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“They are,” he assured me.
When we were face-to-face once again, he held me close, and our bodies were moving in sync. It felt so sensual that I couldn't even look at him. I fixed my gaze on his shoulder.
"You're a great dancer—” He spoke into my ear, his voice gruff and low, and it sounded as if he stopped midsentence.What else did he want to say?
He moved his hand up from my lower to my upper back, then the back of my neck. For a split second, I was certain he was going to kiss me.
You’re totally losing it, Hannah. This is just a dance.
Why, then, was my pulse erratic? My mouth dry?
To my astonishment, I realized that we were approaching the end of the song. I hadn't had nearly enough of feeling his body against mine. His abs brushed my stomach on every move. I was so close that I could smell his cologne—or maybe it was his shower gel.
Once the song ended, we both stopped and glanced at Finn, who looked stunned. Knox was clapping, and out of the corner of my eye, I peeked at Chase. His smile wasverysmug.
Hmmmm.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the best man and the maid of honor,” Finn said. “I've got to admit, when I picked the song for my brother, I intended to trick him. For anyone wondering, these two didn't know each other before yesterday. They just met because of the wedding, but you wouldn't know it based on their chemistry. We'll see if they end up honoring the long-standing tradition of the best man and the maid of honor becoming 'friends.'” Finn’s emphasis with air quotes had me choking.
“For fuck’s sake. He doesn’t have an off button,” Chase said, obviously noticing my embarrassment.
Finn gave the mic back to the DJ. My face was flaming hot again. Even more so than when we'd been dancing.
"What did you do to him?" I asked.
Chase turned to me abruptly once we left the floor. "Why would you assume I did something to him?"
"Because this seemed like payback.”
“That's because you don't know my brothers too well. They like to have fun.”
I fanned myself. “I need some fresh air. It’s stuffy in here.”
Even though the gazebo wasn’t enclosed and didn’t have windows, the roof somehow kept the heat in.
"Want to take a few steps out on the beach?" he asked.
My heart leaped into my throat. Deep down, I wondered if that was a good thing or not.
"Sure, let me just grab my phone. I want to double-check the list again, see if I'm forgetting anything."
"You're doing a great job, Hannah." Chase waited by the edge of the gazebo while I headed to the table.
“Well done, you,” my seat neighbor said while I took the phone out of my purse. I couldn’t place the woman at all, and Mom wasn't at the table to ask. She was elderly—possibly in her seventies. How did she know my sister?
“Thanks.”
“Those were some moves. How long did it take to learn them?”
“They weren’t rehearsed. We were just winging it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Really?”
“Really. His brother pulled a prank on him.”
“Hmm... well then, you make sure you jump his bones.” She’d lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Based on his moves on the dance floor, I bet he’s great in bed.”
My eyes bulged. “I’m not... we’re... I mean....”Holy shit, why can't I speak coherently?