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‘Afraid so’

Take that however you wish

Surely he’d be going in search of someone else to dance with now? Hopefully not when she’d made up her mind to let loose a little—with hirab his hand tightly so he couldn’t get away? Yeah, right Then he’d really be running So what happened next? More dancing? A drink? Mix andout of practice ‘What are you known by?’

‘Noah’

Odd that they only exchanged first naht be best All fun, and no toht up in too ht Her pulse rate dipped What if she wanted to see hi theso on the inside as the beat in her wrists sped up again Getting on with the dancing and fun and stop thinking beyond now took over

Stacey’s feet moved, her body swayed, and they were away, her hand in her partner’s as they swung their legs high, then he had her in his ar her leg beyond high Around the to do the same with mixed levels of success, and so At the She could do it all night She grinned at her partner and continued dancing, rolling her hips and lifting her feet

When the band finally stopped for a break, Stacey’s lungs orking overti her chest rise and fall rapidly ‘I need a drink after that,’ shelike ago all the restraints she’d known for the past year Why hadn’t she done this sooner?

‘What would you like?’ Noah asked, also gasping

‘Ahis naers

‘Coet to the bar before I pass out froh the crowd as the DJ put on a song, this one a little quieter and slower At the bar, he pulled out a stool and continued holding her elbow until she was seated

Once their drinks were in front of the would becoet aard, she decided ‘I haven’t had sotime,’ she told him honestly

‘I’d have thought you went dancing every Friday night the way you handled that’

‘Been busy with other things,’ she said, adjusting the truth a little, then hurried to change the subject away fro?’

‘Can’t say I do Like you, it’s finding the time’

‘Which’ She stopped No, don’t spoil the night getting to know personal details The anony able to dance and have a drink and not think about overstepping thewho she really was now she was unattached There er,tooon now

‘No questions?’ he asked with a sreat time with no coht be a little cooler there And quieter’ He spoke close to her ear

She stifled a gasp as his breath grazed her skin, sending a ripple of heat to places that hadn’t been war time When she nodded, he took her elbow to help her off the stool Definitely a gentleman as well as a hunk Would she bu days? What would his reaction to her be then? Or hers to hin of hi the previous teeks, or she’d passed him and not noticed his looks Huh? How likely was that when they instantly turned her into a hot mess?

Relaxgo with the fun aspect He’s not hurting you, quite the opposite

With her glass in one hand, she let hireat time

‘Forget quieter’ Stacey laughed, and she was doing a lot of that tonight The band had co their way out here Sipping her drink, she looked around, a big sht She wanted to pinch herself

They stood in co down as their drinks disappeared—probably too quickly for so back on her feet, right? Then Noah took her in his are of the foyer, easily avoiding those standing in groups, talking As he reached a far corner he paused and gazed down into her eyes Forget companionable Butterflies flapped wildly in her stomach Her skin heated

‘Thank you for a wonderful evening’

Stacey blinked ‘No, thank you’ The heat in her body began dissipating Was this the end? He’d go one way, she the other? She wasn’t ready to say goodnight

‘Thank us I was dragged here by a friend who I haven’t seenaway early, then along ca lady’