Stand-In Saturday (Love For Days #2) - Kirsty Moseley Page 0,90
and reaches out, brushing a curl of my hair behind my ear, his fingers trailing across my cheek. I let out the breath I didn’t realise I had been holding and try to ground myself by staring at the little freckle he has under one of his eyes.
“Lucas is here.” My voice is barely above a whisper, but he hears me.
His mouth snaps shut, and he nods slowly, pushing his plate onto the table, chocolate-dipped strawberries no longer important. My affection for him ratchets up another notch at how quickly he went from jokey Theo to supportive Theo. I love it.
“Okay. What time is he at?”
“He’s at, like, your one o’clock?” I guess.
I reach out and fiddle with one of his shirt buttons as his hand traces across the bare skin at my shoulder blades, and his eyes flick over in Lucas’s direction.
“Grey suit, blond hair, eyes blazing like fire, ready to burn me alive?” Theo asks, dipping his head and nuzzling his mouth against my ear.
His hot breath blowing down my neck is almost too much, and I shift on my feet and press closer to him, needing reassurance. I’m immensely glad I have him with me. He’s playing his side of the bargain to perfection; anyone looking on would think that he really does adore me, exactly like I asked of him.
“That sounds about right.”
Lucas always did have a hard hundred-yard stare.
“Looks like you’re getting your wish. He’s jealous as hell.”
Theo’s nose runs up the side of my cheek, and my breath leaves me in a dreamy sigh. I don’t know how he does it. One touch, and I’m like putty in his hands, even with my cheating ex standing thirty feet away.
“Forget him, Luce. Come dance with me?”
I need to do something because I don’t want to keep standing here. I can practically feel Lucas’s stare boring into the back of my head. It makes me want to squirm, but I keep my chin up and focus my attention solely on Theo. As soon as I nod in agreement, his fingers slide down my shoulders and over my arms, tickling their way down until he gets to my hands. Interlacing our fingers, he smiles and nods over his shoulder towards where a few people are dancing to the music that plays quietly in the background.
My smile returns as I let him lead me along to the makeshift dance floor, where he pulls me into his arms and we sway to the beat. It’s nice. As we dance, Theo whispers silly jokes in my ear, twirling me, flirting with me until the tension in my back eases, and I melt into his embrace and start to have a good time again. A couple of songs in, Lucas is long forgotten.
It’s then I decide that being stuck in that lift with Theo is probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I can’t imagine being here on my own tonight. I’d be knocking back the shots by now—or crying in a taxi on my way home already.
One of my hands is loose in Theo’s while my other grips his shoulder as I rest my temple against his cheek, breathing him in. I close my eyes and pretend we’re back at the wedding, dancing there together instead of here, where I know people are watching and judging me.
Theo’s hand traces up from the small of my back until it cups the back of my neck, his fingers toying with my necklace as his forearm clamps me to him. “This dress is driving me wild, Luce. I have the most beautiful date ever tonight.”
My confidence spikes at his compliment, and I grin against his shoulder. “Really? Does she mind you dancing with me?”
He laughs, his chest rumbling against mine, and my tummy gives a little flutter. When he pulls back, our eyes meet, and I get trapped there. His smile is dazzling. When his mouth starts heading towards mine, I smile and lean in, too, eager for it. When our lips connect, he tastes of strawberries and chocolate mousse. A tiny moan slips from my lips, and my hand tightens on his shoulder, using him for support as my knees weaken. It’s only a soft, chaste kiss, but it feels like more. It’s intimate and sensual, just perfect. He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine as we continue to dance. I can’t stop smiling.