Page 6 of Unconventionally, Elle

Twelve years ago

I never expected to see him again--my mystery dance partner.

Nashville had thousands of people, and I was subletting an apartment in Murfreesboro, about an hour away on a good day.

I despised myself for not getting his number or even his name.

Way to go, Elle. I felt like there was a connection, some kind of spark, but maybe he was only meant to be my dance partner for one night and one night only.

It wasn't love or anything--you don't fall in love with a stranger dancing in the middle of the street. That doesn't happen in real life.

My neighbor for the summer, Katie, was a student at Middle Tennessee State University, and her boyfriend, Harrison, was throwing a house party for the Fourth of July at his parents' house.

I was excited to leave the office behind and have some fun.

Katie and I arrived early with our overnight bags and trays of Chick-fil-A, because there's nothing drunk people love more than fried chicken.

Harrison specifically requested the nugget trays and, in his words, "a shit ton of Chick-fil-A sauce. "

Eventually, the front yard was full of lifted trucks, Solo cups, and college kids celebrating America.

I knew Harrison's family was wealthy, but the house left me speechless.

It was all that was left of a historic plantation estate--a grand white-brick mansion with Greek columns and oversized moldings on the inside and outside.

The home radiated grandeur from the second you laid eyes on it.

His parents were out of town, so the house was fair game for a celebration.

Since we were staying the night, Katie placed her things in Harrison's room, and I was given a guest room upstairs past the grand staircase.

In a matter of hours, I had to squeeze by crowds of people to get anywhere. I knew before coming that a ton of people would be at the party because Harrison was in a fraternity. But what I didn't know was that on July 4, 2010, I'd find the other half to my heart.

The noise started to overwhelm me, and my throat began to tighten.

Bodies were packed throughout the house, and sweat trickled down my chest thanks to the intense heat radiating throughout the rooms, as well as the humid Tennessee summer night.

At this point, I was thankful for only wearing a bikini top and cutoff denim shorts.

My American flag bandana was damp against my forehead, and the little hairs that fell out of my messy bun were stuck to the back of my neck.

I looked for Katie, but she was nowhere to be seen among the ocean of people.

I saw Harrison and hoped Katie was nearby.

I pushed through the crowd and spotted an empty lounge chair by the pool.

Some people I didn't recognize were playing chicken in the water, and a few others had a pool float holding a cooler full of ice and beer.

After a deep breath of warm air tinged with a hint of firework smoke, I relaxed back into the chair's cushion.

Finally, a little bit of space to myself.

I opened my fresh beer and slowly lifted it to my lips, anticipating the refreshing liquid rolling down my throat.

Before I shut my eyes to savor my beer, I noticed him.

My eyes widened and my hand froze before the can could touch my lips.

He stood across the pool in front of a row of loungers.

A girl with a short red skirt and a white bikini top was kneeling on the chair with a strong hold on his arm.

Was she flirting with him? Were they together?

He lifted his beer to his lips and took a quick sip.

I squeezed my thighs together as I watched his throat bob.

I would never forget this man. His smile once made my knees shake.

His voice once made my soul vibrate with need. God, I still had dreams of that night.

I knew that smile. He didn't see me at first, but I'd like to think he felt my stare, because after only a few moments he looked over and his eyes found mine. There they were, those amber eyes I dreamt about.

I noticed him excuse himself from the girl and peel her hands from his body.

She sat back with her girlfriends, and as he walked away, another boy sat at the end of her chair.

Popular lady , I thought. The corner of his mouth lifted.

He knew who I was, and he didn't break my gaze as he walked over to my lounge chair.

My heart squeezed tighter, and my brain left the building entirely.

I didn't think I'd ever see him again. The butterflies in my stomach forced me to catch my breath.

My pulse quickened and warmth spread throughout my lower body.

I watched his every step. His every breath.

I noticed the dimple on his left cheek and the way the American flag T-shirt stuck to his broad chest. As he got closer, I felt a subtle electricity in the air.

