Page 21 of The Soulmate Theory

I waited for the music to swell, but she’d looked away from me by that point. I leaned into her, just above her ear. “Even as I wander, I’m keepin’ you in sight…”

Her eyes bugged out of her head.

“You’re a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter’s night.”

“Sto–”

“And I’m getting closer than I ever thought I mi–”

Her hand flew to my face, clamping itself over my mouth. A wheeze erupted from her throat. Her fingers were warm, her hands were soft. I tried to ignore the way they felt against my skin. Tried to fight the childish urge to lick her palm. “Please stop singing,” she requested. Hesitantly, slowly, she began to move her hand away from my mouth.

“.... Fight this feelin’ any mooooore. I’ve forgotten what I–”

It slapped back over my face. “Carter.” She was attempting to sound serious, but her eyes glistened with pure glee. She held her own mouth shut in a failed effort to keep from laughing.

“What I started fightin’ fooooor,” I sang into her hand, the sounds muffled.

She sighed, removing her hand. “If I dance with you, will you stop singing?”

I smiled. “What’s wrong with my singing?” She threw me a pointed look. “I’ve been told I’m a rather talented singer.”

“Whatever your mom told you doesn’t count.”

“Actually,yourmom told me that. After our fourth-grade choir concert,” I shot back.

“She also told Easton his football skills were good enough to go pro, and we all know how incredibly untrue that was.”

I shrugged. “At least your mother is an optimist.”

She snorted, “Yeah, well, I’m a realist. I am telling you that youreallysuck at singing.”

“I suppose you’d better dance with me, then.”

Her lips clustered together to hide her smirk as she shook her head at me. I held out my hand once more and she took it, finally. I walked around the drink table to the far end of the dance floor. Out of sight for anyone who wasn’t looking for us specifically.

I turned around and let her walk into me, searching her face for confirmation of permission to touch her. She brought her shoulder to her neck and gave just a hint of a nod. I softly, slowly, wrapped both arms around her waist. She glanced down to the place where our chests pressed together, inhaling sharply. She stretched her shoulders as if she was shaking something off. I loosened my grip to let her go, but her arms came around the back of my neck, pulling us tighter together. We began to sway.

The air around us buzzed with energy. I fought to keep my breathing even, afraid of her feeling the change in my breaths or in the rate of my heart. Her fingers lightly caressed the nape of my neck, and I fought the chills her touch sent down my spine, too. Her expression was unreadable, her jewel-colored eyes taking up her entire face. The freckles across her nose glittering in the reflection of the disco ball. As I matched her gaze, every thought was lost in my mind. I could only feel my fingers on the fabric of her dress, the heat of her back beckoning me from beneath it. The way her chest constricted against mine in time with the silent breath leaving her perfect lips. The vibration of the music beneath our feet. I’d lost all ability to use words, all ability to think about anything except touching her.

She made me feel truly prepubescent. As if I’d never touched a woman before.

“Macie isn’t going to be happy about us abandoning the drink table,” she said just above a whisper. So quiet I almost couldn’t make it out.

Coming back to the reality of where I was, I scanned the crowded gym for sight of the petite, curly blonde. “I’d say she doesn’t seem to mind,” I said, craning my head in Macie’s direction.

Penelope followed me with her eyes. Macie was on the other side of the gym speaking with a few of the other chaperones, positively beaming at us.

Pep smiled. “She likes you, you know.” I raised a brow. Her eyes did a somersault. “Oh, don’t get ahead of yourself. I just mean, she thinks you’re… good. A good guy.” She paused, then scoffed, “Although, she does find you disturbingly attractive.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ve always thought you were good, Carter.” The sincerity in her voice made my heartbeat twice as fast.

“I meant, do you also find me disturbingly attractive?”

“Meh.” She shrugged. The blush in her cheeks said otherwise.

I grinned. “The tall, dark, and handsome thing doesn’t do it for you, huh?”

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