he’d hurt her feelings.
“I’m sure Mr. McKinnon is not nearly so talented when dancing with full grown women, Angeline, so we really shouldn’t embarrass him.” Bree gave the jerk a snotty smile, then turned to go but the pan she carried got caught on something.
She’d completely forgotten she was carrying it. Then suddenly it was pulled out of her hand. When she whipped around, she found McKinnon coming toward her with murder in his eyes.
She stepped back like a wuss before she could remember she was a Colby and Colbys did not panic.
“Angeline, if ye will provide the music, I’m sure I can manage to drag Miss Colby around the room a few times without breaking all ten toes.” Then, he spoke lower so the girl wouldn’t hear. “Whether or not my touch will offend her is another matter.”
A very enthusiastic humming began, still the same tune. Bree painted a smile on for the little girl and acted like she hadn’t heard the last part. Then she was suddenly back in High School Ballroom Class trying to keep her partner from making them look bad. But the big lug was a lot harder to help than those sixteen-year-olds.
McKinnon grimaced. “Miss Colby, I assure you this will be much less painful if you allow me to lead the dance. Just relax into my arms... If you dare.”
He wanted her to relax? Fine, she’d relax.
She laid her arms over his and leaned against the hand at her back. With part of her weight supported, her feet were light as feathers.
And they were waltzing!
Judging from the look on Angeline’s face, it looked as lovely as it felt. And just as Bree had on the staircase, she felt regal, but more than that, it was working because she’d stopped fighting for control.
She forced her gaze up from McKinnon’s neck to his eyes and realized he was as pleasantly surprised as she was. Of course he hid his surprise quickly and acted like he flew around the room all the time. But she could tell he didn’t. He looked like a kid that knew how to ride a bike but couldn’t get his hands on one very often. He smiled and winked at Angeline as they passed her again, but she could see the joy he was trying to hide. And even though his smile faded back to something polite when he looked at Bree, she could feel the excitement shooting through the arms that held hers up and allowed her feet to barely skim the floor.
Between the beginning of another chorus and the end, their smiles faded altogether. Her breath caught when she realized he’d looked at her just that way the night before. Just before she’d felt the need to run for her life.
She tried to pull her hand from his, but he held tight and started around the room again. She dropped her gaze to his neck, but could still see his face too clearly, so she looked at his chest. Staring at the breadth of it stole her breath away, and so she looked lower still.
Holy crap, what was she thinking?
She turned her head, found Angeline, and refused to look anywhere else.
The child’s humming began to falter. She’d probably over-done it for her first day. Selfish as Bree was, she hadn’t wanted the dancing to end. He wasn’t smiling at her anymore, but he wasn’t frowning either. At least not yet. She wanted to pretend, for another minute or two, that she wasn’t his enemy.
Then suddenly, beneath her hands, came the low vibration of his humming. It was like having her arms wrapped around a volcano just as it started to erupt. Maybe he wasn’t ready for it to end either.
Bree smiled again. She couldn’t help it. She was in heaven. This was the romantic little moment she could share with her sisters and friends, a sweet memory of a charming man, the highlight of her trip. And if she could omit the fact that she might have to create an international incident to get home again, it was even more romantic—especially since he’d already kissed her. Maybe she could squish the memory of his kisses up against this one and pretend it had all happened the same
“I’m sure Mr. McKinnon is not nearly so talented when dancing with full grown women, Angeline, so we really shouldn’t embarrass him.” Bree gave the jerk a snotty smile, then turned to go but the pan she carried got caught on something.
She’d completely forgotten she was carrying it. Then suddenly it was pulled out of her hand. When she whipped around, she found McKinnon coming toward her with murder in his eyes.
She stepped back like a wuss before she could remember she was a Colby and Colbys did not panic.
“Angeline, if ye will provide the music, I’m sure I can manage to drag Miss Colby around the room a few times without breaking all ten toes.” Then, he spoke lower so the girl wouldn’t hear. “Whether or not my touch will offend her is another matter.”
A very enthusiastic humming began, still the same tune. Bree painted a smile on for the little girl and acted like she hadn’t heard the last part. Then she was suddenly back in High School Ballroom Class trying to keep her partner from making them look bad. But the big lug was a lot harder to help than those sixteen-year-olds.
McKinnon grimaced. “Miss Colby, I assure you this will be much less painful if you allow me to lead the dance. Just relax into my arms... If you dare.”
He wanted her to relax? Fine, she’d relax.
She laid her arms over his and leaned against the hand at her back. With part of her weight supported, her feet were light as feathers.
And they were waltzing!
Judging from the look on Angeline’s face, it looked as lovely as it felt. And just as Bree had on the staircase, she felt regal, but more than that, it was working because she’d stopped fighting for control.
She forced her gaze up from McKinnon’s neck to his eyes and realized he was as pleasantly surprised as she was. Of course he hid his surprise quickly and acted like he flew around the room all the time. But she could tell he didn’t. He looked like a kid that knew how to ride a bike but couldn’t get his hands on one very often. He smiled and winked at Angeline as they passed her again, but she could see the joy he was trying to hide. And even though his smile faded back to something polite when he looked at Bree, she could feel the excitement shooting through the arms that held hers up and allowed her feet to barely skim the floor.
Between the beginning of another chorus and the end, their smiles faded altogether. Her breath caught when she realized he’d looked at her just that way the night before. Just before she’d felt the need to run for her life.
She tried to pull her hand from his, but he held tight and started around the room again. She dropped her gaze to his neck, but could still see his face too clearly, so she looked at his chest. Staring at the breadth of it stole her breath away, and so she looked lower still.
Holy crap, what was she thinking?
She turned her head, found Angeline, and refused to look anywhere else.
The child’s humming began to falter. She’d probably over-done it for her first day. Selfish as Bree was, she hadn’t wanted the dancing to end. He wasn’t smiling at her anymore, but he wasn’t frowning either. At least not yet. She wanted to pretend, for another minute or two, that she wasn’t his enemy.
Then suddenly, beneath her hands, came the low vibration of his humming. It was like having her arms wrapped around a volcano just as it started to erupt. Maybe he wasn’t ready for it to end either.
Bree smiled again. She couldn’t help it. She was in heaven. This was the romantic little moment she could share with her sisters and friends, a sweet memory of a charming man, the highlight of her trip. And if she could omit the fact that she might have to create an international incident to get home again, it was even more romantic—especially since he’d already kissed her. Maybe she could squish the memory of his kisses up against this one and pretend it had all happened the same
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