One-Off (25 page)

“Why am I letting you lead?” I whispered the thought going through my head.

Ainsley’s smirk widened into a full grin. “I like when you’re gobsmacked. You’re so much more malleable.”

She twirled us just as I was going to step back and fight her for the lead. She’d done it on purpose, and I had to commend her for jolting me out of my path. I felt control slipping away. It made me edgy and anxious and electrified and exhilarated.

She pulled my hand against her chest and her arm tightened around my back, bringing us closer together. I couldn’t figure out her game plan here. There had to be a reason she was holding me like this. Ross was holding Denver as if there was an invisible force field between them. Savannah was practically wearing Logan. At least Ainsley and I still had some separation between us, but we should be farther apart than Denver and her partner.

Could Dallas be right about Ainsley? Was that what tonight was all about? My eyes went back to hers, very close and so, so blue. Pure blue, unlike mine which only played at being blue when I was wearing the same color. Hers sparkled, which could be the usual provocation I often saw or it could be something else. Attraction? I couldn’t wrap my head around that. But damn if she wasn’t looking at me like she wanted to explore every one of my freckles, too.

“You dance beautifully,” she said close to my ear. “I don’t remember you joining our dance breaks back in New York.”

I was certain I could have come up with some sort of a witty rejoinder if my throat weren’t dry from the hot breath that caressed my ear and the push of a hip against mine and the touch of her breasts whenever she stepped me backward. I could, with the wit, I mean, she just had to stop the touching and the breathing.

Heat built inside me as my heart thumped to the rhythm of her steps. I watched the sway of her perfectly corked curls brushing back and forth over her shoulders. My hand went from a standard dance position, with barely my thumb pad and fingertips touching her shoulder blade to pushing under that glorious hair and resting fully against her exposed back. My fingers curled over her nape. Her skin burned under my palm. I smiled when I felt a slight tremor ripple through her. Everything about this moment was surreal. Dancing at a wedding, pretty much all eyes on us, not leading my partner, who was Ainsley Baird of all the women in the world. And I was enjoying it. A lot.

This would probably be the last time I was ever in this position. Knowing that, I locked gazes with her and followed her every step, grazing hips and thighs and breasts. Not once did I think about all the people staring at us, about how Dallas had surely set this up, about how this woman had been the bane of my existence for a year and just thinking of her over the years could make me go from serene to hot under the collar in seconds. I danced, with this woman who stirred up nothing but confusion inside me, I danced, with her.

The song came to its conclusion far too soon and yet not soon enough. We both took a step away from each other. I dropped the hand that was gripping her nape and she loosened the hand at my lower back to graze my hip. The band leader announced that they were taking a break, but the DJ would play for all who wanted to join the couples on the dance floor. Conrad tapped Ainsley on the shoulder from behind and asked her to dance. My heart sank in my chest as she smiled and nodded. I didn’t have time to focus on that disappointment before Ainsley’s dad was asking me to dance. I turned toward him but was halted in my effort by the hand that still clutched Ainsley’s. We both stared down at the connection and released our grips at the same time. I turned fully toward Alastair and clasped his hand and slid my other onto his upper arm as he started us away from Ainsley and Colin’s dad.

“You’re quite the dancer, pet.” Alastair smiled down at me. “Ya both looked amazing out there.”

I shifted my gaze, focusing on his tie to hide my blush. I’d probably be envisioning what his daughter and I looked like gliding across the floor, inches apart, not looking at anything but each other for many nights to come. “Are you having a good time?” I asked.

“It’s been great spending time with Conrad again. Can’t say I care for the new wife, but he needed a lass.”

“Do you miss the days you two knocked around together?” They’d been on the PGA tour together. Neither had stayed long enough to make a name for himself or big money, but their friendship grew from professional competitors to coworkers as golf pros at a course in Scotland for a few years. Alastair and Elspeth had introduced Colin’s parents and didn’t hold it against Conrad when he’d persuaded Elspeth’s sister back to the States with him.

“I miss the knees I had,” he joked. “I’d give almost anything to have the knees of my youth again.”

