“May I take your coat?”a friendly guest services attendant asked as they entered.
“Yes, thanks,” Willow said as she unwrapped her scarf.Before she could take off her coat, though, Hunter was behind her.
“Nobody else gets to do this,” he whispered.
As she slipped out of the garment, his soft gasp sent shivers down her spine.The midnight blue dress her mother had bought dipped very low in the back.Looking over her shoulder, she caught his eye.Those indigo blue eyes were nearly black with desire.
The next moment, his warm hand rested against her back, and he was steering her toward the table where her family was already sitting.
“If I survive tonight, it will be a miracle,” he muttered under his breath.
As they neared the table, she pasted a smile on her face.She had goosebumps all over her body, she was struggling to breathe, her heart rate was completely out of control, flames were licking the insides of her skin.“Ditto,” was all she was capable of.
“Willow, Hunter!”her mom called out.“I was wondering where you were.Come on, sit down.The men have just left to get drinks, Hunter.”
“Thanks.What can I get you?White wine?”he asked Willow.
For a moment she felt like crying.Hunter was the perfect fiancé—considerate, charming, interested in what she did and said, and drop-dead gorgeous to boot.He even knew she liked drinking white wine.And when he kissed her, stars exploded, galaxies changed their course—not something she’d ever experienced before.
“Thank you, yes.”
With his hand still at her back, he leaned closer sideways.The next moment warm lips caressed her shoulder before he turned around and walked toward the bar.
With rubbery legs, she quickly sat down.
“Wow,” Laura laughed, fanning herself.“We don’t need inside heating tonight, the sparks between the two of you produce enough heat for the whole ballroom.”
Blushing, Willow pressed her cold hands against her warm cheeks.“Don’t be silly.You all look stunning!Are those the dresses you bought in Bozeman?”
“Yes,” Rose giggled.“Cooper really loves it.Let’s just say we nearly didn’t make it here tonight.”
“I know!”Ellie said.“When Becket saw me in this dress, he didn’t want to leave the house, either!”
Laura grinned.“Well, when you have children, you quickly learn to be creative and make time for everything.”
“That I’ll believe,” Willow’s mother laughed.“The Weston men have always been hot-blooded.”
“Who’s hot-blooded?”Hayden asked as he and the other men returned with drinks.
“What we women say around this table, stays around the table,” their mom said, her eyes twinkling.
Just then the guitarist of the band strummed through the strings of his instrument and half of the guests got up to dance.
As Hunter put down a bottle of wine and two glasses, he held out his hand.“May I have this dance?”
*
As he escortedWillow to the dance floor, people stopped to sayhiand congratulate them on their engagement.Hunter kept smiling and nodding, but by the time he was finally able to pull Willow into his arms, he was irritated and restless.
She easily followed his lead, matched his rhythm within seconds—as if they’d been dancing forever.
He had tonight with her, he wasn’t going to think about the fact she was leaving the next day.The singer of the band was crooning something about a girl he’d met who had made him smile.Dropping his hand, he twirled Willow away so that he could look at her again.The dress was long, so he couldn’t see her legs, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine what they look like in those heels.
Laughing she stepped back into his arms.“You’ve got moves, cowboy.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”His smile came easy, his irritation had evaporated, the restlessness was gone.Her smile did that to him.
Pulling her close, he slipped both arms around her body so that he could touch her back.Swaying to the music, he stroked the silky texture of her skin, inhaling her scent until everything else around him faded.
