Turning his head, he found Lexi standing beside him looking beyond breathtaking. The strapless floral dress looked elegant on her, and he wished he could be with her later to unzip it and watch it pool at her feet.
Swallowing hard, he nodded and took her hand in his as he led her out onto the dance floor to the romantic ballad that was playing—an old song that everyone seemed to know. His arms slowly wrapped around her as they blended into the crowd.
The restaurant was dimly lit, the air warm with laughter and candlelight. Fairy lights drape from the rafters, glittering softly over the dance floor. But he only had eyes for Lexi.
They moved slowly into the dance, his palm warm at the small of her back. He let out a small hum of approval at the feel of her body pressed so intimately against him. Her breath caught when he pulled her a little closer than he should in mixed company. It wasn’t exactly a tight embrace, not one that would draw attention, but there was definitely something charged in the way they fit together.
But when his hand slid down and rested on her ass, she gently nudged him. “People will notice,” she whispered against his shoulder.
* * *
“So? We’re just dancing,” he murmured back.
“And our children are watching, so…”
And that effectively had him keeping his hands in a respectable position.
Dammit.
Still, for a few minutes, the world faded around them. The music swelled softly around them, the kind that blurred into the low hum of voices and clinking glasses. Her head rested just below his chin, and when she moved—barely, just the faintest shift closer—he caught it.
Lavender and vanilla.
It wasn’t strong, just a trace carried in her hair, warm from the evening air and the brush of her skin against his. The scent wrapped around him like something remembered, something safe. He closed his eyes for a heartbeat, breathing it in—the calm sweetness of it, the way it didn’t demand his attention but somehow held it completely.
The song drifted on—lazy, unhurried—and they swayed in time, their steps small, intimate. It felt so good just to hold her and know that he didn’t have to rush off anywhere. His job was over for the night, and he was finally free to relax and enjoy himself. And having these brief moments with Lexi were wonderful, but he was starting to feel like they weren’t enough. It would be wildly inappropriate for him to suggest them running down to her office or the storage room, but his mind couldn’t help but go there, especially after their sexy escapade in the storage room the other night.
Every so often, his thumb brushed the back of her hand.
Every so often, she looked up, catching the ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth. And by the look in her eyes, her thoughts matched his.
When the song ended, they lingered a second too long before pulling apart. She laughed softly to cover it. “I need to go check on Jonah. He was playing games on his iPad with Slater.” Ducking her head for a moment before looking back at him. “This was nice. Dancing. I haven’t danced in years, so…thank you.”
He watched her walk away, but he didn’t move. No one seemed to notice, but once the next song started, he casually made his way toward the bar. After he ordered his drink, he turned and looked around the room until he spotted Lexi. He swore he could still smell her perfume faintly on his shirt—like the memory of her had settled there, refusing to fade.
Annabeth was now sitting with her, Jonah, and Slater. He knew if he walked over there right now, Slater would roll his eyes and quietly accuse him of being jealous or something.
Which, let’s face it, he was.
It didn’t matter that he knew nothing was going on between Lexi and his friend; it was the fact that Slater was free to hang out with her all the time when he couldn’t.
“There’s no scowling at weddings.”
Turning, he found Milo standing there looking slightly amused.
“Says who?” he asked with a small laugh.
“The way you were glaring at Slater, he should have turned to dust. What gives?”
It would be an insult to both of them for him to pretend that he didn’t know what Milo was talking about.
“I just…I wish I could just go and do what Slater’s doing,” he said miserably, motioning toward the table.
Milo looked across the room and then back at Connor. “You mean…sitting? Dude, your job’s over for the night. The staff has everything under control. All the food has been served. Go and relax.”
“Seriously? That’s what you think I’m referring to?”
Milo grinned. “Hell, no. But I wanted to see if you’d own up to it.” He accepted his drink from the bartender before addressing Connor. “Why don’t you think you can just go and join them? Your daughter’s over there. Your friends are over there. I don’t see a problem.”