“Stop. You’re livelier than I am. I feel about ready to pass out after today.”

“You’ve been running yourself brutal, hen. I seen it with ma own eyes. You and ma girl both. Did ya stop once today?”

I smiled at the accent and speech pattern. His wasn’t the refined speech of his professor daughter, but I loved it just the same “Weddings are a lot of work.”

“Be nice to see a simple one again. That’s what Ainsley wants, ya ken?”

My smile widened at the phrasing. I did know that Ainsley wanted a simple wedding. “I’m sure you’ll get to see hers soon enough.”

“You know something I don’t?” His smile was catching.

I shook my head. “She won’t stay single for long.”

“Maybe not long at all if that dance I watched has anything to do with it.”

Another shake of the head. “I’m just saying that she’s smart and interesting and caring. Women will take notice if she ever slows down long enough for it.”

“You both, I think.” Alastair winked at me. “Colin tells me you’re the last person out of the office every night. Ainsley spends too much time researching her next book. Sometimes I just want to shake her and say, ‘Take advantage of your flexible knees while ya can, sweetness.’ Alas, she doesn’t listen to her wise father. This is the first time I’ve seen her take a break since she was a wee lass.”

“It’s not been much of a break, I’m afraid.” Different from her work, but not much of a break. “She might take something from this and try for more balance when she goes back for the fall term.” I was considering that very thing.

“A blessing that would be. I’d like to dance with her at her wedding before my knees don’t work anymore.” He deftly swiveled us around the now crowded dance floor. I’d lost sight of Dallas and Colin and caught only a glimpse of Ainsley’s locks as she and Conrad spun away across the floor. “Is your dad still with us, Skye?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never met him.” I looked up into the eyes of a father who adored fatherhood and meant the world to his daughter. This was the kind of father I would have wanted. Mine wouldn’t have been like Alastair.

Alastair’s face dropped all merriment. “I’m sorry for stepping in it there.”

“That’s okay. I have a great mom.”

“Aye. Did she remarry?”

“She did, but she’s recently divorced.” After nineteen years of marriage, her husband decided he didn’t want to be married anymore. I’d never had much of a bond with him, but he’d been good for my mom until he blindsided her one day. Dickhead, with a capital D.

“I keep stepping in further, don’t I?”

“You’re fine.”

“When ya marry, I’d like to twirl you around the floor, too.” His wide smile lit up our little space. “Not saying ya have to invite me, but if ya did, I’d spin ya round.”

My heart swelled. “If I were the marrying kind, I’d enjoy that, Alastair.”

He frowned. “What kind is that?”

“Permanent, compromising, patient.”

“I’ve seen all that from you tonight.”

I laughed. “Anyone can fake it for a while.” As I learned with many of my friends who hadn’t shown their true selves until after marriage and had gotten divorced promptly after.

“You’re not giving yourself enough credit. You’d make a fine partner.”

The song played its final notes. I stepped back and smiled at this sweet man. “Thank you, Alastair. I can see why you and Elspeth have made it close to forty years.”

“Ya think about what I said, pet. You’ve got a lot to give. I know these things.” He led me off the dance floor, which was a good thing because Logan had taken several steps toward us and I didn’t think it was to ask his uncle for a dance.

I left Alastair to his wife and went to get some air. I knew just where I could get it away from everyone and one person in particular.

Thirty-Four

Morgan stepped into my escape route, interrupting my effort to flee. “Everything okay?”

“The flowers look fantastic. Dallas is thrilled. Did she tell you? She’s been in a kind of bridal haze, so she might not have gotten around to it, but she will.”

Her smile flared. “She did, and you’re right about the haze. I thought she was stoned, but I think it’s just relief and bliss mixed together.”

“I’ve gotten almost three full minutes of coherent discussions with her,” I joked.

“Did she thank you? From what Gary said, you and Ainsley did more of the work than he did.”

“She’s thanked me over and over, yes.” I looked back out at the dance floor and saw Dallas dancing with Alastair and Colin with Savannah. The dance floor barely had enough space for everyone. It was the right decision to go with both a band and a DJ. “Were you able to see any of the wedding?”

