Hell’s bells!
“Dance with me,” he said.
Ella quivered under his clever smile, and a slow heat slid through her. He happened to be one of the hottest guys she’d ever seen. Well, in person and not on some magazine she figured was Photoshopped. Though, hot or not, there was still a problem. “I’m sorry, but I can’t dance.”
“Everyone can dance.” His potent stare held hers and his hand never lowered. “It’s all about who is leading.”
Persistent sexy man.
Under his intense scrutiny her insides went mushy. The power this man exuded burned through her, reminding her she hadn’t felt this way in a long time. The attraction was intoxicating, and something needy inside her unfurled, yearning to explore it.
No, her mind argued.
At her pause, one sleek brow arched. “If you wait any longer to take my hand, you might give me a complex.”
The waitress hadn’t moved, watching the exchange. Even if Ella hated dancing and wasn’t looking for a relationship, she couldn’t refuse the urge to be squished up against him. Besides, what was a dance? This hunk was the perfect way to get her mind off Rory and onto something a lot better.
As she rose and slid her fingers into his warm grip, his gaze remained on hers. Heat stormed into her, spiraling low in her body with a wicked thud. She didn’t doubt that smile got him into many women’s beds.
It had power and charm.
He tightened his fingers around hers, and something passed in the air between them, so hot and so damn unforgettable, her body all but liquefied. He tugged her closer and she felt something odd inside awaken, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Something she wanted to lose herself in.
A sensation that made her mind shut off.
He led her into the middle of the crowd on the dance floor, pulling her tight against him as if she belonged right there in his arms. He had no hesitation about placing his hand low on her back, quite close to her bottom, and sandwiching their bodies together.
Ella swallowed and avoided his gaze, staring at the band as they played a classic song. She wasn’t blind to the glaringly obvious fact that the groomsman had an erection. She thought she should be offended or something, but found herself fighting against the desire to rub against him.
“Ella, right?”
She cleared her throat, angling her head. His face was chiseled and smooth, but his eyes were what made this man sexy. They held mischief with a sense of confidence. “Yes, and you would be?”
“Kyler Morgan.”
Of course, the sexy man came with a sexy name. She swayed her hips, trying to follow his movements, only feeling more uncomfortable. Not a second later, she stepped on his foot. “Oh, shit!”
He chuckled. “It’s a foot. I’ve got two, so it’s okay.” He pressed his hand tighter against her back, erasing the distance. Then he shook their clasped hands. “Stop fighting me. Relax.”
Ella sighed. I suck at this!
He leaned down, placing his mouth near her ear, and whispered, “So you work for Aidan, yes?”
His voice raised goose bumps across her flesh, and she shivered. “Yes.” She glanced to the others on the dance floor. It pleased her that no one was watching her horrible dancing skills. Then she stared up into Kyler’s handsome face, since he didn’t allow her any room to do otherwise. “Since you’re Aidan’s groomsman, you must be a good friend.”
A low noise hummed in his throat, and the sound spoke to her on a level she couldn’t have anticipated. It warmed her from head to toe, and her muscles went lax. His fingers slid across her lower back, squeezing her against him, and the heat of his touch burned to her core. “Been good friends for a long time now.”
Good grief, the man seemed not to care they were strangers. He touched her as if they were well acquainted. In the midst of that confidence, Ella forgot the world around her. Her mind focused on him and the way he moved her across the dance floor.
He continued to guide her movements and never once took his eyes off her. “I didn’t see a date with you tonight. Are you unattached?”
Her insides somersaulted with his question, as he appeared interested in finding out if anyone stood in his way. She pondered whether to spill out the details that she was in the process of getting divorced and not looking for another relationship. Well, she would be if Rory’s lawyer stopped dragging his feet. But why tell that depressing shit to a smoking-hot man sandwiching her against the hard planes of his body? “Nope, not attached.”
