“Hmm.” I studied the table for a long moment like I had some serious reservations. He could sweat for a minute. He’d survive. “There’s a lot of good things going on here. I should stick around. Explore my options.”
As I said this, he reached over, taking my plate and setting it down. “You’re coming with me,” he said, holding out his hand.
I glanced down at his wide palm. He looked like he split firewood with his bare hands. Like he wrestled bears and waded into rivers just to grab a salmon out of the water. Like he camehome from his rugby matches with blood running down his face and a few dislocated fingers, and the only treatment he required was a cold beer. Probably the furthest thing from a surgeon as I could find tonight, which was a relief. The more distance I could put between the real me and the person I played at weddings, the better.
“One dance,” I said, taking his hand.
He slapped his free hand to his chest like I’d wounded him. “I’m going to need a lot more than one.”
“Sorry. Can’t help you. There are at least five other cupcake flavors I haven’t tried.”
He led me away from the buffet, his fingers slipping between mine. His thumb swept over my knuckles. Goose bumps rippled down my arms, which was ridiculous. I did not goose bump. Certainly not from a mere thumb on my knuckles.
“I have about twelve hours until I have to be on a flight out of here, eleven if we count the drive down to Reno,” he said, looping an arm around my waist as we stepped onto the dance floor. “I could play this game with you. I could go on telling you that you’re heart-stoppingly beautiful while you ignore me for a cupcake. But I’m short on time and I’ve wanted to talk to you since you rolled your eyes at me during the ceremony.”
“Bold of you to assume I was rolling my eyes atyou,” I said as we started moving with the music. His hand was warm on the small of my back, his fingers sliding over my dress in lazy circles that sent another wave of goose bumps down my arms, my legs, my chest.
Goddamn goose bumps.
“Right, so the part you want to focus on is the subject of the eye roll?” he asked. “Not the heart-stoppingly beautiful thing? I was really hoping you’d give me a chance to lean into that.”
“Trust me, your heart has not stopped.” His shoulders were a craggy mountain range under my hands and—because of coursehe did—he smelled clean and woodsy. A small laugh slipped over my lips at that discovery.
He peered down at me, a quirk pulling at his mouth. His full-blast smile could light up this whole tent, but that slow, scrunchy half smile? It lit up everything inside me.
“My moves aren’t that bad,” he said.
“No.” I shook my head. His moves were amazing. “It’s—nothing.”
He dragged his hand up my spine, settling between my shoulder blades. His palm was so steady and certain against my bare skin. “Somehow I doubt that’s the truth.”
“And that’s what you want for the next eleven hours? The truth?”
He stared at me then, his dark gaze dropping to my lips. “I should probably know your name before I answer that.”
Oliviawas on the tip of my tongue. That’s who I was tonight. That’s who I was to this guy. Nothing more. And I needed to remember that. “Not sure that’s necessary.”
“I could guess,” he said after a pause.
“Seems unwise.”
“Yeah, but I should tell you a secret about me.” He held me tight and leaned in close, his beard scruff rasping against the shell of my ear. “I run headfirst into challenges. The harder, the better.”
“I hope you’re wearing a helmet while you do that. If you don’t break your neck, you’ll get a helluva concussion.”
He pulled back just enough for me to catch his grin. “Safety first, right?”
“Nothing you’ve done here tonight suggests that’s your first priority.”
“First? No. Is it in the top ten? Yeah, probably.” We swayed for a moment before he added, “You know, some people aren’tgood at public speaking. It’s not easy to get up in front of all these people.”
“I don’t think that’s your excuse.”
I felt his laugh against my cheek. “Yeah. It’s not.”
Another song ended but we didn’t stop swaying. It wasn’t even a question and we both knew it.
The band kicked off the opening chords of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” and I hummed in pleasure.