“I had to set up here and Colin asked me to put some flowers in the honeymoon suite he got for tonight.”

My jaw clenched. “I can’t believe he pulled you in on that. I told him if he wants to sprinkle rose petals for his wife, he should do it himself. It’ll mean more.”

She shrugged. “I’m sure he thought he’d be too busy.”

“I’m sorry you couldn’t get to the church.”

“The wedding is always the boring part anyway.”

Couldn’t agree more. “You having fun tonight?”

“I am. What about you? That dance.” She jutted her elbow against me.

“What?”

“Just saying.”

“What are you just saying?” I echoed.

“That you looked like you were having a good time.” Her smile widened. “Even I got a little hot watching you two, and I’ve never swung that way.”

I let out a disbelieving sound. “Oh, please.”

“What?” She laughed harder as a blush blossomed on my face. “If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed you two were the newly married couple.”

“Get away from me.” I pushed her arm to help her complete that task. Just what I needed tonight, another friend who liked agitating me.

“Skye,” Gary called as I made it two steps into the hallway. “When do you think we should have Colin change into the kilt? They haven’t left the dance floor yet. I don’t want to disturb them.”

“I wouldn’t pull them away now.”

“The photos will take a half hour minimum.”

“I’ll ask Dallas when I see her.”

“She’s on the dance floor.” His thumb jerked back over his shoulder in case I’d somehow forgotten where the dance floor was.

“I’m taking a breather.”

He looked like he wanted to protest but realized that I didn’t work for him. He could bother Dallas at any time, or he’d just have to wait for me to come back and do it. I was too warm, too tired, and too hungry to be concerned about it. He couldn’t do anything but watch me leave.

Upstairs the thumping music became a low thrum. I pushed through the doors and stepped out onto the terrace. The dance music was replaced by the delicate sound of string music from the quartet positioned in the center of the patio. Several wedding guests were sitting around on the benches and a few were dancing to this music.

Tension eased out of me as I strolled across the terrace and took a peek over the railing. The Capitol appeared close enough to reach out and touch. Straight ahead was the National Mall and the Washington Monument to the right. Eight floors up, it was one of the best views in town.

I spotted shade at the far corner of the terrace up against the side of the building and traversed quickly to get out of the evening sun. It wasn’t as hot as when we’d stood outside taking pictures, but it still felt too warm. I propped my elbows on the terrace railing and felt my body temp lower. My head swiveled from the grand views to the guests lingering on the terrace. After a while it felt like the music had relaxed me enough to fall asleep. The bench nearby was looking very tempting, but I’d stay on my feet to fight the drowsiness.

“I’ve been sent to let you know that Dallas is getting ready to throw the bouquet.”

Startled, I swung around to face Ainsley. My vision blurred a little at twisting so quickly, but when it cleared, her appearance hadn’t changed. She still looked so damn good.

“All right?” She took two cautious steps closer. “You look flushed.”

“It’s really hot,” I explained. “Are we already at the bouquet toss? How long have I been up here?”

“A half hour.”

“I didn’t realize,” I murmured.

“You deserved a break. You’ve been nonstop since this morning. Six a.m. if Morgan is telling the truth.”

“She had a big job, a lot more than we discussed at first.”

“They’re splendid.” Her eyes went to the potted arrangement nearest us. “You could have asked me to get to the church early to help out.”

“Your one and only job was to make sure Colin showed up without any broken limbs or face tattoos.”

“Face tattoos?” She laughed in rhythmic bursts that flowed into the space between us.

“Bachelor party gone wild.”

“You’re not as I remembered,” she said.

“I’m not twenty-one anymore. Thanks for that reminder.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” she pushed out a frustrated breath. “I was trying to say I might have let my first impression of you back then cloud my judgment.”

I shrugged. It wasn’t like I hadn’t done the same thing. It was hard to reassess someone you thought you knew pretty well. “We all do that.”

“But I could have seen how hard you were trying to make your friend’s wedding perfect and everything you’ve done today to keep the burden from the couple. Did you get to eat anything at dinner?”