He saw the moment she gave in, her eyes fluttering closed as she held out her hand to him. Stone moved like he had a million times before, wrapping his hand around her waist, pulling her into him as she started swaying.
It wasn’t anything like he knew she could do. He still remembered the first time he’d watched her dance. Truly dance. The way her body moved around the wide open space of the simulator floor at The Trident when they were starting construction had taken his breath away. Emma was always trying to get Mae back in the studio. Addie, her daughter, was focused on ballet, and Mae would have made an incredible instructor for her. But Mae always just laughed it off… a dream she once had that she didn’t seem ready to revisit anytime soon.
Stone never took her dancing for granted. Whether he was watching or holding her in his arms as they swayed back and forth, it was always electric to him.
“Will you…” He hadn’t asked anyone yet. He hadn’t wanted to burden anyone with talking about it. But there, while she was in his arms, where he could protect her, Stone desperately wanted to know what happened to him the morning he was shot.
“Will I, what? Stop stepping on your toes?”
He laughed. “I know you know how to dance. You step on my feet on purpose.”
“Of course I do. I don’t want you to feel bad about stepping on mine.”
Stone stopped swaying, his hand coming up to gently grab her chin. He tilted her face towards his and pressed a kiss to her lips.
“I love you, Michaela Morgan.”
“I love you, too, Stone Lawson. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“Never, baby. I never wanted to be away from you.”
Her face fell, the dreamy, in-love look she was giving him morphed into something so painful his healing wounds ached deep in his body.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.” She cleared her throat. “Let’s keep dancing. Unless you need to sit down. I mean, of course you do. Let’s sit.”
“Mae.” His hands slid down her body until they rested on her hips, and Stone tugged her impossibly closer. “I think I’m ready for that shower. Will you help me?”
“You know I will. Come on.”
Mae tugged his hand as they walked down the hallway and into their room.
“Your mom is switching to the guest room. Rhett and Sara are staying up in my room with Hawk.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t think to ask. That’s something I could have coordinated. You’ve already got so much on your shoulders.”
“It was nothing. Took two seconds to figure it out.”
“It’s not nothing.” Stone stopped as they stepped into the bathroom. “You don’t have to take on everything for me. I’m good now. I can be looped back in. I can help with decisions.”
Mae smiled. “The only thing you need to decide right now is if you feel up to taking your shower alone or if you want my help. We’ll go from there.”
Stone’s hand reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her so the two steps they were apart completely disappeared. His fingers brushed along the edge of her yoga pants, slipping up under her shirt. Her skin instantly pebbled under his touch ashe let his fingers move higher, and higher, until he was brushing along the edge of her bra.
“Stop that,” she laughed. “You aren’t cleared for any sort of hanky-panky. I would strictly wash your body, andthat’s all.”
“That’s not true at all. You know Dr. Anderson and Sloane mentioned rebuilding intimacy as an important part of my recovery.”
Mae tugged at the hem of her shirt, bringing it up over her head. He couldn’t stop the groan that ripped from his throat as he looked at her. Cheeks flushed, her gorgeous chest moving up and down as she nearly panted at him.
Her hands went to work helping him out of his clothes. A baggy pair of sweatpants and slouchy shirt went to the ground and then… fuck. Her hands were on his boxer briefs, tugging them down as well.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, not exactly sure why he was apologizing for his dick not getting the notification that sex was apparently off the table. “He didn’t get the no-sex memo.”
Mae chuckled as his fingers lowered back to the waistband of her pants, and he tugged them down over her hips, his groan turning into the most pathetic whimper as he revealed her body, completely naked and now exposed.
“Down, boy.” Mae’s fingers captured his chin, tipping his face back up to meet her eyes. “Wanted to look my best for your homecoming. Couldn’t have granny panty lines killing the vibe.”
