“Here we go.” Seb lifted Jade and turned her, narrowly missing a collision with the ungainly couple. Junior and Dora Mae didn’t seem to notice. They only had eyes for each other.
Seb was noticing something, however. Jade was now close to him. Real close. Pressing against him close. Mmm, nice.
“Sorry,” she said, pulling back.
“My fault.” He muttered the words, so he doubted she heard him. For the next turn around the dance floor, they didn’t talk or look at each other. Just held on like two seventh graders who lost a bet at their first dance.
“Let’s slow it down, y’all.” Thurman did his best impression of a countrified Barry White as the Biscuit Boys switched to a ballad. A few of the couples moved off the floor, but somehow he and Jade were in the middle of the throng, still surrounded. There was nothing left to do but—
“Hey, bro.”
Seb turned to see Evelyn Margot and Haskell Pancake dancing right next to them.
“Having fun?” she said, winking at Seb.
He was about to say something smart-alecky when Haskell smoothly moved them both on. He wasn’t as big as Junior, but he did have some weight on him. The man was surprisingly light on his feet.
“Sebastian?”
His head swiveled to Jade. Their gazes met.Whoa.
“You don’t have to dance with me anymore. I’m sure Logan gave up.”
From the frantic way Logan had tried to get her attention, Seb wasn’t so sure. He also didn’t care about her brother right now, or that Jade was going to keep trying to takeThe Clementine Timesaway, or that he had no business enjoying holding her this much. Common sense took a nosedive too, because he tightened his hands on her waist. “What if I want to?”
* * *
Jade wasn’t sure she heard Sebastian right, and not because of the Biscuit Boys’ harmonizing violins filling the air. Her heart was pounding in her chest and had been since she made the snap decision to avoid Logan by dragging Sebastian onto the dance floor. She quickly realized her mistake. If they were on the dance floor, they’d have to dance or get run over.
So they danced. It was awkward, a bit stumbling... and wonderful. The pressure of Sebastian’s strong fingers lightly pressing on her lower back made her pulse go into overdrive. The movement wasn’t sensual, and they were surrounded by other dancers, including Sebastian’s sister, she discovered. But being in his arms again was just as amazing as it used to be.
But she had to reel her feelings back in. Somehow she had managed to, only to have them resurface again when he said he wanted to dance with her.
She couldn’t give in.
She shouldn’t.
He smiled—a gentle, soft, heartstring-tugging grin that made her toes go crazy curly and made her want to give in and let go, something she hadn’t done in a long, long time.Or ever.
Her hands were on his biceps, and she tentatively moved them up, up, up until her wrists rested on his shoulders. That made himsmile more, which compelled her to move closer. Before she knew it, the minuscule space between them was gone.
“You okay?” he said, his eyes not leaving hers.
Managing a nod, she said, “Yes.” She was more than okay. She was in heaven.
The Biscuit Boys played their final note, and the crowd applauded, breaking into whatever magnetic connection they just had. Sebastian dropped his arms, and she followed suit.
“Thanks, uh, for the help.” Her mouth felt like cotton, and she could barely move it.
He nodded, the sexy smile gone, his expression emotionless. “Gotta interview the band,” he said, stepping away.
“Okay. See you—”
He walked off.
“—later.” She sighed and followed the rest of the dancers off the floor, trying to get her bearings. When she stepped onto the Wilsons’ thick green lawn, she realized she’d blown another chance to discuss the Harrington deal. She’d intended to stick to her promise to talk about only the newspaper. Then Logan showed up, and she lost her wits.
Maybe she should wait around for Sebastian to finish with his interviews. But would he even want to talk to her by then? She was almost sure he would change his mind, having had some time to think about it. He didn’t owe her anything.
