“Actually I do,” Adam replies, his body coming to a stop, but his hands still on my hips. “We were dancing here.”
“I wasn’t asking.”
My breath catches at the demand. An excitement swells in my chest. The man’s hands leave my waist and familiar fingers slide in their place, a wave of rosemary and lemon overcoming me. I lean back against Reid’s chest, not even needing to turn around to know it’s him. Suddenly I feel like I’m home.
“What do you think you’re doing?” His voice is a low growl in my ear, his lips grazing my skin. Goosebumps raise on my neck.
I tilt my head back against his shoulder in an effort to look up at him without having to undo the embrace. He’s staring at me with a tightness in his eyes, his full lips pressed into a fine line.
“Dancing. What do you thinkyou’redoing?”
“Trying my best not to look like a jealous boyfriend.”
I smile at his admission. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re not succeeding.”
I right myself and turn to face him. His fingers never leave my waist like he’s afraid that if he lets go someone else will swoop in. I reach a hand up and brush his dark hair off his forehead. Some about the intensity in his gaze softens at the contact.
“And last I checked, you’re not my boyfriend. Or is this your attempt at asking me out? Because if it is, it’s not very good.”
His jaw clenches. I’m not sure what I’ve said that would upset him, but he’s not my boyfriend. It’s simply a matter of fact, whether that thought makes my heart ache or not.
“If I were asking you to be mine, Jane, you would know.”
I arch a challenging brow, pushing down the horde of butterflies swelling in my chest at the wordminefollowed so closely by my name. “Would I?”
“It would be the most romantic moment of your life.”
Blame it on the tequila, but I feel bold, empowered, so I lean in closer to him, my lips just a breath away. I could lean in and press mine to his right now if I wanted to. “I thought you were so anti-romance,” I say to him.
His nostrils flare as he draws in a breath. His eyes drop down to my lips. “I’m not anti-romance. I’m just saving all my romance for the right person.”
“And who is she?” I tease. “She must be someonesospecial to break the famous Reid Matthews of his no dating spell.”
His eyes flick back up to mine, a new fire in them. “She’s the most special woman I’ve ever met.”
My heart stutters and I realize that I hope he means me. I want to be the one who breaks his no dating spell. I want to be the one he tries to be romantic for, even if he does exactly what my sisters and Jessica think he will by breaking my heart in the end.
But at this point, I think I’d rather find out and get hurt than spend more time wondering what could be if I would just take the stupid chance.
So I rise up on my toes, my lips a centimeter from his. His fingers tighten on my hips in anticipation, his chest freezing under my touch, but his heartbeat hammering through his black henley shirt.
A glass falls to the floor next to us, somehow louder than the thumping music, and shattering into pieces as stale beer spills across the dance floor. Bodies slam into us as they back up to get away from the spill, knocking me off balance and destroying my emboldened moment.
And just like that glass, everything around me shatters.
I’m back on the dance floor. I’m back to the music and the bodies and the bachelorette party. With a sigh, I settle back on my heels, staring up at Reid as I catch my breath. His own chest is rising and falling as his eyes bore into mine, a muscle feathering in his jaw.
Kate stops in front of us and props a hand on her hip, her eyes are affixed on Reid. “Reid, what do you think you’re doing here? This is supposed to be a ladies night.”
Suddenly, I realize I have no idea what Reid is doing in here either. I was so excited to see him that I never even questioned why he was here. I look at him with curiosity, waiting to hear his answer.
“I was walking home from work and saw you through the window.” His eyes never leave mine as he says this. “Dancing. With another man.”
“Oh, it’s a bachelorette party, Reid,” Kate says, waving a hand in the air. “Jason will dance with girls at his bachelor party. It’s fine.”
Reid dips his chin in a nod, silently dismissing my sister, but I know that he was talking to me.
Dancing. With another man.
