Page 34 of Inviting Trouble
But Park didn’t see anyone helping out. Just Alex on his own.
When the next song started, everyone was invited to join the wedding party. One by one, his brothers stood, going to ask a woman to dance. Park stayed put and pulled out his cell phone to take some pictures.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, his heart thumping a little harder at the sight of Mad up close in that tight black dress. The black lace cover-up shifted off one shoulder, exposing smooth skin. His gaze drifted over her shoulder to her delicate collarbone, and then lower to the soft swell of—he stopped and swallowed. The dark line of a tattoo peeked out of the dress right over her heart. He wanted to trace it, wanted to see all of it.
“Hey, PMS,” she said. Her old nickname for him when he got moody and broody.
“You got a tattoo,” he said, unable to take his eyes off it.
She peeked down and hiked up the front of her dress to cover it. Then she adjusted the lacy cover-up over both her shoulders. He wanted to peel that lacy thing off her, desperately wanted to peel that dress down. He needed to see—
“You just gonna sit here all night?” she demanded.
He stood automatically, in a weird place between shocked at her stunning beauty and wary. Like a distant siren call of danger was trying to get through his hazy brain. Seeing her across the room was one thing. Up close and personal, something else entirely. She smelled like flowers. Mad never smelled like flowers.
“Take a picture, it lasts longer,” she snapped.
He aimed his cell at her and did exactly that. She looked a little pouty. He brushed his thumb across her full lower lip before he realized what he was doing. The roar of his heartbeat pounded in his ears. He pressed his thumb against it, right in the center. So soft. Her lips parted.
His voice came out husky. “You look so different.”
Her deep brown eyes went soft.
He dropped his hand.
“Thanks,” she said softly before taking off the lace cover-up and draping it over the back of his chair. Her curvy little body in a tight black dress, exposed to his eyes and hands, made everything in him stand at full attention. The siren call of danger rang loud and clear in his mind. She was too close.
He elbowed her, making a little space between them. “What the hell did those women do to you?” He figured her friends had something to do with her new look. He’d never seen her like this, all made-up and sexy. Thankfully.
Her eyes flashed hurt. “Excuse me for wearing a dress to a wedding.”
He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. He was just bowled over at the change in her.
She crossed her arms, making her cleavage lift. He risked another look at her tattoo, but couldn’t see it. He forced his gaze back to her face.
Her lip curled belligerently. “Since we’re both dressed up, we should dance or something.”
“I can’t dance,” he said, but what he meant wasI can’t dance with you. He couldn’t hold her close, couldn’t have those petite curves pressed against him. The fact that she was the off-limits Campbell girl was rapidly fading in his mind as everything in him urged him to touch, to taste, to claim. His heart pounded out the messagedanger, danger, danger.
“Like I give a shit,” she said, grabbing his hand and yanking him toward the dance floor. “I’m not dancing with my brothers.”
“Ask Claire’s brother,” he said lamely, digging his heels in on the edge of the dance floor.
“You’re dumber than you look,” she said, putting her arms around his neck and pressing close.
His hands automatically went to her narrow waist, spanning his fingers wide to touch more of her. The room dimmed around them, the music distant, nothing but the sweet scent of flowers, the heat of her, his head swimming in a strange cocktail of lust and danger.
She swayed against him, and he realized he should be moving. He swayed back and forth a bit with her, and she somehow managed to settle in even closer to him. There was no part of him that wasn’t aware of her. Her breasts pressed into his chest, her belly against his aching groin, her upper thighs against his. His hand found the satiny skin of her bare back.
“Hey, shortstack,” Ty said from nearby where he was dancing with Hailey.
“Hi, guys!” Hailey said with a big smile.
Park lifted his chin in acknowledgment and tried to put some space between him and Mad, but Mad had a good hold on him and it was impossible.
“Hi,” Mad said, shifting them away from Ty and Hailey.
Park tried not to focus on Mad in his arms. He craned his neck, looking around for the girl in the yellow dress. She was dancing with Ethan.Great plan, Ty. Ethan was smooth with women and could easily move in on her.
