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‘There are quite a few eyes on us right now, aren’t there?’ Angela pulled a face and scanned the room again, flicking her fingers in a wave to a few people. ‘But I think it’s you everyone is interested in.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong.’ He leaned down to whisper in her ear as he pulled a seat out for her. ‘It’s us they’re all interested in. And it’s you they’re looking at, because you are absolutely, breathtakingly stunning, and I am one of the luckiest men on the planet to have you by my side tonight.’

Her skin was warm as she slid her hand around the back of his neck to pull him closer, twisting in her seat to be able to kiss him sweetly and slowly. The noise, the lights, the party and all the people around them disappeared as he lost himself in her scent, the feel of her skin and the taste of her lips. When she moaned against his lips, it took every bit of self-restraint he had not to grab her and behave in a way that would definitely earn him a place on the naughty list.

When she drew away, to catch her breath, her fingers stayed tangled in the hair at the base of his neck, and her eyes locked with his. What he saw there, in her gaze, felt even more intense than kissing her, and the world around him slowed even more, until the space between each of his heartbeats stretched out for short eternities, filled with a realisation that eclipsed everything.

It took a blindingly familiar flash of light to drag his attention back into the current moment. He blinked, seeing stars as Angela did the same.

‘Sorry.’ Summer shrugged, not looking the least bit apologetic as she lowered the phone. ‘You just looked so happy. Look!’ She waved the phone at them. ‘Mum’s letting me take all the pictures and videos I want.’

‘I’ll forgive you if you send me a copy.’ He flashed the Smile at her, really wanting to get another look.

‘I can send it on your Insta.’

‘Thanks.’ He sat down next to Angela. ‘But just to me, yeah? Not my public feed.’

‘Sure. Whatever. There you go.’

His phone beeped. ‘Thanks.’

‘No problem.’ She skipped off happily to wave her phone at other people, capturing other moments.

* * *

Angela watched Ryan with building confusion. She’d thought — hoped — for a moment that she’d seen something wonderful and only slightly terrifying in his eyes. Then Summer had interrupted.

She shook her head, wondering why Ryan would ask for a photo, but not want it shared with anyone else. He shared everything, so what did it mean that he’d want that held back? Was he ashamed of her? Was that why he didn’t want the picture out in public — because she wasn’t good enough for Maverick?

She watched as he unlocked his phone and opened the picture with a smile.

‘Here.’ He scooted closer to her.

The moment Summer had captured shone out from behind the screen — Angela’s breath caught in her throat. What she’d thought she’d seen in his eyes, the raw emotion that she’d felt surge, was there, captured forever and pinned behind the glass. Undeniable. She swallowed hard, feeling totally side-swiped and not knowing what to say. ‘Wow.’

‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to share this one unless you tell me I can. I just . . . wanted to have it. It seemed important.’

She cradled the phone, her hand wrapped around his, looking at the tiny, glowing image in front of her. When had the tingling heat turned into something that looked like that? How long had he been looking at her this way? Like something out of a film.

Maybe that was what scared her — that Ryan, or more accurately Rick — had built an entire career out of videos and films online. Out of convincing people that he was a different version of himself, and he’d done it so convincingly that he’d even fooled himself a bit. She studied the image a few moments longer before finding the strength to look up at him and meet his eyes, her heart in her mouth. What if what she thought she saw on the screen wasn’t really there? What if he didn’t feel the way she did?

‘Ryan?’

He smoothed a loose curl away from her cheek and stroked his fingers down the sensitive skin there. ‘I see it too.’ The smile he gave her was full of promise and hope that drove away the fears darkening her mood. ‘I feel it too. We should talk about this.’

‘Yeah.’ She looked around the busy room filled with half of her community.

‘But . . . probably later . . . because there is something here to talk about, isn’t there?’ His eyes were dark and intense, and she had to swallow before she could find her voice properly.

‘Definitely.’ She smiled at him.

‘Definitely,’ he agreed, and leaned forward to kiss her, flooding her with reassurance and heat and want, and a dozen other things she wasn’t sure she knew how to understand. But it was OK, because “later” they’d figure it out together. ‘But how about, just for now, we enjoy the party.’

‘That sounds like a good idea,’ she agreed happily.

‘Do you think you could manage a dance? If we were careful and took it slowly?’

‘I’d love to dance with you.’ She tucked her hand into his, letting him steady her as they stood and he led her to the dance floor. He slid his other hand around her waist, and she felt the heat of his palm so intensely through the silk of her dress that it was almost like she wore nothing — which brought up a lot of delicious memories, and heat rushed into her cheeks. The look in his eyes didn’t help the heat recede at all.