His chin dipped, bringing his mouth within centimeters of hers. “A good thing for me, Ella, since I’m enjoying this.” The music soared through the air, and as her hips swayed with his, his erection pressed against her stomach.
Trapped in his intense gaze, her body flushed as desire simmered. Holy Jesus, she hadn’t felt this aroused in the presence of a man. No one had ever made her burn with a dance, a look, or the sound of his voice.
Ever.
Kyler’s mouth twitched as he ran his thumb over the top of her hand. “See, sweetheart, you can dance.”
She blinked, realizing she had completely relaxed in his hold, and he was moving her around the dance floor, effortlessly. She leaned in to him, consumed by the strength of his hold. “Apparently, you’re a good teacher.”
He winked. “You bet your pretty little ass I am.”
Chapter Two
Two songs later, and Ella felt happier than she had in ten months. With Kyler leading, and relaxed in his arms, she stayed in the present. The past and the future far from her mind. The band’s soft music eased her soul. Kyler left no space between their bodies, as if he were afraid to let her go. Secure in his strong arms, his hold warmed the icy parts of her heart. He made her forget all her pain and her objections to being involved with anyone.
After another spin, leaving her laughing, Kyler tugged her against his hard body. His woodsy scent infused the air around her and she rested her cheek against his hard chest, following his movements.
He made it so very easy.
“Looks like the bride and groom are leaving.”
Ella blinked, leaning away. “Pardon?”
Kyler gestured over her shoulder, and she glanced behind her, noticing the crowd following Aidan and Cora toward the pathway leading to the parking lot. “Oh, okay. I guess you have to go, then.” She pulled her hand from his and took a step back. “Thanks for the dance.”
“You made my night by accepting.” He gave that charming grin and winked. “Stepping on my feet and all.”
“I’m glad you found it memorable.” She laughed.
“Will I see you later?” he asked with raised brows. “Not leaving yet, right?”
She had planned to go up to her room once Aidan left the party. Now, looking at sex packaged in a tux, she changed her mind. Enjoy this, Ella. “Maybe one more glass of wine before I call it a night.”
“Perfect. I’ll come find you after the lovebirds are on their way.” Then he spun on his heels and was gone.
Ella watched him jog after the newlyweds and her gaze fell to his ass. Holy shit, even his ass looked incredible—tight and totally graspable. She chuckled at herself. A couple of dances and he has you pining after him.
She shook her head, trying to accept her reality and the fact that those dances had completely removed her objections. While she didn’t want another relationship, she could have some flirting fun, couldn’t she?
Kyler’s intensity consumed her, and with him no longer invading her space, the fire inside her abdomen slowly extinguished. Had he continued dancing with her, she might’ve invited him to her room.
She deserved that, didn’t she?
One night of blistering-hot sex to wash away the remnants of Rory and to officially move on from her failed marriage. To forget about him, and allow another man to appreciate her. She did. She deserved that.
Ella snorted to herself. Kyler had gotten her revved so high she actually planned a night of sex wit
hout him offering it first. He’d danced with her, and while it’d been smoking-hot, an offer for sex hadn’t been on the table.
As Kyler reached Aidan’s new wife, he took her into a hug that lasted awhile. He was close to her—Ella saw that in the way he held her gently and the look of tenderness on his face. Aidan seemed extremely close to all his groomsmen, as well as their girlfriends. During dinner, they had all gotten along really well.
It seemed—easy.
Something Ella hadn’t known in a long time.
Jealousy cut through her, and she wished she had that closeness, too. Since moving to Vegas, she hadn’t made many friends. The other employees at Aidan’s office were older than she, and perhaps she hadn’t gone out of her way to make an effort.
Kyler released Cora and gave Aidan a manly hug, and a heavy sadness stormed through Ella, displacing all desire. She missed her family … or, having anyone close at all. Her friends in Savannah had been Rory’s friends’ wives. When she’d left Rory, they had cut off contact, going so far as to unfriend her on Facebook. He’d been the one to leave her with six stitches and a black eye. She’d been the one who lost everything.
