Page 26 of My Ex-Fiance's Best Men

The more I practice, the better I seem to get. Or more confident, anyway. We take a break at the forty-five-minute mark, and I go outside for a sip of water and a quick chat with Dominic. He smiles as soon as he sees me, measuring me from head to toe with a twinkle in his dark eyes.

“What?” I ask after gulping down half a bottle of water. “Something wrong?”

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong, Phoebe. I was simply admiring you.”

I glance down at myself, fully aware that my waist is bare. I opted for the grass skirt and a white bikini top for the dance class, though I didn’t feel as pretty or as confident as the other resort clients until I got to spend a few moments around Mery and Sage.

“Well, I’ll admit, I do like the whole breeze through my grass skirt part,” I laugh lightly. “Especially in this heat.”

“You look beautiful,” Dominic replies. “Naked or otherwise.”

“Stop. You’re going to make me blush.”

“Blush suits you rather well,” he shoots back with a wink. “How’s the dance class going?”

I glance back at the hut, where Mery is working with another client. “Better than I expected. We got off to a rocky start, butI think I’m getting the hang of it. I finally nailed the routine, which, apparently, is pretty good for a first-time student.”

“Attagirl,” he chuckles softly.

I sit beside him, both of us watching the class while the sun casts its afternoon glow across the circular garden and its many white awnings, which extend from the elegant wood structure that surrounds the garden’s edge.

“Pretty sure I heard this song in a Disney movie,” Dominic says.

“You did. That’s the Hula dance we’re learning,” I reply. “Everybody wants to do Lilo’s dance, though I definitely felt more like a Stitch earlier.”

He smiles. “You move very well.”

I give him a surprised look. “Oh. You were watching?”

“Of course,” he says, his eyes searching my face. “I didn’t come here to stare at the grass, Phoebe. I came here to support you, to watch you enjoy yourself. It looks like you’re making the most of it.”

“That’s really sweet,” I reply, downright surprised.

He leans closer, grinning. “Did you think it would be nothing but mindless sex between us?”

“Kind of. Yeah.”

“You’re worth so much more than that.”

I know that. I thought I was more to Matthew, but clearly, that wasn’t the case. So how is it so easily the case with these three amazing men? My own mind is sabotaging me. It’s making methink less of myself while I grow determined to push forward and blossom.

“Thank you, Dominic. It’s nice to hear that,” I confess.

Mery steps out and claps her hands. “Alright, students. Break is over. It’s time to return and prepare for the performance.”

“Prepare for the what?” I croak, suddenly alarmed as I bolt up from my chair.

“You’re going to perform the dance you just learned for your companions.” Mery laughs lightly while I feel a wave of dread wash over me, stiffening my joints. “Gentlemen, come closer to the hut so you can get a better view.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Dominic says and stands up.

“Oh, no,” I gasp, giving him a terrified look. “No, no, no…”

“No? You’re joking. I just watched you do the whole routine on your own. You’ve got this.”

I shake my head, growing increasingly anxious at the thought of performing for him or anyone else, for that matter. “Dominic, no. I didn’t know you were watching. It’s different now. I can’t do it. Let’s just go.”

“Phoebe.” He catches my wrist before I can flee, pulling me close with a soft but assertive strength. “You made it this far. What are you afraid of?”