possible. What was she going to do?
"Steve...I...."
The music reached a crescendo and he spun her out the length of his arm and then smoothly brought her back. She landed against his surprisingly hard chest and for the first time noticed his eyes were hazel. A very resolute hazel.
"CK," he said, wrapping his arm snugly around her waist. "I believe that we should be—"
In a panic, she clamped her hand over his mouth. "Please, Steve. Don't say anything you'll regret."
* * *
In the center of the table, the server deposited a huge plate of the nachos Ryan always special ordered when he was at Tom's. His friends pounced on the food while Ryan pulled out some money and handed it over. As he reached for a plate, he noticed Todd making his way back to them.
"Where's CK?" he asked, suspicion riding him. She was probably in the bathroom, he reasoned, but it never hurt to check.
Todd grabbed a chip and stuffed it into his mouth. "Dancing," he said around the food.
Alarm bells started clanging in his mind and Ryan rose halfway from his chair. "With who?" He strained to see through the crowd to the dance floor.
Todd started piling nachos onto a plate. "Some guy she knows."
"She doesn't know any guys!"
"She knows us," Ajax protested.
"Yeah, but now that we've lost our fearless leader, we're harmless." Jackson chuckled at Brad's scowl and reached for the salsa.
All Ryan could see was colorful movement as couples spun and dipped energetically. Not even a glimpse of CK's red hair.
The urge to find her and haul her back to safety nagged at him. He shoved the instinct away, refusing to make any more of a fool of himself than he already had.
Disgusted, he dropped back into his chair. "What was this guy like?"
Todd shrugged. "Unpleasant, so I hung around for a few minutes to make sure she was okay. She didn't seem to mind dancing with him, so I left."
"She has more sense than to go for a jerk," Ryan muttered, trying to convince himself it was true.
"Oh, I don't know," Todd said, stuffing a loaded chip into his mouth. "She looked pretty happy."
A dark mood settled over Ryan. Tonight could not get any worse.
* * *
"I can't marry you. I'm sorry."
Steve's eyebrows shot up and he stared at her for several seconds. Grasping her wrist gently, he pulled her hand away from his mouth. "I beg your pardon?"
Lord help her, he hadn't been about to propose.
Her stomach rolled unpleasantly and her face felt like it had caught fire. CK closed her eyes and wished she could disappear. Dying from embarrassment seemed like a good out under the circumstances.
The house music faded into a slow modern tune that filled up the dance floor with swaying couples. CK focused on her shoes, feeling awkward and foolish. After a moment, Steve took her hand and guided her to a quiet corner.
"I wasn't going to propose," he said.
She grimaced. "I realize that."
"I was about to warn you that my father is pushing to match us up. If we aren't careful, he could make it very uncomfortable for us to work together."
"Oh."
Her mortification thickened. How had she misread him so thoroughly? She wanted to blame Farley for putting ideas in her head, but in all fairness she couldn't. She was the one who'd made a royal jackass of herself and she had to pay the humiliating consequences.
"Why would you want to get married?" he asked, sincere concern softening his voice.
CK gathered her courage and risked a glance at him. His expression showed no signs of annoyance or judgment. In fact, she saw genuine caring in his eyes.
Steve was a good man. She could trust him. She wouldn't have been on board with their companies partnering if that wasn't true.
Smoothing her damp hands over her dress, she took a deep breath and briefly explained the predicament her grandfather had put her in. "That's why I'm here with Ryan," she concluded. "I've hired him to teach me how to handle myself. Socially."
"I never thought you had too
"Steve...I...."
The music reached a crescendo and he spun her out the length of his arm and then smoothly brought her back. She landed against his surprisingly hard chest and for the first time noticed his eyes were hazel. A very resolute hazel.
"CK," he said, wrapping his arm snugly around her waist. "I believe that we should be—"
In a panic, she clamped her hand over his mouth. "Please, Steve. Don't say anything you'll regret."
* * *
In the center of the table, the server deposited a huge plate of the nachos Ryan always special ordered when he was at Tom's. His friends pounced on the food while Ryan pulled out some money and handed it over. As he reached for a plate, he noticed Todd making his way back to them.
"Where's CK?" he asked, suspicion riding him. She was probably in the bathroom, he reasoned, but it never hurt to check.
Todd grabbed a chip and stuffed it into his mouth. "Dancing," he said around the food.
Alarm bells started clanging in his mind and Ryan rose halfway from his chair. "With who?" He strained to see through the crowd to the dance floor.
Todd started piling nachos onto a plate. "Some guy she knows."
"She doesn't know any guys!"
"She knows us," Ajax protested.
"Yeah, but now that we've lost our fearless leader, we're harmless." Jackson chuckled at Brad's scowl and reached for the salsa.
All Ryan could see was colorful movement as couples spun and dipped energetically. Not even a glimpse of CK's red hair.
The urge to find her and haul her back to safety nagged at him. He shoved the instinct away, refusing to make any more of a fool of himself than he already had.
Disgusted, he dropped back into his chair. "What was this guy like?"
Todd shrugged. "Unpleasant, so I hung around for a few minutes to make sure she was okay. She didn't seem to mind dancing with him, so I left."
"She has more sense than to go for a jerk," Ryan muttered, trying to convince himself it was true.
"Oh, I don't know," Todd said, stuffing a loaded chip into his mouth. "She looked pretty happy."
A dark mood settled over Ryan. Tonight could not get any worse.
* * *
"I can't marry you. I'm sorry."
Steve's eyebrows shot up and he stared at her for several seconds. Grasping her wrist gently, he pulled her hand away from his mouth. "I beg your pardon?"
Lord help her, he hadn't been about to propose.
Her stomach rolled unpleasantly and her face felt like it had caught fire. CK closed her eyes and wished she could disappear. Dying from embarrassment seemed like a good out under the circumstances.
The house music faded into a slow modern tune that filled up the dance floor with swaying couples. CK focused on her shoes, feeling awkward and foolish. After a moment, Steve took her hand and guided her to a quiet corner.
"I wasn't going to propose," he said.
She grimaced. "I realize that."
"I was about to warn you that my father is pushing to match us up. If we aren't careful, he could make it very uncomfortable for us to work together."
"Oh."
Her mortification thickened. How had she misread him so thoroughly? She wanted to blame Farley for putting ideas in her head, but in all fairness she couldn't. She was the one who'd made a royal jackass of herself and she had to pay the humiliating consequences.
"Why would you want to get married?" he asked, sincere concern softening his voice.
CK gathered her courage and risked a glance at him. His expression showed no signs of annoyance or judgment. In fact, she saw genuine caring in his eyes.
Steve was a good man. She could trust him. She wouldn't have been on board with their companies partnering if that wasn't true.
Smoothing her damp hands over her dress, she took a deep breath and briefly explained the predicament her grandfather had put her in. "That's why I'm here with Ryan," she concluded. "I've hired him to teach me how to handle myself. Socially."
"I never thought you had too
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