle lit her eyes, and I, begrudgingly, lost my war with my smile. “Not if it’s about me.”
“Not heroic enough–sounding for you?”
A burst of a laugh proved I’d lost all control of my emotions. “If a dancing butler is your definition of heroic, you’re not watching the right movies or reading the right books.”
Her grin brightened her whole face, and something in my chest expanded along with it. “True. I’ve never read a book or watched a movie about a heroic dancing butler.”
I cringed at the phrase, and her laugh bubbled out in a strange intoxicating sort of way that snared my attention. I wanted to hear it again.
And the desire just annoyed me all the more, because first, I wasn’t a dancing butler. Second, I wasn’t about to fancy some American travel writer. And third, I wasn’t a fan of trouble.
“To the center of the room, everyone.” Craig waved to the group like a conductor attempting to rein in some unruly instrumentalists. “Let’s create a circle of pairs.”
My feet made reluctant steps to the assigned spot as Katie’shoneysuckle scent followed alongside me. Craig gave a brief overview of the movements in the Gay Gordons and then pushed a button on his phone for the familiar music to begin. I started the steps, the one dance I’d known since a lad. And without much redirection, Katie kept to my side, following along with my movements.
Hmm... She’d done something like this before, I’d wager.
“Yes, everyone. Follow Mr. MacKerrow and Miss Campbell’s lead. Taller partner on the left. Aye. Your other left, Miss Lennox.”
A snort-like puff sounded to my right, and Katie sent me a look from her periphery that caused me to go to war with my smile all over again. Blasted woman!
“Miss Dupont, do allow Mr. Logan to lead.”
At this, Katie let out another little snort. “We’ve got quite the winning group here, Mr. MacKerrow. Aren’t you glad you joined?”
It was impossible not to smile back at her. Why did her humor have to be so appealing?
Because she wore it as well as that dress.
“Now, men, bringyourright hand over the head and shoulders of the lady and take hold ofherright hand.” Craig raised his chin, examining the results as I went on to the next step and reached for Katie’s left hand with mine to link across the front of our bodies. The action drew us side by side, near enough that I could breathe in her scent of honeysuckle and sea, a tantalizing and wild combination I’d never imagined on a woman. For some reason, it matched her. The wild hair, the soft warm skin, the stormy blue of those eyes.
And just when I was about to take the boke at my disgusting thoughts, her long, strong fingers gripped mine in a sturdy hold, the scent of honeysuckle and sea distracting me once again.
“Now, if you can count to four, you can learn the Gay Gordons,” Craig announced. “But we’ll start you off easy. You take three steps forward and on the fourth step you turn ’round. Let’s try it then.”
Katie and I moved forward and, with me giving only a bit of guidance, made the turn rather effortlessly and proceeded on to the next four steps, which were backward.
“After you complete the four steps forward and four steps backward two times, the men will give their lasses a spin for four beats.”
Katie took my cues as I guided her away from me and she spun, her smile growing with each rotation, and then Craig called out, “Now, take a ballroom hold with your partner and do a polka for the other four beats, or if you don’t know a polka, it just means spinning together in a wee circle.”
It was like she was made to dance with me. Either that or she’d danced the Gay Gordons before, but from the way she watched me and anticipated my moves, I didn’t think so. When her gaze met mine after the polka, my smile slipped much too wide for my liking.
