She dug her fingers into his shoulder, conscious of the hard press of his body against hers. “Oops, sorry.”
“No problem. You caught me by surprise.”
She couldn’t catch her breath. “I did warn you about my dancing.”
“You did.” He held her tightly. “Although I think Percy takes the blame for that particular move. He seems to think it’s his turn to dance with you.”
“The dogtrot is his favourite dance, didn’t you know? It’sthe canine version of the foxtrot.” She was desperately trying to ease the tension and maybe she succeeded a little because Will laughed.
“I’d like to see that, but I claimed you first so he’s going to have to wait in line.”
I claimed you first.
She felt a surge of heat and a delicious tightening low in her pelvis, all of which was inappropriate given the reality of their situation. Pretending to lust after each other was one thing. Actually lusting was something else entirely. She felt as if she’d broken an unspoken rule. Crossed a line.
Aware of just how physically close they were, she tried to ease away from him, but he pulled her back, anchoring her body to his.
Why was he holding her so tightly? And then she realised that he was behaving like her lover, which was the role she’d cast him in. He was playing his part. He was doing it to help her. She should be grateful. Instead she felt hot and unsettled. This was a romantic thing to do and she didn’t think of herself as a romantic person. She felt like someone who had been given a part she hadn’t auditioned for.
Normally she hated dancing because it highlighted how uncoordinated she was, but with Will for some reason she had no problems. His movements were smooth and assured, his hold on her secure. It was probably because he kept her welded against him that she had no opportunity to take a wrong step or move in the wrong direction.
She was aware of the hard pressure of his body against hers and she realised that she wasn’t the only one who was aroused.
The hum of conversation and the notes of the music slid into the background and for a moment it was just the two of them, everything around them forgotten except for the twinkle of fairy lights and the soft glow of the Christmas tree.
She was painfully conscious of the warmth of his hand on her back and the hot flare of desire low in her belly.
She’d never thought of dancing as particularly erotic (at least not when she was doing it), but with Will it felt less like a dance and more like a prelude to something. And she wanted that something more than she’d ever wanted anything. She wantedhim.
The realisation slammed into her, leaving her breathless.
Will.
When he’d agreed to go along with her spontaneous announcement, she’d been grateful. She’d failed to anticipate how well he’d play the part, or the depth of her response.
How could she feel this way about him? They’d been friends for all their lives. She’d spent so much time with him. She’d helped paint his kitchen. She’d planted up half his garden. They’d met up in wine bars and restaurants. They’d walked along the river together in sunshine and rain. They’d kissed hundreds of times over the years, but they’d neverkisseduntil today. She’d known him forever and yet right now she felt as if she didn’t know him at all. Her body and mind were reshaping everything she knew and felt.
Deeply unsettled, she tried to rationalize the way she was feeling. Will was attractive, there was no doubt about that. She saw the way women looked at him when he walked into a room. The lingering glances when they went for long walks together.
Her reaction was just a logical, physical response, that was all, and no doubt so was his.
“So how are you feeling?” He murmured the words into her ear. “We haven’t had a chance to talk properly. Are you finding it difficult?”
“Difficult?” Yes, it was difficult. She couldn’t think when he was this close. Her usually sharp mind had softened and blurred. Her concentration was severely impaired.
“Seeing Declan after all this time. You were dreading this moment. You’ve been avoiding family gatherings.”
Declan?
He was asking her about Declan?
She’d barely given Declan a second thought since the moment Will had kissed her, and hearing his name now was disorientating.
What did that say about her? Ever since the day of the wedding she’d believed she was in love with Declan, but now she couldn’t access those feelings. Where had they gone? What had happened?
“I—it hasn’t been difficult. Thanks to you.” She lifted her gaze to his, expecting him to smile and sayno problem, or something similar. Instead he held her gaze and they exchanged a long look, the attraction between them a palpable, living thing.
And she was engulfed in a delicious confusion. Was he still pretending? Was that intense look in his eyes for the benefit of the people watching? She had no idea.
