“Maybe we should wait for a fast song.” Ellery hated the quiver in her voice.
Logan stood and bent over her, the scent of mint in his mouth. “Allegra’s watching us. A slow dance is perfect. It might make her jealous.”
His big chance. She was being paid to do this.
“Fine…one dance.”
“Great!”
He tugged her to her feet and herded her between tables across the room, the heat of his hand sizzling where it rested on the small of her back. Weaving their way to the center of the dance floor, they bumped against a man’s back. When his head pivoted to look at them, Ellery saw it…the familiar shocked expression strangers always wore when they first spied her marred cheek. Suddenly every eye seemed to be aimed her direction. She froze, head swirling. Though she knew it was her imagination, her intestines knotted.
Who was she kidding? She didn’t belong here. Not only did her appearance make everyone uncomfortable, but she also wasn’t from their social circle. She was a pretender whose mask had fallen off. She stood out like a six-legged alien.
“Ellery?” Logan’s voice penetrated the cloud in her brain. “Are you okay?”
She could only shake her head, despising her weakness.
I’m going to pass out and make a fool of both of us.
Logan’s warm arms encircled her, pressing her against the hard planes of his chest, holding her steady. He began to sway, moving in time to the music. His scent filled her nostrils—clean and masculine. She wanted to bury herself in it and hide.
“I’m sorry, Ellery.” His deep voice rumbled in her ear. “We’ll go back to the table once you’re steady on your feet. I shouldn’t have dragged you out here.”
His voice cracked, and so did her heart. He shouldn’t feel guilty for her failings. Concern for Logan cleared her foggy mind.
“I’ll be okay.” She looked up. “Give me a second.”
“You’re trembling. And your heart’s beating so hard, I can see your pulse.” His fingers touched her neck, and heat shot through her arteries.
“Just a stupid panic attack.” She scrunched her shoulders to escape his touch. “It’s not real.”
“I can see it. I can feel it. It’s real.”
“I’ll be fine,” she murmured. “Let’s dance so we can make Allegra jealous.”
“Are you sure?”
His fingers found the bare part of her back, tracing the outline of the dress, and touched some magic spot that made her knees go weak. She clung to him to stay upright as the circle of his arms tightened again.
“You can’t even stand up,” he said.
“Because you keep tickling me.”
“Oh. Sorry.” His chuckle indicated he wasn’t the least bit sorry. “But your skin is so soft, I can’t stop touching it. And you weren’t laughing, so how was I supposed to know it tickled?”
No, I wasn’t laughing…I was melting!
His fingers snuck back to the same spot.
“Logan.” She growled a warning.
“At least it’s distracting you from your panic attack.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Don’t forget why you’re here.”
“I haven’t.” His lips tickled her ear. “All this is designed to make Allegra jealous.”
“You don’t want to carry it too far.”
“Mmmmm…” He buried his nose in her hair. “You smell good—like strawberries.”
“Uh…don’t you think this is getting a little weird?”
“I’m being awkward, aren’t I?” Logan’s face fell, his arms dropping to his side. “Too much time alone. I say stupid things.”
“It’s just weird with me, Logan. You’ll be fine when you’re with a woman you really like. I’m sure Allegra would’ve liked it. You’re just a little rusty.”
Ellery would’ve liked it if he’d only meant it.
“Rusty? Ha! More like completely corroded. And I wasn’t a smooth operator before.”
His arms went back around her again, but he wasn’t moving. Couples danced past them like cars passing a stalled vehicle.
Every sensation was amplified. His starched tux shirt, stiff against her cheek. His delicious muscles flexing as he shifted her closer. His warm breath on her forehead. The way she seemed to fit perfectly in the cocoon of his arms. The fact that her thoughts were headed down a dead-end road that promised nothing but heartache.
“Maybe we should go sit down,” she said.
“Ellery…” Tracing a fiery path up her back, his hands came to rest on either side of her face. His pupils dilated, obliterating the green of his eyes. “Can I kiss you?”
