She makes it look so damn easy.
But I can hardly fault her. The shortcoming is mine and mine alone. Just another way in which our skill sets are complementary, making us a great team.
Yeah, because dancing is a crucial skill at Triada.
The song changes to something more honky-tonk, and the tempo increases.
Shit. I cha cha and turn and rock, but I’m totally out of sync. I glance at the woman in front of me and try to emulate her moves, but when we turn, I step too far and slam into Lucy. She’s so small, the force of the impact sends her stumbling back into the guy behind her.
They both stare at me in surprise as the rest of the class moves around us.
He’s tall and broad with a ridiculous cowboy hat, shiny new boots, and a too-eager grin.
“Sorry.” Lucy glances over her shoulder, flashing him an apologetic smile.
He’s all but holding her up, meaty hands under her armpits, fingers way too close to her breasts. Irritation flares red-hot in my gut, but I stuff it down.
You’re the dumb fuck who almost put her on her ass.
He releases her, and she turns to me, the hint of a smile tugging at her mouth as she pulls me out of line. “Wow. You’re really bad at this.”
I comb my fingers through my hair, exhaling as I push the blond strands back from my forehead. “I told you I was a shitty dancer.”
“To be honest, I thought you were exaggerating.” There’s a mischievous twinkle in her eyes—one I’m growing to enjoy. “Hang in there. We’ll grab drinks and a bite to eat after the lesson.”
I snort. “Maybe you should’ve given me the drinks first.”
“Yeah.” She pats my chest in a gesture that’s half placating, half playful. “Because alcohol always improves coordination.”
Neve clears her throat, announcing her presence.
“Why don’t you rejoin the group?” she suggests to Lucy. “I’ll walk your friend here through the moves one on one.”
Lucy looks up at me with a question in her eyes, and I nod.
Her cheeks are flushed, and she’s clearly enjoying herself. I’m not about to ruin her good time because I can’t remember the dance pattern.
Even I’m not that big of an asshole.
Neve walks me through the motions again, and I’m trying to concentrate on what she’s saying about the turns, but it’s a lost cause.
Lucy steals my attention and my breath as she rejoins the line, rocking and shuffling and moving her hips to the beat of the music, her bright smile lighting up the dance floor like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
The woman never ceases to amaze me. Despite all the time we’ve spent together in the last two weeks, she continues to surprise me at every turn. And I can’t wait to see what she has in store next.
Chapter Thirty
Lucy
“Who knew dancing could make you so thirsty?” I climb onto a stool at the long wooden bar—short people problems, y’all—and Miles takes the seat to my left.
“Literally everyone.”
“You’re just salty because you’re a terrible dancer, which, I have to admit, is shocking.” I bat my lashes at him. “With a name like Hartthrob, I figured you’d have killer moves.”
He smirks. “I have killer moves, just not on the dance floor.”
Fair point. The man can do things with his pelvis that should be illegal.
