I watched as Blake and Claire took off toward the dance floor. When I turned back to Thano, he was staring at me with black eyes. My entire body trembled from his intense stare.
Luke Bryan’s “Strip It Down” started and Thano took my hand and pulled me up.
“Let’s dance, ladybug.”
That was twice he called me that, and I had to admit I kind of liked it. It was cute, but still made me feel . . . sexy. But why ladybug?
Pulling my body up against his, I buried my face and tried to pretend I was dancing with someone who didn’t drive my body crazy and make my stomach feel like I was on an endless roller coaster.
His thumb rubbed against the skin on my hand, leaving a trail of fire in its path. Every time he moved his hand across my back, my breath caught and my stomach dropped.
For crying out loud. I’m not in high school. What in the hell is up with these feelings?
I prayed for the song to end and a fast one to start. When Garth Brooks “Friends in Low Places” started, we danced hard and by the time it was over, I was gasping for breath. Clearly I was out of shape and Thano was so much better at two-stepping than Cody ever would be.
I wondered if he would be better in bed, also.
Stop this, Kilyn.
“You want to stop for the night?”
My heart dropped as I looked at Thano and asked, “What makes you think I want to stop?”
He looked confused. “You said to stop. I assumed you meant you were ready to stop for the night.”
“Are you ready to stop?”
His eyes turned dark again. “Baby, I could go all night long.”
Feeling my heartbeat increase, I whispered, “I bet you could.”
ANYTIME I WAS with Kilyn, the walls I’d built around my heart felt as if they were shaken. A small crack was made each time she smiled at me or laughed that beautiful laugh of hers. Tonight was no different. I hadn’t felt this happy in a very long time.
“Stop this, Kilyn,” she whispered.
Feeling a tightening in my chest at her words, I didn’t want the night to end. “You want to stop for the night?”
She looked at me with an incredulous stare. “What makes you think I want to stop?”
Okay, did I hear her right? “You said to stop. I assumed you meant you were ready to stop for the night.”
“Are you ready to stop?”
Warmth radiated throughout my body at the idea of holding her close to me again. Maybe it was time for a bit of meaningless flirting. At least I would tell myself it was meaningless. “Baby, I could go all night long.”
Her eyes glowed and she unknowingly licked her lips slowly before whispering, “I bet you could.”
My breath stalled as I looked into her eyes. There was something about Kilyn that brought a piece of my heart to life. I wanted desperately to let my guard down, but did I dare open myself up to that kind of heartache again? Was it a risk I was willing to take?
Another song played and I couldn’t help but notice how Kilyn’s eyes lit up. It was clear music was important to her. Taking her hand, I kissed the back of it. Her mouth parted slightly before I led her out to the dance floor. Pulling her closer to me, she buried her head into my chest as we started dancing.
Something was holding Kilyn back as much as it was holding me back. A part of me wanted to know what it was.
Placing my finger under her chin, I lifted her eyes to mine and softly said, “Se skeftomai sinehia.”
Her eyes lit up and she smiled. “What did you say?”
I wasn’t sure why I kept talking to her in Greek. I never did that with Savannah. Not once did I ever utter a word to her in Greek.
Swallowing the lump in the back of my throat, I said, “I’m constantly thinking about you.”
Kilyn came to a stop as she stared into my eyes. Placing my hand on the side of her face, I looked deep into those beautiful green eyes while I ran my thumb over her soft lips. “I’m fighting the urge to kiss you.”
She sucked in a breath of air and dropped her eyes to my lips. “Ti Káneis gia ména?”
Swallowing hard, she asked, “What did you say?”
My stomach was in knots as I answered, “What are you doing to me, ladybug?”
Her eyes closed as she whispered my name, “Thano.”
I needed to see what she tasted like more than I needed air to breathe. Pressing my lips to hers, she gripped onto my shirt tightly while letting out a soft moan into my mouth.
Slipping my hand behind her neck, I grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled, causing her to open more to me, deepening our kiss.