Past Regrets: Love and Friendship, Book 2 by Shelley Munro

the band given the energy pulsing through the air and the feeling of solidarity. The positive vibe was addictive, and for the first time in months, Ryan experienced normal and grounded instead of drifting outside himself. Obviously his heart had known something—someone—was missing even if his brain remained clueless.
    “Caleb brought my guitar and music before he heads off to Tauranga.” Ryan edged around the table so he stood by Julia. Sick puppy . But now he’d found her again, he was only truly comfortable when he was near her. No doubt a psychologist would have a ball dissecting the confidence.
    “I’m finished.” Susan pushed her partially eaten plate away. “I can’t eat all this if I want to look good for the reality show.”
    “You’ll need the energy,” Julia said. “I intend to work you hard and crack the whip if you slacken. And then I’ll start the dance training. You said you wanted to learn, right?”
    And work them, she did.
    Exhaustion dogged Ryan’s steps during the late afternoon. He and Julia’s friend, Connor, had spent most of the day preparing the walls for painting, perched on ladders and removing the heavy velvet curtains.
    “That’s the last one.” Connor dropped the red velvet, and it crashed to the ground with a huge cloud of dust. He sneezed before climbing down the ladder.
    Ryan scanned the walls. Although years of smoke had discolored the white paint, the curtains had shielded the surfaces too. “A good scrub might be enough,” he said. “The paint isn’t peeling off anywhere.”
    “I agree,” Connor said. “I don’t think it’s going to be the big job I envisaged.”
    “That looks better,” Julia said, coming up behind him.
    “What color are you painting it?” Connor asked.
    Julia halted beside them, and once again the sense of rightness filled Ryan. “Christina suggested a deep midnight blue with borders of gold as accents. What do you think?”
    “Sounds good,” Ryan said. “With a dark color, you might be able to project images onto the walls too.”
    Julia seized his arm and squeezed, her eyes blazing with enthusiasm. “Great idea. I’ve been trying to work out how to make our acts and the club different and unique.”
    “Good enough for a kiss?” He tapped a spot on his cheek, his breath hitching when he saw her hesitate. He’d done this to her, made her cautious. She wavered for so long the silence became uncomfortable.
    Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth. Whoa! Zero to a hundred in seconds flat. Urgency thrummed through him, his hands gripping her shoulders in case she decided to pull away. He took the kiss deeper, drinking her up like a thirsty man, savoring her heat and the press of her breasts against his chest, storing every single second to pull out later when he was alone.
    “The girls have arrived for the auditions.” Maggie spoke loudly, right next to his ear. He started, pulled to the present and slackened his hold but didn’t release Julia entirely.
    “Oh, good.” Maggie wrinkled her nose. “I thought I’d need a hose to separate the pair of you. Didn’t you hear me the first time? Only three dancers turned up from the agency. We don’t want them to get the wrong idea.”
    “Thank you, Maggie,” Julia said.
    Ryan winked at Julia, and she grinned back. Relief was a swift kick in the guts. His manhandling hadn’t scared her.
    “I’d better check out these dancers,” she said. “Take a break or finish up for the day.” She strode away, and Ryan stared after her.
    “You’ve got it bad for her,” Connor said.
    “Yeah.” No denying the truth.
    “If you hurt her, you’ll have me to deal with.” Connor’s hard gaze backed up his statement. “She—” He broke off, chagrin chasing across his face.
    “What?”
    “Under her tough exterior, she’s fragile. You want a drink or something to eat? I’m going for some fresh air.”
    But he wasn’t inviting Ryan along. “I’m fine.”