Page 55 of Just a Little White Lie

She blinks, her pink lips parting with obvious surprise. “Really? You’re helping me?”

“I’m just showing you some beginner videos. Don’t get too excited.”

“I’m excited,” she warns me.

My lips curl into a grin before I can stop them. She’s so damn adorable. It’s impossible to stay grumpy around a ball of sunshine like this.

Taking a seat on her bed, I grab the laptop she hands me and open it up.

I know exactly where I’m going and pull up a few videos. I play the first one and start pointing out things and telling her the fundamentals. “No matter what dance you put together, they’ll need to know these basics. It’s like practicing scales in order to be a better pianist. If you can get them perfecting these standard moves, then it’ll lead into greater things.” I parrot my dance teachers’ words.

“Okay.” She nods, watching the screen with intensity. “And once they’ve got those down pat, then what?”

“You string them together and make a dance.”

“Ri-ght.” She nods, looking far from prepared for that kind of thing.

Her serious lack of confidence pinches at my gut, so I nudge her with my elbow and try to give her a friendly grin. “It’s gonna be okay. Just one step at a time. Focus on these moves and it’ll come to you.”

She rubs her forehead, looking all stressed, and I wish I could say something else to make it better.

You should be offering to go to the school and help her!

I glance away, clenching my jaw as the words fight to get out of my mouth.

I’m being a stubborn jackass, but my stomach is writhing enough to keep me silent.

“Thanks for this, Jack.”

Her soft gratitude pulls my gaze back to her face, and something about the way she’s looking at me sends a flare of warning from my stomach to my throat.

Her eyes dip to my lips, her cheeks flushing pink before the tip of her tongue darts out to touch the corner of her mouth.

Holy crap. Maybe she is into me.

It almost looks like she wants to…

And I could so easily cup the back of her head and lean in. Our lips would touch and…

Luke would kill you.

“Okay, well.” I clear my throat. Handing her computer back, I practically jump off my bed. “I’m gonna…” I point over my shoulder. “There’s a thing I…” I frown and walk out her door.

Hightailing it back to my room, I close the wood firmly and pace to my bed.

Running my hands through my hair, I whip back around and eye the doorknob.

Nobody else is home right now.

I could so easily go back to her bed. I could follow through.

I could—

No! Watch yourself, man.

Closing my eyes, I slump onto the end of my bed and scrub a hand down my face. “She’s your best friend’s little sister. Don’t go forgetting that.”

My sigh is heavy, my brain a mess as I slump back on my mattress and try not to think about pink pajama pants and cute leopard-skin bras.

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