Page 89 of The Check Down
His voice is firm, but his gaze is gentle. He’s right; when I agreed to be his, I understood that unrelenting attention from strangers was part of it. So I’ll keep my focus on him alone, because he makes me brave.
He’s been doing it since we met.
“Do you want me to teach you the two-step?” Now his voice is a soft caress.
I nod as much as his hold allows.
“Good.” He presses his lips to mine and holds them there, proving his point—he’s not hiding us. “You, professor, are an amazing badass who can do anything you set your mind to. Let’s channel your inner Eleri and go kick some ass on this dance floor.”
I laugh, and my heart stumbles a little at his reference to the tough, bold witch character in my dragon story.
He guides me to the center of the floor where we won’t block other couples and faces me, holding my hands in his. “The two-step is basically a pattern of steps. Two quick, two slow. And we do those steps in a giant circle.” He tilts his head to the chain of couples circling around us. “I’ll start off with my left foot.” He brings it forward, and I automatically step back with my right. “Yep, you’ll start with the right. Aunt Dot taught us that ladies start with their right feet because they’re alwaysright.”
An ounce of my trepidation drains from me as I smile up at him. “Aunt Dot is a wise woman.”
His responding chuckle is a tonic for my soul, allowing me to roll my shoulders back and shed the cloak of nerves I wore out here.
“That she is. Now…” He places my left hand on his shoulder and puts his right on my back. “Rest your elbow on my arm. Yep, like that. And we’ll hold these hands like this.”
“Oh my gosh.” I giggle. “This feels like Johnny teaching Baby inDirty Dancing.”
He presses his mouth to my ear. “We’ll save our dirty dancing for the bedroom, professor.”
Holy hell.Liquid heat pools in my belly so intensely I have to fight the urge to fan myself.
He pulls away, smirking. “You ready?”
“I think so.” I lower my chin to watch his steps so I’ll know when to make mine.
“Uh-uh,” he chides. “Don’t look down. Keep your eyes on me.”
Keep your eyes on me.
It’s as easy as breathing, because his face has become my beacon. His arms are my safe shelter. His touch is my motivation. And his heart is my home.
I follow his lead around the dancefloor while his soft chants ofquick-quick, slow…slowguide my every step. As we move, I don’t glance at our feet or the other couples or the crowd of onlookers. No, I keep my eyes on the man I’ve fallen for, and everything else fades away.
Before I know it, the song is over and the crowd erupts in applause. Trixie speaks, her honeyed voice echoing through the speakers around the space. “All right, we’re gonna slow things down with this next song. It’s one of my favorites, and tonight, it goes out to number 89 and his lovely lady.”
As a round of wolf whistles and cheers fill the air, she winks at us. Then the keyboard player starts playing a slow tune, and whenher beautiful voice belts out the first notes of “Sunday Kind of Love,” Griffin wraps me in his arms, and we sway to the melody.
Lost in each other, but at the same timefound.
“Baby,” Griffin pleads from behind the wheel. “You’re making this a bigger deal than it is.”
Arms crossed, I keep my focus fixed out the passenger window. I refuse to look at him. I’ve maintained this position since we got in the truck fifteen minutes ago. It’s a miracle I could even look his parents in the eye as they hugged me goodbye and made me promise to come back soon. I was so mortified it didn’t even register that Shaw actually gave me a brief side hug until after we’d pulled out of their driveway.
Griffin grasps my arm and tugs, but all the move does is make me glare harder and inch my body closer to the door.
Though when my boyfriend chuckles under his breath, I turn my glare his way.
“How is this funny to you, Griffin Lacey?”
His mouth curves in a sinful smile. “I regret nothing.”
Indignation and shame burn hot in my gut. “Ugh.”
“I gotta say, I’ve never seen this side of you.”