close enough for her to see the little wrinkles around his blue eyes. ‘I would say let her decide for herself if I really am a wolf in a sheepskin . Who knows, she might even like it.’
She definitely had some catching up to do, Jade thought as she felt yet another blush warming her cheeks. She wasn’t fifteen anymore, for God’s sake. She silently scolded herself, upset with her own awkwardness at th e witty repartee that came so eas il y to everyone else. Years of being with Brian certainly had put a damper on her ability to interact with other young, attractive males, reducing her to a shy, reclusive mess.
Determined to overcome her inhibitions, she smiled back, her tone playful as she retorted , ‘You definitely don’t strike me as too much of a wolf, Rocco. And since you are Australian , I think that comparing you to a dingo would be more accurate anyway. What part of Australia are you from?’
‘Perth . ’ H is tanned face was relaxed and friendly. ‘ Life there is much slower, that’s for sure. Ever since I came to the States years ago , I ’ m just running to catch up with everyone else.’
‘I’d say you overtook a few in this race.’ Liam interrupted, gesturing towards a table right behind them. ‘ Speaking about running, how about we run for this spot? Unless you ’ re busy, Rocco?’
‘Are you kidding me?’ White teeth flashed in a careless grin as he moved forward, his tall, sinuous frame effortlessly cutting through the crowd. ‘I have a h u nch this is going to be a fun evening . A nd it ’ s just beginning . ’
Jade found herself sitting next to Rocco, his easygoing nature and sense of humor soon making her laugh as she hadn’t done in the longest time. She sipped her cocktail and listened to the playful bickering of the two men, Liam’s calm attitude a perfect counter point to Rocco’s exuberant nature.
She let her eyes travel around the room, taking in the colorful crowd that spilled onto the dance floor in the middle, the rhythm of the music almost hypnotic in its insistent melody. She felt a sudden desire to dance, something she hadn’t done in ages. She and Brian hadn’t gone out much , and he had an almost inborn aversion to dancing, convincing her with little effort to avoid it whenever possible. But things were different now, she mused rebelliously, her fingers tapping against the tabletop in sync with the music.
‘How about we give it a try ?’ Liam’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to find him watching her with a little smile. She had the unsettling feeling that he could read her again like an open book.
‘I ’ m a little rusty . ’ The idea of making a fool of herself in front of him was not at all a pleasant one. ‘I think by now I ’ ve totally forgotten how to dance, Liam. You better try Laura if you want to have any fun.’
‘ No excuses . ’ H e wasn’t taking ‘ no ’ for an answer, his eyes insistent as he rose from the table, his hand outstretched in a gesture she could hardly ignore. ‘I promise it will be fun . And you have my official approval to step all over my toes , if it makes you feel any better.’
There wasn’t much she could say . Laura certainly was no help, cheering them on as they moved through the crowd.
Liam’s fingers wrapped around her hand, his strong, warm grip the only sane thing in th e dark space filled with explosions of light and the pounding of loud noises . But suddenly the tune changed, mellowing to something much more intimate and sensual. It wasn’t fair, she thought , as she felt his hand pulling her closer, her rigid frame unsuccessfully resisting his guidance. She didn’t want t o dance with him to this song that was suited for people far more intimate and at ease at being close together than they would ever be. True, it wasn’t one of those horrid romantic ballads that everyone looked forward to on prom night, where any excuse to get physical seemed good enough. But it certainly was
She definitely had some catching up to do, Jade thought as she felt yet another blush warming her cheeks. She wasn’t fifteen anymore, for God’s sake. She silently scolded herself, upset with her own awkwardness at th e witty repartee that came so eas il y to everyone else. Years of being with Brian certainly had put a damper on her ability to interact with other young, attractive males, reducing her to a shy, reclusive mess.
Determined to overcome her inhibitions, she smiled back, her tone playful as she retorted , ‘You definitely don’t strike me as too much of a wolf, Rocco. And since you are Australian , I think that comparing you to a dingo would be more accurate anyway. What part of Australia are you from?’
‘Perth . ’ H is tanned face was relaxed and friendly. ‘ Life there is much slower, that’s for sure. Ever since I came to the States years ago , I ’ m just running to catch up with everyone else.’
‘I’d say you overtook a few in this race.’ Liam interrupted, gesturing towards a table right behind them. ‘ Speaking about running, how about we run for this spot? Unless you ’ re busy, Rocco?’
‘Are you kidding me?’ White teeth flashed in a careless grin as he moved forward, his tall, sinuous frame effortlessly cutting through the crowd. ‘I have a h u nch this is going to be a fun evening . A nd it ’ s just beginning . ’
Jade found herself sitting next to Rocco, his easygoing nature and sense of humor soon making her laugh as she hadn’t done in the longest time. She sipped her cocktail and listened to the playful bickering of the two men, Liam’s calm attitude a perfect counter point to Rocco’s exuberant nature.
She let her eyes travel around the room, taking in the colorful crowd that spilled onto the dance floor in the middle, the rhythm of the music almost hypnotic in its insistent melody. She felt a sudden desire to dance, something she hadn’t done in ages. She and Brian hadn’t gone out much , and he had an almost inborn aversion to dancing, convincing her with little effort to avoid it whenever possible. But things were different now, she mused rebelliously, her fingers tapping against the tabletop in sync with the music.
‘How about we give it a try ?’ Liam’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to find him watching her with a little smile. She had the unsettling feeling that he could read her again like an open book.
‘I ’ m a little rusty . ’ The idea of making a fool of herself in front of him was not at all a pleasant one. ‘I think by now I ’ ve totally forgotten how to dance, Liam. You better try Laura if you want to have any fun.’
‘ No excuses . ’ H e wasn’t taking ‘ no ’ for an answer, his eyes insistent as he rose from the table, his hand outstretched in a gesture she could hardly ignore. ‘I promise it will be fun . And you have my official approval to step all over my toes , if it makes you feel any better.’
There wasn’t much she could say . Laura certainly was no help, cheering them on as they moved through the crowd.
Liam’s fingers wrapped around her hand, his strong, warm grip the only sane thing in th e dark space filled with explosions of light and the pounding of loud noises . But suddenly the tune changed, mellowing to something much more intimate and sensual. It wasn’t fair, she thought , as she felt his hand pulling her closer, her rigid frame unsuccessfully resisting his guidance. She didn’t want t o dance with him to this song that was suited for people far more intimate and at ease at being close together than they would ever be. True, it wasn’t one of those horrid romantic ballads that everyone looked forward to on prom night, where any excuse to get physical seemed good enough. But it certainly was
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