Except I’m a grown-ass woman, and it’s pathetic.
“I would love to dance,” he says, rising to his feet.
My smile is automatic as I lift my head. The look of adoration on his face is unmistakable, and I think how easy it is to please this man. He is happy just to be in my company, and I have never had that before. Very slowly, Alesso takes my hand, his eyes probing mine to ensure I’m comfortable before his shoulders relax, and he leads me away from the table toward the dance floor. The feel of his warm hand in mine makes me all giddy inside. I hold his hand tighter, loving the feel of his rougher, slightly callused palm against my softer one, and my heart feels like it could burst.
Alesso leads us into the far corner of the dance floor, where it’s a little less crowded and away from prying eyes. Leaning in, he places his mouth next to my ear. “I’m not the world’s greatest dancer. Not by a long shot, so go easy on me.”
I grin as he starts to move his hips in time to the music, keeping a hold of my hand as he dances. I move my body a little self-consciously at first, but the longer we dance, the more I loosen up. Alesso’s gaze never leaves me, and I’m unused to such avid attention. It makes me feel special. Like I’m a desirable woman. And it gives me the confidence I need to truly let go, to forget about whoever might be watching me and just enjoy this simple pleasure in life—dancing with a man I’m attracted to. A man who seems to be attracted to me too. I don’t miss the heat flaring in his eyes when his gaze drops down my body or the slight bulge tenting his pants.
The song changes to a slow, sultry beat, and Alesso tightens his grip on my hand, asking a question with his eyes. I nod, letting him slowly reel me into the safety of his strong arms. With skill, he maneuvers me so I’m in front of him with my back against his chest. His arms come around me again, lightly resting on my hips as his mouth brushes against my earlobe. “Is this okay?”
Gulping over the lump in my throat and ignoring the butterflies cartwheeling in my chest, I nod, forcing my limbs to remain supple. All around us, couples are smooching and dirty dancing. The way we are pressed against one another is hardly scandalous, but it’s exhilarating to me. We move together, our hips in sync, as we sway to the hypnotic beats, and this feels like another giant step for me.
I’m not freaking out. Not even when I feel the tip of his erection brush against my lower back. It’s virtually impossible to feel anything but safe and protected when Alesso holds me like this. He has this gentle manner that belies his tall broad physicality. “Rena,” he murmurs, pulling me in a little closer as his mouth nuzzles my neck. “You smell amazing.” He plants a feather-soft kiss just under my ear, and a delicious shiver coasts over me. “Taste so damn good too.” His fingers toy in my hair. “Getting to hold you like this is everything I have dreamed of.”
Warmth blossoms in my chest at his words and the hidden meaning. Ignoring the fear waiting in the wings, I tilt my head back and lift my gaze to his familiar warm brown eyes. There’s a hunger on his face I remember seeing once before, and when his eyes lower to my lips, they darken with abject need. My heart is thrashing against my rib cage, and my palms feel sweaty as I rest them on the arm that is still around my waist. Willing the rampant pounding in my chest to subside, I pull up my big-girl panties and lean toward him, staring at his mouth like a woman who has never been kissed. He angles his head down, and his lips draw nearer. His fingers leave my hair, and his other arm goes around me. I clutch his arms and lean back against him, needing him to keep my wobbly legs upright as I slowly close my eyes and pucker my lips in anticipation of his mouth.
Without warning, we are jolted as someone crashes into us, and the moment is lost. I blink my eyes open, clinging to Alesso as he steps back, away from the drunken girl who has just taken a tumble at my feet. The contents of the wineglass in her hand land on my dress and splash my chest with a layer of sticky alcohol. Two bouncers approach and haul the girl away as the manager rushes to our side. “I’m so very sorry about that.” He hands me some paper towels. Over his head, I spy Ben approaching with a face like thunder.
“It’s okay,” I say. “It wasn’t your fault, and it’s nothing a trip to the bathroom and some water won’t fix.” I look down at myself, and there is no noticeable stain, so I’m guessing she had white wine in her glass.
“I’d like a word,” Ben says, when he comes to a stop beside us, glaring at the manager.
“Don’t make a fuss on my account,” I tell my brother-in-law. “I’m going to go and get cleaned up.” I wrench out of Alesso’s embrace, but he snatches my hand, guiding me off the dance floor.
“I’ll come with you.” He firmly clasps my hand like he’s afraid to let go in case we don’t get to do this again.
“I can go to the bathroom by myself.”
He stops, turning to look at me. With measured movements, he raises his hand, sweeping some stray strands of my long hair back off my face. “I know you can, but I’m not ready to let you go, and I like looking after you. I’ll only be on edge otherwise, and the guys will give me shit.”
I have a sudden uncharacteristic urge to fling my arms around him. He says the sweetest things, and I know if I could only let go of my fear that I would feel so much for this man. Lifting my hand, I gently cup his face, enjoying the feel of his five o’clock shadow against my fingers. “Well, we can’t have Ben and Leo doing that.” A teasing grin whips across my face.
“Serena.” He utters my name like a reverent whisper as he leans his face into my palm. “Do you have any idea how completely and utterly stunning you are tonight?” His hands land on my waist as he maneuvers us back against the wall. “I never knew such perfection existed until I met you.”
Tears prick my eyes, but for once, they are the happy kind.
“I want to kiss you.Needto kiss you. So badly.” His eyes glimmer with the truth of his words. Briefly, his gaze darts over my shoulder, and a resigned groan slips from his mouth. “It seems the universe has other plans,” he mumbles, letting me go.
I turn around as Sierra reaches us, her concerned gaze ghosting over me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but I need to freshen up before I start smelling like a brewery.”
My sister loops her arm in mine, pulling me away from Alesso. “Let’s go.” She casts a glance over her shoulder. “I think some champagne is in order when we return,” she shouts at Alesso before dragging me in the direction of the bathroom.
17
SERENA
Isit at the table beside Alesso drinking champagne and chatting with my family and our friends until the early hours of the morning, and I can’t remember the last time I felt so alive. My body is coiled tight, my limbs buzzing with sensations I haven’t felt since the night I made out with Alesso at the charity gala ball. Our thighs are pressed together, and he holds my hand under the table, and I’m close to combusting. All night, we’ve been trading heated looks, and from the way his gaze fixates on my mouth, I can tell the urge to kiss me hasn’t gone away. I know he won’t make a move in front of everyone, which I respect, because I’m nervous enough at the prospect of kissing him again, and I don’t need an audience. So, I’m anxiously excited when Ben announces our car is here, and we follow him out of the club.
I decline more champagne when we are seated in the limo, wanting to be fully alert for whatever will happen when we get back to Alesso’s apartment. I’m nicely buzzed, and it’s the right amount to take the edge off my nerves. Any more and I risk verging into dangerous territory, so I accept a bottle of water instead. We are quiet as we travel back to Ben’s apartment building, listening to our friends joking and laughing as we sit pressed against one another, anticipation fizzing in the air.
I can’t wait to tell Pamela about tonight. How I managed to turn a scary and humiliating event into a night where I pushed several of my boundaries. If anyone had asked me a few months ago if I could have sat so close to a man, danced provocatively with him, and held his hand all night, I would have asked what they were smoking. But it’s more than that.
I want Alesso.
I want him so badly.
