Page 46 of To Steal a Heart
She lifted an eyebrow. “Such as?”
He pushed out a light chuckle as he glanced around. “Do we really want to do this here on the dance floor?”
“What important stuff?” she persisted, determined to stand in this very spot the rest of the evening if that’s what it took to ease the jitters that the troubled look on his face had stirred up.
He gave her a meaningful look. “You want the important stuff? Okay, here goes. I love you, Arden.”
Her breath hitched. “You do?” The wind picked up, ruffling her hair and clothes. Her tongue tingled with the faint taste of salt, reminding her of home. There was something earthy and energizing about being out here on the shore of the restless ocean. She got the feeling that anything was possible.
A large smile filled his handsome face with the splendor of sunshine piercing through a dark cluster of clouds. “I do.” He laughed softly to himself. “I think I fell in love with you from that first moment when you attacked that guy who was trying to steal your car. You’re bold and spontaneous. Reckless even. Not to mention breathtakingly beautiful.”
“Thanks,” she murmured as she lowered her eyes, sending her lashes brushing against her cheeks. Crew had the uncanny ability to make her feel delicate and feminine. And yet, with him by her side, she was strong and invincible. She loved that she could be herself. Seeing the world through Crew Bronson’s eyes was glorious … like watching a movie in color for the first time. “I do too,” she blurted. Gah, that didn’t come out right. She shook her head. “I mean, I love you too.”
The moment got deliciously slow as he pulled her into his arms. His stare was bold and assessing, firing her with tantalizing anticipation. She looked at his lips, her breath coming faster. It would be just like Crew to kiss her right here on the dance floor. He traced along the curve of her jaw with his index finger. “You make me want to be a better man,” he uttered with a ferocity that tingled through to her toes. His eyes deepened with something that she couldn’t discern. “There are parts of me that I’d rather you not know.”
A shiver of foreboding trembled through her. “What parts?” she uttered hoarsely.Something is looming over us. Something so dark and terrible that it will smother any chance we have of finding happiness.She jerked, wondering where those troubling thoughts had come from. Was she being paranoid? The logical explanation for her misgivings was that seeing Hector and Sylvia was a trigger, reminding her of how many ways relationships could go wrong. Yes, that had to be what was happening. She couldn’t let the heartaches of the past destroy her chance for happiness now and in the future. She needed to fight for her relationship with Crew. So what if he was less than perfect? She certainly had her share of hang-ups.
He took in a breath with such a steely resignation that she got the impression he was bottling up his emotions. “Nothing that can’t wait.” Releasing her waist, he looked past her with a brief smile. “Our audience awaits.”
She glanced back, not surprised to see that her parents, Grandmother, Sylvia, and Hector were watching them intently. “Good grief, are we that interesting?”
Crew’s eyes caressed hers. “You certainly are.”
“You’re smooth; I’ll give you that.” People were having to dance around them. A few were throwing them frustrating looks. Arden didn’t care. This moment belonged to her and Crew. She thought of something else. “You know,” she mused. “I’ve given a lot of thought to that hogwash you told me about Hank being the more exciting brother.”
His eyes bugged. He shifted his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets. Then he let out a throaty chuckle. “Hogwash? Wow, the celebrated author uses such refined words.” There was a hint of mockery in his tone.
“I find that my brash words serve the purpose of getting my point across.”
He grinned. “I can’t argue with you there.”
She gave him a pointed look. She spoke her words deliberately as if sharing a great truth. “You’re the wildcard in your family. Hank’s the more sedate one.”
He blinked in surprise, and she saw through the mask as surely as Superman could see through metal with his X-ray vision. Yep, she was right on the mark. “Why did you try and pass yourself off as the boring brother?” She chuckled. “Anyone with a pea-sized brain can deduce that you crave danger like I crave chocolate. You’re an adrenaline junkie, just like Forge.”
A sheepish grin curved his lips. “So, I like adventure.”
“Nothing wrong with that. I just wanna know why you felt the need to pass yourself off as the tame brother?” More questions swirled in her mind before flying out of her mouth at a rapid-fire pace. “Oh, and why did you wear glasses to the dance class? Furthermore, why were you at the dance class to begin with?”
He rocked back, holding up his hand. “Let’s take this one by one. I signed up for the dance class because the interior designer of the home I’m working on suggested that it would be a good way for me to meet new people.”
Her hand went to her hip. “You mean girls to date?”
“Yeah, I was all alone in a new place, and Trina was trying to help me get acclimated.”
“So Trina is the interior designer?”
He nodded.
She let that soak in. “Why the glasses?”
“To make me appear more studious … less of a player.”
“It worked for a hot minute.” A grin played on her lips. “That is until the real Crew Bronson started peeking through. Now for the big one—why pretend to be the tame brother?”
“I guess I thought that you’d be more like Chloe. That you’d prefer the normal, stable brother.” He offered a mea culpa smile. “I can be a lot to deal with.”
Laughter rose in her throat. “Oh, the irony.”