Page 52 of Call Me Anytime
“What in the hell are you doing?” I whisper-yell to him, and he just flashes this handsome, adorable, sexy-as-hell smile in my direction.
“Having fun with you.”
“That’s nice.” I snort and cower toward his strong chest, my emotions ranging from embarrassed to amused all at the same time. “But I think I’d rather have fun back over there.”
Dom grabs my hand and spins me around in a circle, dancing the two of us from one end of the stage to the other. And the whole time, he somehow manages to keep singing in beat with the band.
“Dom, I can’t really dance,” I whisper to him when the big bearded guy on guitar dives into a little solo moment.
Dom pulls me closer to his chest and leans toward my ear to whisper, “But Hannah, you’re already dancing.” The low rumble of his voice, combined with the way his strong hands grip my hips, sends a shiver through me that I try my hardest to suppress.
I lean back to check his expression, shaking my head and laughing.
“And look at you go,” he teases. A shocked gasp escapes my lips when he pushes me away from his body and then pulls me back tight to his chest again. His legs and hips guide me in tune with the music.
“You’re insane,” I say through several giggles.
“No, not insane,” he retorts. “Just a man in a cowboy hat who wants to dance with a beautiful woman while a roomful of strangers watch us have some fucking fun.”
Beautiful woman.I honestly don’t know if anyone has ever said those words to me.
“C’mon, Hannah.” He winks and tips his cowboy hat at me. “Have a little fun with me.”
He starts to sing into the mic again, still holding my hand but facing the crowd, and I do my best to remember the things I saw in that movie,Coyote Ugly, where the women dance on the bar. I try to give in to his playful demands and let loose for once in my freaking life, but it’s not easy. Eventually, though, the lyrics start to find their way into my groove, and I sing along, dancing from side to side, stomping my foot to the unbelievably fast tempo of the song.
The crowd cheers and shouts, and I just keep on dancing with Dom, almost blacking out at how far removed this is from my everyday life.
And when the song ends and another one starts up, Dom hands off the mic to the lead singer of the band, but he doesn’t guide us off the stage. Instead, we stay up there, dancing together as they dive into a new one.
His eyes sparkle like the aqua waters of the Caribbean, and his hands find their way to my hips, guiding us as one to the beat of the music. My body is butter, melting into the moment, melting into his gorgeous gaze as it locks with mine.
We’re both smiling and dancing and singing along together, but the entire time, he never stops looking into my eyes.
Right now, it’s only Dom and me in this perfect bubble of fun, and a little part of me prays it will never end. I don’t just feel safe with him. Iwanthim. My body wants him.
But it all might as well just be a dream.
Because, I know, reality is right around the corner.
20
Dominic
Saturday, May 18
1:00 a.m.
Hannah’s shoulders sag as I pull to a stop in her driveway and cut the engine.
Tonight was fantastic. We danced and sang and had a few drinks at Honky Tonk Parade, but now it’s over.
Her bare shoulder sticks out of her sweet purple top, goose bumps peppering the soft skin. “Cold?” I ask, my quiet voice ricocheting around us like a gunshot in the silent car.
Her head moves up and down in the moonlight, and I reach to my back seat to pull out one of my button-down flannels. She takes it gratefully, shrugging it on, and I get the strangest twang of satisfaction.Damn, she looks good in my clothes. Soft and small and delicate.
Neither of us moves or says anything for several moments, spellbound or something.
“Thank you for tonight, Dom,” she finally says, breaking the tension. “Seriously. I haven’t done anything like that in ... I don’t even know how long. It felt really good. Really normal.” She laughs a little.“I didn’t even think that was possible anymore, but I don’t know. I feel renewed. Like maybe I’m ready to take on more.”