It hurt.
The bite of loneliness had her pressing a hand to her stomach. Feeling needy and on the verge of a serious pity party, she turned from the crowd. She felt slightly rude not saying goodbye to Aidan, but she’d see him back in the office after his two-week honeymoon in Thailand. And, really, who was she to him? Nothing more than an assistant he invited because it’d be an insult not to. While he seemed like a friend to her, he also didn’t include her in his life outside of their working relationship.
Ella strode along the patio as the warm breeze fluttered the strands of hair around her face. The band now played instrumental music, since the crowd was focused elsewhere. She passed the bar and noticed wineglasses resting on a serving tray. Needing more liquid happiness, she grabbed one and took a long sip.
To the right of the bar, a cobblestone pathway led down to the boat dock by the water. Another gush of wind lifted her skirt at her knees, and she quickly gathered her dress in her hand and headed for the pathway.
The sounds of the guitar strumming followed her as she reached the end of the boat dock. She glanced down into the dark water and smiled. If she needed anything right now, it was something to cool the jets.
Perfect.
Ella kicked off her shoes, placed her wineglass on the wooden slats, and then dropped down onto the edge of the dock. The noise from the party drifted down to her and she glanced up to the full moon, placing her feet into the water. Ten months had changed so much in her life. She never would’ve believed she’d be living a whole new life in Vegas—without her high school sweetheart—her husband.
In the months that had passed, she’d cried. She’d hurt. She’d gone through a depression. But slowly, she’d picked herself up again. Her grandparents hadn’t raised a fool. One look in the mirror at the hospital, seeing stitches and a black-and-blue eye, solidified her decision to walk away.
Not that it’d been all roses and sunshine before she’d swan-dived into a table, but in one year Rory had gone from a great husband to a complete drunk after the death of his father.
She’d tried to help him by arranging an appointment with a therapist, but he wouldn’t go, even when she said she’d go with him. If Ella knew anything it was that she couldn’t help someone who didn’t want it. She also wouldn’t wait around for his violent outbursts.
Ella had stopped loving him long before the night he pushed her in a fit of rage after a drunken stupor. But that night had marked when she’d had enough. She hadn’t looked back. It had been the right decision and she refused to regret it.
She loved her new life and was proud of it. If her family left her with anything, it was a clear view of what true love looked like. Real love didn’t involve hurting your spouse.
“I thought you’d left.”
Snapped out of her thoughts, Ella’s breath whooshed from her lungs. She glanced over her shoulder, finding Kyler standing on the edge of the boat dock with his arms folded across his chest. “I needed some quiet,” she replied.
He looked down to the water before his gaze returned to hers. “A good place to get it.” He stepped onto the dock and the wood swayed beneath her. “Mind if I join you?”
She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Not at all.”
He never looked away from her as he removed his shoes and socks, then rolled up his pants to his knees. He sank down next to her and dunked his feet into the water. “So, you like this, do you?”
She laughed, watching a big man do something entirely, well, not manly. “Don’t you think it feels nice?”
He circled his legs, swirling the water. “It feels like cool water.” He glanced out to the lake, leaning back on his arms. “But it is a beautiful night.”
“Gorgeous.” You are, too.
Kyler stayed focused on the water, but he didn’t need to look at her. The very air changed with him around. There was a hint of a smile on his face, as if he knew she was watching him. The twinkle in his gaze confirmed he liked it.
Ella regarded him, trying to pinpoint why he affected her. Why this man made her not mind him sitting next to her? She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she decided not to fight it, either. It felt comfortable. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a cop.”
Unsurprised, she nodded. “You look the type.”
He barked a laugh and turned to her. “Well, now, do tell. What does the type look like?”
