When things quieted down, I made sure to give Drezden a good, hard poke in the back. He spun around, grabbing me in a tight hug. "Congrats!" I shouted, hugging him back. I was careful not to spill my second drink onto his nice suit. "How does it feel?"
Grinning, he pulled Lola close to his hip. "Amazing," he said. "I'm the luckiest man alive."
Lola flushed, but her smile was sweet. "Drez, come on."
I waved my glass. "Well, cheers to you both. But you better be ready for work after that honeymoon! We have a tour in Japan next month, remember."
"Yeah, yeah," Drez sighed. "Let me enjoy my wedding, no work talk."
Bowing my head, I winked at Lola. "I adore your dress."
She twirled, holding the long hem so that the purple edges became a blur. "Thank you! The boutique gave me grief over the color."
"They're idiots. No taste," I said, nodding sagely.
More people crowded up, all wanting to congratulate the new Bride and Groom. Not wanting to overstay, I gave them each one more hug and retreated to the bar. The hall was bustling, much busier than the reception—I was sure people had crashed in that weren't invited.
I'd barely dropped onto a stool when Sean put his elbows on the bar beside me. "Hey, there you are."
Smiling, I shrugged. "Here I am. Were you looking for me?" I joked.
His grin was firm, his eyes twinkling. "I was."
Choking on my drink, I barely avoided a repeat of earlier when I'd spit gin and tonic all over. "What for?" Whoa heart, down boy.
Facing towards the busy room, he gestured with his chin. "Want to dance?"
Grinning, I tossed back the last of my drink. "Keep my tab open," I said to the bartender. I was living on liquid courage; it was bound to run out, especially after dancing with Sean.
I hopped off the stool. Circling his arm around me, his fingers grazed my lower back. I stood straighter, wishing I had another drink instantly. No, this is good and fun and calm the fuck down. It was just dancing. With the guy I had a giant crush on.
Fuck me.
In the center of the hotel's event hall, lights sparkled to form a circle. Sean pulled me there, the other dancers making room for us like they were leaves on a river and we were something much more solid.
Winking, he took my hand. My mouth was tingling, my tongue too heavy, but I smiled anyway. This was exactly what I'd always wanted. Sean Cooper was holding me close, his hips grinding close to my ass, his skilled fingers drifting along my waist.
The music shifted—became faster paced.
We synced up, our energy moving with the rhythm. He cupped my shoulders, pushing me away then pulling me in. His nose brushed by my ear—did he just inhale? Was he smelling me?
Like we were made of static, our torsos stuck together. I was wild with excitement, my toes throbbing in my heels, but I didn't care. I wanted more—more of him.
He spun me until my heart painted the inside of my ribs. My ears rang—not with music, but with the sound of our feet. Sean stopped me on a dime, bending me down so I was lying across his muscular arm and gazing up into his shadowed face.
His smile was gone.
His cockiness had vanished.
Sean stared down at me with uncertainty shining in his black and blue irises. The centers shrank, focusing on me. They twitched—his tongue gliding over his lower lip. I swore he wanted to say something, why else was his chest filling with air?
And then he looked away and the moment died.
Standing me up, he steadied me. "You're a good dancer," I said, panicking as I felt our energy melting into something awful. Regret? Was this fucking regret?
Shrugging, he buried his hands in his slacks. "I guess. Hey, that was fun. I'm going to try and get a second to congratulate my sister before she's mobbed again."
"Oh. Okay." Lifting my fingers, I did a half-wave. He smiled briefly, then I saw his broad back as he faded into the crowd.
Around me, people laughed and spun on the dance floor.
But somehow...
I'd never felt more alone.
****
I hadn't lingered after that. Tired and miserable, I'd dragged myself upstairs to my room. I was determined to take advantage of the one thing I had left on this trip:
A good night's sleep.
So why the hell was that proving so elusive to me?
Grunting, I yanked at my dress's zipper over and over. "Sonofa...!" Lying