She’s just so… cute. My resolve weakens more as Avery sways to the quirky song, somehow making it sound alluring.Sexy, even.
“What?” she asks, freezing.
I shake my head.
“Don’t do that.” She pokes me in the chest. “You have to talk sometimes, you know. What were you thinking?”
“I’m thinking about how your toes better be ready to get clobbered,” I say, pleased with myself when she lets out a short laugh. “And that you scrunch your nose when you smile. Like a bunny or something.”
“Are you calling me a rabbit?”
“I said bunny. And bunnies are cute.”
A rosy tint splashes across her cheeks. “Cute?”
I nod.
She scrunches her nose so hard it smushes up her whole face. “Like this?”
I let out a cough to cover up the laugh I can’t keep down. “No. Definitely not like that.”
She holds the pose for a second longer before relaxing her features and skipping over to the speaker like nothing happened. Like I didn’t basically just admit to her that I think she’s cute.
“Okay. We’ll start here.” She presses play then looks me dead in the eye. “I want to see you step and snap. Like me. Follow along.”
Avery takes a step to the side and snaps on the beat, some kind of bizarre disco funk song spilling into the room. Could she have picked something more… awkward? Dollyboy hops onto the back of an armchair, settling in for his front row entertainment. I keep my spine rigid, finally moving along with her as she rolls a wrist, prompting me to match her rhythm.
She slows for a moment, watching me, and I swear it’s like I’ve stuck my head in an oven. Moments like this make me think that would be an easier way to go. At least it’sfaster than slowly roasting under her gaze, embarrassment consuming me. A smile is frozen on her face as she encourages me with a nod.
“Like this.” She tries again, stepping and snapping in an exaggerated way.
I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a quitter. So I suck it up and swallow my pride and do the simple step, hardly even fumbling this time.
“Yes, Ty! Good!” Her smile is so bright it could light up all of Legacy Field. She bounces side to side, adding a flourish with her moves as I’m stuck in my own clumsy step sequence. I can’t bring myself to speak. Is this really happening? Or have I died and been plunged to some new layer of hell?
She stops the music, and silence consumes the room.
“Okay. Alright. Not bad! Not bad at all!” She slaps me in the shoulder, something wild in her eyes. “Ty! You should have told me you had rhythm. I was fearing the worst.”
“You doubted me?”
“After the way you responded when I asked about your abilities, how could I not?” Her eyes linger on mine a second longer, sending something warm quaking down my spine. Then she turns away, clearing her throat. “I don’t think we’ll be side-to-side stepping with your mom. Do you want to try a waltz? Are you up for it?”
She spins to face me, her excitement palpable. A waltz? That sounds so… formal.
It’s like she can read my mind because her full lips part and she says, “I know ‘waltz’ sounds a bit formal, but it’sjust three steps. And seeing how coordinated you actually are, I have faith you can handle it.”
I can’t help but smile. “You think I can handle it?”
She smiles right back, stepping closer. “I think so.”
“Show me.”
Taking her bait, I move in too, lifting my hands. Her eyes lock on mine as she grips them both and positions one on her waist. A rush moves through me, hot and wanting. My fingertips press into the small of her back as her other hand squeezes around mine. In an instant, our bodies are pressed together. Something kind of sexy plays from her Bluetooth speakers, transforming this moment into something that feels… well, kind of sexy. Which is never something I thought I would say about awaltz.
Her eyes train on my chest, a shaky breath filling her lungs. “Okay. So we step, side, close… Ow!”
“Sorry.” I grimace, dropping her hands, but she grabs them up again.
