“Dancers can’t. A moment on the lips, forever on the hips, or so they say.”
“I’ve always wondered who this ‘they’ are. They seem to have a lot of opinions that are wrong.”
Or sometimes right, too. There was a reason she’d gotten a little fanatical about her eating over the years. A reason why so many of her teachers had always been careful about portion control.
She blinked, shifted closer to the window, as the final rays of sunset tinted the sky in hues of peach and gold. Her breath hitched as Luc drew close, then wrapped his arms around her, his front to her back, as they watched the sky together, saw the lights of the Legislative Building flicker on. She leaned against him, thankful to have this small pocket of calm in the midst of stress and strife.
“What are you thinking about?” he murmured.
She wrapped her hand over his. “How faint I’m going to be if I don’t eat soon.”
She felt the rumble of his laughter drift from his chest through her. She closed her eyes. Was there a nicer feeling than being held like this?
“Well, we can’t have that, can we? What do you want to eat?”
“Anything.”
“Indian?”
“You know how to cook Indian?”
“I know how to order it.”
She laughed, and he showed her a takeout menu, she picked her two favorites, and he ordered.
“So, I figure we’ve got maybe ten minutes before the doorbell rings, and I have to go let them in. We could spend that time looking at the view, or we could explore some more dessert from before…”
She swiveled and faced the window. “Yeah, the view is looking good.”
“It sure is.”
From that husky tone in his voice, she knew he wasn’t talking about outside. And when his lips found her cheek, then slid down her jaw to her throat, she knew she couldn’t cope with much more. She grabbed his hand, and arched away, and did a spin under his arm as he laughed and tried to keep up. “Don’t make me make you drop and give me twenty,” she warned. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
He offered tweaked lips of chagrin. “I’m not that kind of guy, but I find it way too easy to forget when I’m with you.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, then he exhaled heavily. “This is a whole different thing to when we were on set, huh?”
She nodded, “It’s not like when there were dozens of eyes on us.”
He pulled her close, leaned his forehead on hers. “I meant it before. I’m not going to let you fall. Whether it’s in a dance lift, or something else. You’re safe with me.”
“I know,” she whispered. She knew.
Luc might sometimes wrestle with desire, but he was honorable. And she could trust him. A good, good man.
“Man.” He blew out a breath.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“No, what is it?”
He pressed a kiss to her palm. “Isn’t it funny how we can think we know the answers, but until we live someone else’s experience, we really have no clue?”
“Whose experience are you thinking of?”
He winced. “Ryan. Him and Sylvie were a thing before she was a Christian, and I might’ve got on him about getting carried away, and now I know how easy it is.”
“Oh no.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Are you telling me you’re not perfect?”
His lips twitched. “I guess I am.”
She sighed. “That’s just as well.”
“Because?”
“Because I’m not perfect, either.”
“Oh, come on. You’re pretty close to perfect.” He held out his fingers a quarter inch.
She chuckled. “I really like you, Luc Blanchard.”
