Page 17

I expected Chase to protest or flat-out refuse. To my astonishment, he stood up and walked over to me, holding out a hand. "May I have this dance?"
I put my hand in his and barely held back a gasp as the touch ran right through me, not just the tips of my fingers. The buzz I’d felt earlier when he’d been near me was nothing compared to this. How on earth was I supposed to dance with him?
Taking a deep breath, I got up from my seat.
"Sure," I said. "This is unexpected."
He put his other hand on the small of my back. This time, I didn't manage to compose myself. My stomach somersaulted, and I exhaled sharply.
"Josh will pay for this," Chase said.
"Josh didn’t write the dare. I mean, he did initially. But then Finn and Knox messed with it.”
“They’re unbelievable," he said on a groan. The sound was downright delicious.
"Hey, I'm going to take that personally," I teased him. "Dancing with me isn't that bad.”
“You'll change your mind once you hear the song they picked."
"How would you know what they chose?"
"Because I know my brothers."
And then The Weeknd's "Earned It" started blasting through the sound system, and I understood what he meant. The song was extremely sensual and sexy.
"I'm going to kill them," he said.
"I’ll gladly help you," I replied, my cheeks heating up.
"By the way, this song is on a lot of top 10 lists of music appropriate for a striptease. But dancing is enough. You don’t have to actually take your clothes off," Knox's voice resounded in the microphone. "Unless, of course, the maid of honor requires it."
The guests laughed again.
"N-No," I stuttered before realizing he hadn't seriously meant it as an option.
Oh good Lord.I was breaking out in a sweat.
Chase chuckled.
"What's so funny?" I murmured.
"Your reaction. You looked like you were considering it.”
"I wasn't," I said a bit too quickly. "It's just all taken me by surprise."
Chase zeroed in on me. Up close, his eyes seemed darker. "Let's give them hell, Hannah."
Wait a second. He knows how to have fun?It'd seemed unlikely until now.
Chase started moving his body, and I was shocked again. He had fantastic rhythm. The world around us seemed to fade. I didn't hear the gasps, the snickers; I only had eyes for him. My body was moving of its own accord, but I wasn't too worried. Dancing was my thing, and I didn't need to focus on it.
The music was easy to dance to, and although Chase’s moves weren’t suggestive, in my mind’s eye, I could practically see him taking off his clothes. He looked insanely sexy in his tuxedo, but I was betting he would look even better completely naked.
He took my hand, swinging me around. I nearly lost my balance—not because I was a bad dancer but because I didn't expect it.
“Are you okay with taking things a bit further?” Chase asked.
“Hell yes. I hope they’re watching.”