side. “Now that I don’t believe.”
“Okay, maybe one man asked me to dance. I politely declined.”
He was relieved to hear that. If he’d seen her dancing with some guy—especially if it was someone he knew—he wasn’t sure how he would have reacted.
Okay, he knew exactly how he would have reacted. He’d have been jealous and pissed-off. He stood and held out his hand for her. “Then may I have this dance?”
She stood and put her hand in his. “I’d love to.”
He led her out onto the dance floor, happy to hear a slow song playing so he could hold her against him. He drew her into his arms. Her body was warm, and she smelled so damn delicious he wanted to lick her neck. He laid his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear.
“You smell nice.”
She pulled her head back, swept her knuckles over his lower jaw. “So do you. And you look pretty, too.”
He laughed. “Pretty, huh? I prefer ruggedly handsome.”
“I don’t know about that. You’re wearing a tux. You’re a little too GQ right now to be considered rugged. Maybe in your jeans and T-shirt when you’re all sweaty.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Just then a hand touched her arm. She looked around to see the beautiful bride grabbing her hand.
“Time to meet the family, Hannah,” Carmen said.
Kal bit back a groan at the interruption. “We’re dancing here.”
“You can have her to yourself later,” Carmen said, giving Kal a look. “Becks and I are dying for a chat.”
Hannah was amused by Kal’s worried look, but actually, she’d been waiting for a chance to congratulate Carmen on her marriage to Rafe. Now was her opportunity. She followed Carmen off the dance floor and out of the ballroom. Carmen used a key card to enter a private room with tufted seats. There was champagne chilling in a bottle there.
“This is for the bride and groom to have time away from the stress of the wedding reception,” she said. “If we need it.”
“It’s very nice.”
There was a knock on the door, and a beautiful blonde came in. She was wearing a short yellow dress, her hair plaited in a braid that rested on her shoulder. Hannah was drawn immediately to all of her amazing tattoos.
“Hannah, this is Becks, Jackson’s fiancée.”
“Hi, Becks, it’s wonderful to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you. Wow, what a party, right?”
Hannah nodded. “It’s lovely here. You picked an amazing reception venue.”
“All Rafe’s idea,” Carmen said. “I would have been happy with the church hall, but he said I deserved something spectacular.”
Becks popped the cork on the champagne, then poured it into three glasses and handed them out. “It’s definitely spectacular.” She held her glass up. “Here’s to you and Rafe, Carmen. May your life be as fizzy and fun as this champagne.”
Carmen laughed. “Thanks.”
They all sipped the champagne, which tasted delicious. “The food was amazing, too.”
“That was my favorite part,” Carmen said. “Okay, the wedding part was nice, too, but I was starving. Don’t tell Rafe I said the food was my favorite part.”
“What happens in the private suite stays in the private suite,” Becks said, leaning back on the chaise. “And speaking of that, we wanted to get to know you, Hannah, since you’re dating
Kal now.”
“Oh. We’re just friends.”
Becks looked over at Carmen, and they both laughed.
“What?” Hannah asked.
“We’ve both heard that one before,” Becks said.
“Yes,” Carmen said. “Because we both said it before. To each other.”
Hannah looked at both of them. “No, really, we are just friends. I mean, we dated in high school, but we broke up and then we saw each other at our ten-year reunion. Now we’re just catching up. As friends.”
Becks kicked her heels off. “Uh-huh. And does any of this ‘just friends’ stuff involve smoking-hot chemistry between the two of you?”
“Or kissing?” Carmen asked. “Have you kissed him yet?”
“I . . .” Hannah was at a loss for words. “Yes. We’ve kissed.”
“I don’t know about you, Becks, but I don’t kiss my guy friends. And I sure don’t dance close with them and run my hand over their muscles like Hannah was doing with Kal out there on the dance floor.”
They noticed all that? She thought they’d just been on the dance floor for about a minute, and she couldn’t remember touching him like that, or him looking at her that way. Then again, she’d been happy to be with him, and maybe she had smoothed her hand up his arm, and maybe he had given her that hot look that