Page 37 of Smoke and Glitter

One corner of his mouth lifts. "You didn't ask."

I laugh, but Sam doesn't give me much room to keep talking. He turns me beneath his arm and catches me easily when I come back, his palm sliding into place at my waist without any hesitation.

There's nothing showy about how he moves. That's almost worse. He doesn't look like he's trying to impress anyone. He just knows where his body is, knows where mine is, and seems perfectly comfortable deciding where both of us go next.

"You've been holding out on me."

"Have I?"

"All this time and this never came up?"

His fingers tighten slightly at my waist as he draws me closer.

"We've been busy."

That shuts me up.

Sam's eyes stay on mine while the music moves around us. Summer and Colt pass somewhere behind him. I hear Bex laugh from across the floor and Lucia yell something at Marisol, but for once Sam doesn't turn toward any of it.

He stays with me.

A little while ago, I would have been happy if he'd taken the empty chair beside mine. Then I would have settled for him standing when I asked him to come dance with me.

He did neither.

He stayed on the other side of the room until whatever had been holding him there finally gave way.

Now there isn't any distance left.

I slide my arms around his neck, and Sam pulls me closer without missing a step.

The hard part was never dancing with me.

It was coming over here.

The limo is quieter on the way home.

Lucia is asleep across Marisol's lap before we've gone three blocks. Summer has curled into Colt's side, and Bex sits near the door scrolling through the pictures she took during the fundraiser.

This time Sam sits beside me.

His leg rests against mine while he listens to Dom talk across the car. After a few minutes, his hand comes to rest on the seat between us, close enough that his little finger brushes mine when the limo turns.

Sam glances down and slides his fingers through mine.

Then he goes right back to listening to Dom. No hesitation. No checking the car. No pause while he decides whether this is something he can do where everyone might see. His hand is simply in mine.

Earlier tonight, the distance of four chairs had felt enormous.

Now his thigh is against mine and his thumb moves once across my knuckles.

I squeeze his hand.

Sam squeezes mine back.

By the time the limo stops outside Vibes, Lucia is still asleep across Marisol's lap and the rest of the car has gone soft around the edges. Sam gets out first. His hand appears in the doorway before I have both feet under me, and I take it without thinking.

He doesn't let go once I'm on the sidewalk. The limo pulls away behind us while Sam unlocks the club, and for a second I stand there looking at our joined hands. Four chairs felt like an ocean a few hours ago. Now his hand is in mine, like being seen with me is the easiest thing he's done all night.