Ella studied him long and hard. There was strength in his eyes, in the firm set of his jaw, in his strong posture. “You’ve got the whole don’t-fuck-with-me thing going on.”
His eyes searched hers with an intriguing sparkle. “Do I?”
Perhaps that was it. He held a job that was authoritative by nature. He had to have a deep well of confidence to perform in that world. Whatever it was, she thought it was super-sexy. “Yep, you’re oozing it.”
“Glad to know I don’t ooze weakness.” His warm chuckle washed over her as he held her gaze. “Aidan told me you’re from Savannah.”
She nearly gaped at him, but restrained herself. When did he have the chance to talk to Aidan about her? Wasn’t Aidan busy with his wedding? And, seriously, had Kyler gone out of his way to learn more about her from her boss?
“That’s right,” she replied with a nod. “I grew up in Savannah.” Surprisingly, she didn’t mind Kyler’s interest in her life. Not one bit. But would he truly want to hear about her past? It wasn’t a pretty picture. There was hurt there she couldn’t hide.
A finger brushed across her cheek, dragging her out of her thoughts. Kyler’s head was tilted and his stare probing. “What was that thought?”
She blinked. “Pardon?”
“Just then, what were you thinking?”
“Nothing.” She waved away his concern. “Nothing important, anyway.”
“Seemed important,” he said with a frown. “Or you wouldn’t have looked so sad.”
She stared at him, and the hardness in his features told her he wouldn’t relent. For whatever reason—completely unknown to her—she sensed an odd trust in him. A total surprise, since she didn’t trust anyone lately, so it seemed. But embarrassment over her situation with Rory kept her lips sealed shut.
Raking her mind for a reason, she pulled on other things that saddened her. “I was thinking about my family.”
His gaze softened, as did his voice. “Family in Savannah?”
“Deceased family.” She glanced to the water, watching it ripple around her legs. “Sometimes events like this make me think of them.”
“Your parents died?”
She nodded. “When I was seven they died in a plane crash and I was raised by my grandparents. My grandmother died when I was twenty and my grandfather died a month later.” She watched his features go tender, and she could’ve kicked herself. Ruin the mood much, Ella? “W
hat about your family, do they live in Vegas?”
He gave her a long look, as if he wanted to ask her more. But he simply said, “I have three older brothers, all of whom are married with a bunch of ankle-biters. My father is a police chief and my mother is an elementary schoolteacher.”
She smiled, wishing she had a family that size. Being a single child, she was so envious of people that had siblings. Most times people never knew how good they had it. “You’re the baby of the family, huh?”
His mouth twitched. “Something my brothers seem determined to never let me forget.”
She chuckled and then glanced out into the dark night, seeing the lights of Sin City twinkling off in the distance. The full moon made the black water resemble glass. Beautiful might have been an understatement. Aidan couldn’t have picked a better night for his wedding. The sky was clear, and the air was fresh, not polluted like it was in Vegas. After a long exhale, she asked, “Do you like being a cop?”
He shrugged. “Most times.”
“What times don’t you like it?”
“When I’m dealing with people who have come to Vegas for a good time and drink too much.”
She laughed, then grabbed her wine off the boat dock and took a quick sip. “You must have some funny stories?”
“Believe me, Ella, I have hours full of them.” He tilted his head back, looking to the moon. It cast a glow over the side of his face. Kyler was beautiful—striking, almost. The lines of his chiseled face were purely masculine and his lips were totally kissable.
“Do you like the view?” he asked, not looking at her.
She jerked her gaze away, feeling her cheeks warm. Could you be any more obvious?
When his finger tucked under her chin and he turned her head, she gulped. His eyes were heated and his lips were parted, ready for a kiss. He leaned in closer, erasing the distance.
She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
His features were tight, but in a way making her ache. “I don’t mind you looking at me like that, Ella.” He brushed his thumb across her chin and licked his lips, drawing her focus to his mouth. Then he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “In fact, I rather enjoy it.”
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