"Look who it is." His voice dipped low and sultry as he stopped in front of my chair. I lifted my head slightly to meet his sparkling gaze. "It's my mystery girl."

Um, excuse me, he said, "my mystery girl.

" Oh my God, I'm going to pass out. I held his stare and leaned up in the chair one slow vertebra at a time.

I brought my legs onto the chair, crossed them, and angled my body toward him, neck arched delicately.

His eyes dipped to my exposed throat--and possibly a little lower.

Inside, I was freaking out, but on the outside, I kept my expression trained and coy.

"Why hello, mystery boy."

I saw his throat contract when he heard my voice, and his eyes darkened.

He motioned me back with a wave of his hand, and when he had enough room, he sat on my chair, one leg tucked under, the other firmly on the ground.

He extended one arm and leaned into it casually, looking sexy as hell.

My eyes were drawn to his bare muscular arms. He noticed.

"What brings you to the party, mystery girl?" His words hummed through my thoughts.

"Free booze, of course." I shrugged and leaned back into the chair, away from his radiating electricity.

"Ah, yes. Very good reason." He scooted a little closer and turned to the side so that both of his legs hung off the chair.

He reached across our pretend boundary, and while his hands moved for my legs, he looked at me, eyes questioning and silently asking for permission.

With my nod, he took my legs and placed them across his thighs. Thank God I shaved, thank God I shaved.

"You know Harrison, then?" he asked casually, as if my legs across his lap was a normal occurrence.

I wasn't sure how much more of this flirting my sanity could handle.

His voice was going to make me do questionable things.

It wasn't quite a drawl, but I swear there was a hint of New York in it.

But he didn't look like a New Yorker, so his mysterious accent intrigued me.

"I met him today, actually," I said. His eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise. "I'm Katie's summer neighbor."

He nodded in understanding. "Oh, okay, Katie."

"You know her?" I asked quickly. Why did my body feel like it was on fire?

"Not really, no. He's just talked a lot about her. I know they're on-again, off-again"--he paused and took a breath--"and on-again, off-again..."

"I get it," I laughed. "I only met her this summer, and I know they broke up momentarily right after I arrived in town, but then by that Sunday they were back together.

So I totally get it. I'm rooting for them, though.

" My cheeks were sore, but I couldn't stop smiling around him.

His presence made my world lighter and my heart beat with real joy.

The kind that makes your toes tingle and your eyes sparkle.

The joy every woman deserves to feel at least once in her life.

The joy of knowing that someone chose you in a roomful of maybes because you're not a maybe--you're the one.

Someone had set up a bonfire in the yard, and most of the crowd made their way from the house over to the gathering.

I closed my eyes as his hands gently massaged my legs.

I didn't know for sure, but I thought I could sense his eyes on me.

He's on my chair. He's holding my legs--no, massaging my legs.

Stay cool, stay cool. Oh my God, this is heaven.

"So, you said you're Katie's neighbor. Is this permanent?"

I opened my eyes and placed my hands behind my head, elbows wide. He shifted in his seat, and his eyes dipped again, noticing my tanned stomach with the bonfire's flames throwing shadows over my body. I'm sure he noticed every curve, every breath I took.

I knew what I was doing, and I loved teasing him. "I'm only here for the summer." He squeezed my calf, and a moan escaped my lips. God, this man. "I'm not from here. I'm interning in Brentwood and then heading back to Duke in a few weeks."

His eyebrows lifted. "Duke? Interesting, and you ended up in Brentwood?" His flirtatious voice made me ache.

"Well, technically, I'm in Murfreesboro by Katie, but I commute during the week. I'll tell you, though, traffic here is nothing like it is in New York. That's a living hell."

"Wait, I thought you were from North Carolina." He stopped massaging my calf and I actually whimpered. His warm hand rested on my shins.

