I roll my eyes up at him, trying not to notice the way his hand gently squeezes my waist.
“So, that’s your type? Older women?”
This time, he rolls his eyes. “Rita is not mytype.She was new to the crew that year and mentioned she wanted to go, so I invited her.”
“But have you ever brought adatedate to the gala?”
“Why would I? It’s not particularly romantic, is it?”
In spite of our proximity at the moment, he has a point. “So… you’re a big romance guy, huh?”
At this, Hale snorts loudly. And, a moment later, the song ends.
“Come on,” he sighs, guiding me off the dance floor. “Your camera crew got the shot, I’m sure, so we can be done now.”
“But, why won’t you at least tell me—oop!”
I’m so fixated on pestering this brooding beast about his love life that I don’t notice the puddle of spilled champagne, or the guest trying to warn me about it, until it’s too late. The smooth sole of my heel fails to gain traction as soon as I splash into the mess, and then it’s slipping out from under me. I flail for purchase, but I already know I’m going down.
Except, a heartbeat later, there’s a strong arm wrapping around my waist, catching me mid-fall. Several onlookers gasp in admiration as Hale holds me there like he’s performing a dramatic dip, but all I can think about is the way it feels to be cradled in his embrace.
That, and the fact that his face is coincidentally now only inches away from mine.
Kind of like how it was in that dream. Right before he leaned in and I tilted my neck to silently beg for a kiss.
It’s dumb, really, the way I feel so suddenly suspended in this moment in time. We’re frozen for several long seconds, staring at each other with wide eyes, so close that I can feel the tickle of his breath against my cheek. My pulse skyrockets, and I don’t have the willpower to resist glancing down at his lips.
He’s just so…
“That was close,” he whispers, then hauls me back up onto my own two feet. “Are you okay?”
I glance down where the hem of my dress is damp with champagne, but it’s not the end of the world. What the rental service doesn’t know won’t hurt them.
When I look back up at him, there’s an odd twinkle in his eye. Did he notice the way I zeroed in on his lips? Am I total freak for that?
“Lila?” He furrows his brow at me. “Are you okay?”
“Yep! Totally normal.”
“Okay… how about we go get some air while we wait for your lemmings to finish collecting B-roll?”
A ridiculous giggle bubbles out of me. “Look at you using the jargon!”
At that, I’msureI see the ghost of a real smile, but he turns away and gestures for me to follow him through an archway and down a carpeted hall.
We end up slipping out of a pair of French doors onto a small, forgotten patio that sort of melts into a grimy alleyway on oneside. Not exactly the prettiest place to catch my breath after swooning like that, but it’ll do.
I lean against the side of the brick building and lift the hem of my dress to wiggle my ankle. It’s a little sore, but there’s no way I actually injured it.
“Do you need a first responder, ma’am?”
A soft gasp slips out of me at the unexpected purr in Hale’s tone. I drop my foot and stare up at him.
And then, fucking hell, it’s exactly like my dream, because now he’s prowling toward me with that same dark-eyed intent that I brewed up in the most ridiculous corner of my imagination.
Only this is reality.
“I’m fine.” The words come out all breathy, and it has nothing to do with how tight this dress is.
