“Yes.”
I blink once. Twice. “Oh.”
Cedrick’s brow lifts. “Not expecting that, little mouse?”
“No—not really.”
“Why not?” he asks.
“I don’t know… I guess just because I expect you to lie to me.”
That makes him frown. “I haven’t lied to you once,” he says stiffly.
“Okay.”
“I mean it, Madison.”
“Okay, Cedrick.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Okay…” I repeat again, softer this time as I reach across the table and grab his hand. It feels strange to initiate contact between us, but I like how long his fingers are and how strong they feel against mine. They’re calloused and rough but still sort of soft in a way as he trails the tips of his fingers over mine.
I shiver.
“This is crazy,” I murmur after a while of silent touching.
“Probably.”
“Not probably. It is.”
“Yeah.” His accent is thicker than ever, and it nearly makes my eyes roll back. He glances back over at the dance floor, and a smile flickers over his lips, eyes looking a bit crazed. “Do you wanna dance with me?”
“What?” I squeak, unsure I heard him correctly.
“You heard me, little mouse. Come dance with me.” He reaches for my hand, and I fall into him like a trap.
I stand on unsteady legs and place my palm in his, lettingCedrick tug me out onto the dance floor. It’s not very crowded, but there are enough bodies that we kind of get lost in the swarm.
He pulls me close and places his hands tightly on my hips, his thumbs brushing just under the hem of my t-shirt.
My breath catches at the sensation, and I stand there awkwardly, unsure what to do with my own arms. I’ve never danced a day in my life apart from formal ones at church, where I was forced to dance with my mother.
And I’m pretty sure that’s not the kind of dancing Cedrick expects at the moment.
He dips his head down to whisper against my ear, “Put your hands wherever you feel comfortable.”
“I don’t know how to dance.”
“It’s okay. We’ll just sway then.”
“I’ll look stupid,” I complain, face heating with embarrassment as I finally move my arms to wrap them around Cedrick’s neck. It’s the only place I could think to put them, but with theheight difference between us, it probably looks stupid.
“Impossible,” he rasps against me, breath hot enough to send shivers down my spine, and the next thing I know, Cedrick’s guiding my hips back and forth. Nothing too strenuous, just a gentle rocking motion to the beat of whatever song is playing around us.
I feel myself smiling as I lean into it a bit, feeling my body loosen up a little with each passing minute.
“That’s it, darlin’. Just like that,” Cedrick praises me, his fingers biting into my skin as my hips rotate faster. He takes a step closer, putting our groins in touching distance, and I gasp when I feel his hard length against my crotch.