"No, I'm going to school there, but I'm from New York. My grandparents raised me in Brooklyn, and I have a deep, probably unhealthy, love for visiting Central Park and pretending to live in one of the brownstones."

His laughter made my heart stutter. "Nice, I'd love to move to the Northeast one day. Who knows, maybe I'll get a brownstone." He winked as I chuckled. "I'm not from here either, though I'm sure my accent makes that hard to believe."

Now my eyebrows shot up. "You're not from here? I mean, I figured not Tennessee, honestly, because you're not as twangy."

His forehead crinkled and his smile spread across his face, reaching both eyes. "Twangy?"

I felt my cheeks get warm. "Yeah, you know.

That Southern twang that most guys have here?

You don't have it." He continued to stare at me with amusement glistening in his eyes.

"Now, this sounds crazy as hell, but your accent reminds me of a New York accent.

But, like, I know you aren't from New York. "

"Yeah?" He chuckled. "What makes you think I'm not from New York?"

"Oh, you might not have a drawl, but you have something, and it's different. It's... I can't place it." My nose scrunched and my lips pursed together as I tried to think where he could be from.

"Well, you're right. I'm from a land far, far away. I prefer my cities surrounded by water." He used spirit fingers as he quoted a fairy tale, causing me to almost cackle.

I bit my tongue to hold it together and pretended to take a guess. I threw out the first city surrounded by water that I could think of. "Miami?"

His laughter echoed around the pool, and the girl from earlier glanced our way. I pretended to ignore her glare, and he never turned around to notice.

"I'll take that as a no?" His laughter was contagious.

"No, a little more west. You ever been to New Orleans?"

Oh my gosh, a NOLA boy.

"No, can't say that I have. What are you doing here, so far away from home?" I teased.

"I'm clerking for a judge in Nashville. That's how I know Harrison. He's clerking too. And NOLA is a fun time. You'd like it."

"You don't know me." I stuck my tongue out, and a giggle escaped my lips as he reached for my sides and tickled me.

"You're right." He released me and placed his hands back on my legs. "But I'd like to."

A bashful smile spread across my face. I couldn't believe this was happening; this was what happened in fairy tales.

You randomly meet Prince Charming, then later he finds you and usually saves you.

But I didn't need saving. Not today. Today, I needed to kiss this man.

My body would revolt if I didn't feel his lips brush mine or his hand caress my skin.

It might have been the alcohol talking, but I felt an invisible force, an invisible string pulling me toward him. I wanted to be closer.

Fireworks exploded in the sky and created a glow behind him. He turned his body, my legs still on his, and placed a hand on either side of me. He leaned in until his nose brushed mine. "May I?" he whispered in a husky voice.

I nudged his nose and smiled slightly, taking in the sandalwood and spice that surrounded me. "Yes," I whispered.

My lips barely brushed his. His right hand lifted to my face, cupped my cheek, and slowly pulled me in toward his sly smile.

My eyes closed, my lips parted slightly, and then he was kissing me.

It was slow at first, exploratory, but he pulled away.

I ached for more. The absence of his lips on mine felt wrong.

They felt cold even though it was a hot summer night.

Our kiss had lasted only a few moments, but I noticed the hunger in his eyes as he sat back, breath deep and ragged.

Panting, I opened my eyes. "That was hot," I rasped.

He sat back, his wicked grin making me shake. I was certainly tipsy, but not drunk. I felt good, and that kiss, that kiss...

"If I do that again, if I touch you again out here, I won't be able to stop." He brushed his hand through his hair and looked down at the ground, shaking his head. When he lifted his eyes back to me, they were desperate and hungry.

Instead of talking, I stood and held out my hand. With an eyebrow quirked up, he placed his warm hand in mine. My fingers curled around his as he pressed himself up to stand in front of me.

"What are you doing?" he asked with his eyebrows pinched together.

"I want to get another beer, and I want to watch the fireworks. Will you join me?"