“Of course.” He bussed her temple. “I’ll always take care of you.”
She jerked her head back, staring up at him with wide eyes, and he firmed up his hand on her spine, steadying her. She blinked, a sheen of tears brightening her blue gaze. “You can’t say things like that in public, with no warning.”
A light scoff tickled his throat. “How am I supposed to warn you?”
“I don’t know.” She lifted her hand from his shoulder in a twirl. “But I don’t know what to do with promises like that.”
“Well, yeah.” He gave a subtle jerk of his chin toward the table where Barlow sat deep in conversation with Talley Palmer and Virgil Holton, his partner or girlfriend or fiancee or whatever she was focused on her phone. “Because you pinned your hopes on him, and he damn sure wasn’t making you any promises.”
Lips set in a pout, she pushed at his shoulder. “That might be the most condescending thing you’ve ever said.”
“Might be the most truthful thing I’ve ever said.” He pinched her hip. “Rebut it. At least two pieces of cited evidence.”
“I . . .” She snapped her mouth shut, and he grinned.
“Yeah, I thought so.”
“You better be glad we slept togetherbeforewe came tonight.”
A guffaw escaped his throat, and he reined it in, but not before he caught Tick’s quick glance in his direction. Colt lowered his head, mouth near her ear. “It would take me two seconds–”
“Colton.” Her stern voice did nothing to belie the shiver that moved over her under his hands. “Behave.”
He dropped a kiss just below the curve of her ear. “Until we get home.”
Her giggle bubbled against his jaw, and he grinned, feeling that sweet sound and the happiness she brought all the way through him. Everything he worried about – Lamar, her being here, all of it – faded in the sheer joy of having her in his arms, waltzing to cheesy holiday jazz, knowing at the end of the night, she’d still be there, lighting up his shadows.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
At some point, he was aware Tick danced with Aunt Lenora, but his attention centered on Holly. The music shifted, from jazz to cheesy holiday disco, and she discarded her heels to throw herself into dancing with the enthusiasm he loved.
“Okay,” she laughed, patting his chest as an instrumental of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” drew to a close. She smiled, breathless and flushed, her hair a shining sheet of rumpled gold spilling over her shoulders. “I need a break and to freshen up.”
Hooking a hand about her nape, he leaned down to kiss her. “I’ll get us a drink.”
“Thank you.” She flashed a smile at him over her shoulder as she walked away, skirt glittering in the lowered lights. He was enough of a guy to pause and enjoy the view, the slim skirt skimming her hips and thighs, the sweet curve of her ass. She was the most freaking gorgeous thing he’d ever seen.
Geez, she was barefoot still.
With an amused exhale, he went to grab her shoes. Bending to snag them from under her chair, he caught a flash of green at the corner of his vision. His gut tightened — she was wearing that shade of green — and he forced himself to relax. It was Christmas, and that holiday green was everywhere tonight. He straightened and strode for the long hallway that led to the restrooms, her strappy heels dangling from a pair of fingers.
“This is such a waste of your energy.” As he turned the corner, Holly’s voice carried to him, low and perturbed, that hint of stress pricking every nerve ending he had to full alert. “Does this make you happy or feel better or alive or what?”
His pulse kicked up a notch, his brain registering the pair of familiar blonde heads – one infinitely precious to him, the other one he didn’t care if he ever saw again. “You forgot your shoes.”
He ignored her, ignored the weight of her gaze on his face. Instead, he walked by without looking at her, refusing to edge by her, so she had to move aside.
Holding the shoes aloft, he focused on Holly’s gaze, aware of the glint of relief in the blue depths. “Need these if you’re going in there.”
“Yes.” Her voice held a breathless note of that same relief. She reached for the heels. “Thank you.”
Rather than pass the shoes over, he hunkered down to fit first one, then the other, Holly’s hand a warm weight on his shoulder.
“So sweet.” Her voice dripped with derision. Colt ignored her, pushing to his feet, attention on Holly.
He jerked his chin toward the ladies room door. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Are you sure?” she whispered, tense lines about her mouth, and he smiled.
