said, completely honest. “You’re just not right. I’m not falling for her.”
She pursed her lips and shook her head, trying but failing miserably to hide how amusing she found my denial. “I’m not having your lies, dear sir. It’s clear as day to anyone who sees the two of you together.”
“You might need to get your eyes checked.”
She laughed. “You might need to get your heart checked. Even if you haven’t realized it yet, I’m pretty sure there’s a big part of it with Leah’s name on it. A cardiologist might be able to show you proof. I think her name would flash in huge, neon letters if someone took an x-ray of your chest right now.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” I said absently, finding my gaze straying from hers to seek Leah out again.
Katie wasn’t deterred. She chuckled and grabbed my hand. “It’s not usually how it works, but this girl has gotten so far under your skin that there has to be physical evidence of it.”
“Where are we going?” I asked as she marched toward the dance floor. Leah was spinning around in some guy’s arms in the middle of it. “I’m not interfering with her. She can dance with whoever she wants, and besides, she kind of has to tonight.”
“You’re dancing with me,” she said without turning, only stopping once we were feet away from Leah and her latest beau. Offering me her hands, Katie smiled and raised her brows at me. “Come on, big guy. Trust me.”
“Big guy?” My head jerked back as I stared down at her.
She winked, hiding her laugh by dipping her head and covering her face with her hair. When she looked up again, there was only a twinkle of mischief left in her eyes.
“I’ve seen that banana you carry around in your pocket, remember?” she said lightly. “Now are you going to dance with me or what?”
I took her outstretched hands, bringing her closer to me but feeling none of that familiar rush of attraction that I felt whenever I got this close to Leah. It was fucking weird. Katie was a pretty girl. There was no reason why I shouldn’t have felt at least a flicker of something with her this close, but there was nothing.
No part of me wanted to even play with her. Not even a little. I didn’t want to flirt or push my luck, see if I could get her all hot and bothered, or try to have any fun with her whatsoever. And I liked having fun. Especially with beautiful women.
Everyone always knew where they stood with me. I wasn’t a dick about it, but I liked the game. So why don’t I want to play it right now?
If it had just been Katie I hadn’t wanted to try my usual antics on, it would’ve been one thing. We worked together and I’d never felt any sort of attraction to her, so I would’ve been able to chalk it up to that. But it wasn’t just her. Women had been all over me all night and I hadn’t been the least bit interested in any of them.
She smiled knowingly as we swayed together. “Finally figuring it out, huh?”
“I still have no idea what you’re talking about,” I muttered.
Katie moved us toward where Leah was still dancing with that guy, then rolled herself into my arm and twirled out. In a move so smooth I had to give her credit for it, she held out her hand to the guy as she completed her turn, flashing him a demure smile.
“Can I cut in?” she asked. “This feels like a good part of the song to switch partners.”
The guy frowned for half a second, but then he stopped to actually look at her and nodded as soon as his gaze hit her cleavage. Creep.
He mumbled something to Leah before releasing her, and she shot me a dazzling smile when she turned to find me waiting behind her. “Was that a strategic switch? It feels like you orchestrated it.”
“Not me,” I said as I offered her my hand. “Our mutual friend over there decided it was time for me to get a dance with you.”
The forest green of her eyes shone under the lights strung from one side of the rooftop to the other. Her hands were soft and warm when she slid them into mine, and as I wrapped my arms around her, I reminded myself to thank Katie later.
Leah’s body pressed against mine, and