Page 8 of Gin & Trouble

Except now.

The wrinkles between her eyebrows deepened. “Honestly, I’m stuck. My AI interface isn’t recognizing the visual stimuli properly. I mean, sure, I’m asking a machine to interpret human behavior, but still.”

I reached up to scratch my jaw, but stopped before I smeared the white face paint. “I’d be happy to take a look at it. I mean, I didn’t win a hack-a-thon at fifteen and earn a free ride to Yale like you, but I know my way around a motherboard.”

Her cheeks reddened and she glanced away. “I’d love a second opinion, but the company I’m working for has ridiculously tight security.”

“Where do you—”

“Let’s dance.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me off my stool.

As a general rule. I hated dancing.

Hated it.

Other than at my brothers’ weddings, I hadn’t as much as stepped on a dance floor since my mother had made me take ballroom lessons in high school. Come to think of it, that’s probably where I developed my distaste for getting my groove on.

Somehow, the expectant look in her big brown eyes won out over my loathing. “Sure.”

Julia dragged me to the center of the dance floor like a woman on a mission, or perhaps like Harley Quinn finally putting the Joker in his place.

The song playing was some techno-remake of an oldie but goodie. It was mid-tempo and easy enough to follow the rhythm, but damn. Every time I made the mistake of watching Julia’s hips sway, my blood left my brain for southern regions, and I lost my step.

Freaking ballroom? What was Ma thinking?

Rather than continue to do my sad-sack imitation of the Carlton, I pulled Julia to my chest, placed one hand on the small of her back, and extended her arm with the other. “Follow my lead, babe.”

The gasp that escaped her would have been reward enough. However, the way she widened, then narrowed her eyes, as if challenging me, made me feel like a kid with the golden-freaking-ticket. “Bring it on,babe.”

I had no idea if she could tango, so I started with the standard slow, slow, quick, quick, slow pattern. Julia not only followed my steps perfectly, she added a sexy little hip swirl.

Holding her gaze, I ran my hand down her side, leaned in, and almost, but not quite, brushed my cheek against hers. She smelled amazing. Like ginger and citrus and honey. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d taste the same.

Julia responded by kissing my neck before pressing her hands to my chest and giving me a little shove. When I’d taken a half-step back, she crooked her finger and beckoned me forward.

I freaking hate dancing, but I could learn to love the tango.

Once again, I jerked her body to mine. This time I dipped her backward.

The woman didn’t miss a beat, she rolled with it, giving me a spectacular view of her breasts. I brought her upright, and she draped her arms around my neck. Meeting my gaze, she slid her thigh between mine and performed pure magic with her hips.

What had started as an answer to my lack of popular dance moves had turned into something entirely different. I could feel her body responding to mine. Her heat. Her quick breaths. Her subtle grind. It was only a dance in a crowded room, but it felt like so much more.

Unable to wait another second to taste her, I cupped the back of her neck and pressed my lips to hers. Still swaying to the music, Julia pulled back a fraction of an inch, stared into my eyes, and raised on tiptoes to kiss me back.

The crowd faded away. The music dimmed, lost to the blood surging in my ears. It was just me and her floating on some lust-induced high.

“I’ve waited my entire life for someone to kiss me like that,” Julia whispered against my neck.

Cradling her face, I brush my thumbs over her cheeks. “Funny, I’ve waited my entire life to kiss someone like that.”

4

Frankie

I’m notsure how we ended up in an elevator rising to the top floor or how my red lipstick had ended up on his collar or how he had a room key clenched in his hand.

All I knew was that I’d never wanted anyone as much as I wanted Danny…

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