Page 41 of Contentious

He’d seen enough, he decided as he put down his glass, intending to make it an early night before he did something that couldn’t be undone.

As if she sensed his imminent departure, she turned and crooked her finger at him, continuing to dance as he stood there like a deer trapped in headlights, trying to decide if he dared engage with her. Why did it feel like he’d be crossing an invisible line that could never again be uncrossed if he moved in her direction?

The pull was almost impossible to resist.

She was so fucking beautiful, especially with her face flushed from exertion and her eyes bright with pleasure.

Maybe a stronger man could’ve resisted the lure, but he clearly wasn’t as strong as he’d thought, because he was taking a step toward her before his brain made the decision to go.

His hands curled around hers as he followed her lead, moving to the beat of “Born to be Wild.”

Her gaze collided with his, and he was instantly hard for her.

You should go, he thought. Get the hell out of here before it’s too late.

Too late for what?

Just go!

Her hands tightened around his, trapping him.

The next thing he knew, his arms were around her, and they were moving together like they’d been dancing together forever.

This was not good at all.

And yet, it was the best thing ever.

He wanted to bury his face in her hair and breathe in the bewitching scent that had driven him crazy last night and was still present in his SUV almost twenty-four hours later. The crowd around them, her friend, the band, the many reasons he needed to keep his distance… All of it faded away like useless noise that didn’t matter when stacked up against the most powerful desire he’d ever experienced.

Her fingers found their way into his hair, her nails skimming his scalp and sending a charge of excitement down his spine.

“Fuck, Cres… I can’t.”

“You can,” she whispered in his ear. “You want to. I have proof.”

“Of course I want to, but it’s a mistake.”

“This doesn’t feel like a mistake to me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t.”

Could it really be that simple? Every ounce of evidence he had said otherwise, but when she said it so bluntly, it seemed… doable.

Then the music stopped and snapped him out of whatever spell he’d slipped into, captivated by the most exquisite woman he’d ever known, caught up in something he might call magical if he were a different kind of guy.

He took a step back. “I… uh…”

She reached for him, took hold of his hand and kept him right there with her.

Trapped.

Enthralled.

Terrified.

Chapter Ten