Page 37 of Shallow

“Oh my God, really? What the hell do you want from me?” She spins around with mascara running down her cheeks and shoves me in the middle of my chest. Unfortunately for her, I’m too quick and grab both of her wrist, pulling her roughly againstme.

“Are you going to dance with me orwhat?”

Twelve

Shiloh

He glares at me,his body pressed up against mine with no room to spare. “Are you going to dance with me orwhat?”

“No.” I can’t breathe. I can barely speak. Dancing is definitely out of thequestion.

“Why?”

How about because the girl who never gave a shit about anything suddenly gives a shit about everything? How about because the bubble I’ve been living in for years has finally popped, flashing a light on what I’ve become—what people think of me? How about because you treat me like the scum of the Earth one minute, then save me from humiliation thenext?

Instead of saying all that, I shrug. “Carrick, I saw you at prom, remember? You can’t dance forshit.”

I expect to see impatience in his eyes, but instead, I’m met with impassive darkness. “It’s Cary. And teach me,then.”

The loaded words hang in the air as the space between us collapses. I can’t open myself up to more exposure or hidden agendas. However, I can’t seem to look away from his hypnoticstare.

“Why do youcare?”

“Maybe because at the very least you owe me the dance you screwed me out of atprom.”

Every rush of blood in my body pools south as he wraps my hands around his neck and settles his arms around my waist. For a moment we stand motionless, and I wonder what music he hears in his head that Idon’t.

Then I hearit.

The faint, sinful beat that slowly gets louder and louder until his hands guide me in a gentle sway. The song is suggestive, indecent, and designed forsex.

PonybyGinuwine.

I glance up, my jaw dropping. “Tothis?”

Cary nods, a wicked grin pulling at the corners of hismouth.

I sigh. “Fine.”

Although my fingers are shaking, I move my hands from his neck and clasp them onto his hips. Giving them a wiggle, I glance up, thankful that clouds have darkened the moonlight. They’ve casted a shadow over his face, preventing me from having to look him in the eye. “You have to loosen up and roll your hips with the beat of the music likethis.”

As the sexy beats continue to play in the background, Cary just stands there. His body is straight as a board, his pelvis locked as if it’s been poured in plaster. It’s beyond awkward, and insulting as hell. I’m so hot I can barely stand up, and he looks like he’s writing a grocerylist.

“Cary?”

“Hmmm?” He raises an eyebrow, staring over my head as if he’s a million milesaway.

Grunting, I drop my hands in frustration. “This is hopeless. I’m just going home, all right? Happyprom.”

Before I can take a step, an inked arm snakes around my waist and yanks me against his solid chest. “You mean like this?” Cary expertly rolls his hips and grinds against me so hard my vision blurs. Brushing his lips against my temple, he slides his hands around my waist to my lower back, and I gasp as his fingers widen and squeeze my ass cheeks. As our bodies press closer and sway to the music, he turns us both around and slams me against the brick wall. His hands cover mine and presses my palms against the bricks above my head, his hard erection rubbing against me until I think I’m going to die. I hate myself for the lusty moan he makes me givehim.

Where in the hell did he learn to dance like this? Screw modeling, I need to open up a dance studio and have every man in America sign up. Because any man who can blow a woman’s mind on the dance floor, can rock her world inbed.

I’m pressed against the wall, my back scraping the rough brick, but I’m so turned on I don’t care. Still grinding as the song comes to a close, Cary’s mouth trails up my throat. His lips hover so closely against mine that with every exhale, theytouch.

But he doesn’t kissme.

Instead, he rakes those full lips across my cheek, down my neck, then up to myear.