When D.J. choked on his beer, Hunter pounded on his back. That didn’t keep him and Lonzo from cracking up at the look on D.J.’s face.
“That is not what I meant, jerk.”
Larem grinned at the flustered Paladin. “Then why don’t you explain what you did mean?”
“After we clean up the food, Lacey said we could crank up the music and use the deck and patio for dancing. It occurred to me that I’ve never seen you or Barak dance. I just wondered if you both have two left feet or if Kalith just don’t dance.”
Larem’s grasp of the nuances of English was far better than it used to be, but occasionally an expression threw him. It took him a moment to decide that “two left feet” meant clumsy.
“We can dance just fine.”
“I was afraid of that.” D.J. nudged Sasha. “The guys outnumber the women here tonight by about six to one. If Barak and Larem were out of the running, it would even the odds a bit.”
With a perfectly straight face, Sasha shook her head. “Sorry to disappoint you, D.J., but it’s me who doesn’t dance.”
The Paladin immediately wilted, his disappointment obvious and complete. “Oh, well, we’ll just watch then.”
Larem suspected Sasha was teasing the Paladin, but he didn’t know for sure until she looked across the table and winked at him. Tate saw it and snickered. Finally, D.J. realized that he’d been had.
“Okay, lady, just for that, I claim the first dance.”
“All right, but I have to warn you that I like to lead.”
Lonzo, not to be outdone, said, “That’s okay with me as long as I get the second dance.”
Tate turned to Hunter with an expectant look. “Well?”
He groaned. “One dance. You know how much I hate it.”
“Four.” Tate crossed her arms over her chest, clearly determined to win this negotiation.
“Two.”
She smirked. “Three plus two slow dances. Even you can manage to slow-dance.”
“Fine.” He tugged her closer for a quick kiss. “But you owe me.”
“Deal.”
Larem observed the interchange with mixed feelings. It was hard to see their obvious love for each other and not want some of that for himself.
Once again, he found himself watching Sasha talk to D.J. and Lonzo. There was no way he was going to sit on the sidelines and watch her dance with a series of Paladins. He’d seen people dancing on television. It couldn’t be that hard, especially when the music slowed down. Most of the time, the couples swayed together, their movements looking a lot like foreplay.
A few minutes later, Lacey began passing out trash bags and the group made quick work of the mess. Food was packed up and the coolers restocked with pop and beer. The sun had gone down, so the only light came from the twinkling lights that Lacey and Barak had strung in the low branches of the trees and along the deck.
When the music started, D.J. grabbed Sasha by the hand and dashed for the makeshift dance floor. Hunter let Tate drag him along in their wake. He grumbled each step of the way, but Larem could tell he was really bluffing. As soon as they reached the patio, Hunter spun Tate and led her through a rather amazing display of dance steps.
For a man who swore he hated dancing, he looked pretty proficient at it. Devlin and Laurel were the next couple to join in, followed by Trahern and Brenna. Pretty soon all the mated pairs were dancing while the other males looked on in envy. But after the first song, all the women abandoned their partners and chose new ones.
Lonzo, not to be outdone by D.J., was showing off to a salsa number with Sasha, her pretty face flushed and happy as she did her best to follow his lead. Whoever was manning the stereo switched over to a slower pace after the salsa ended to give everyone the chance to catch their breath.
Larem had been waiting for that exact moment to make his move. He held out his hand to Sasha, giving her the final decision.
Sasha didn’t hesitate, letting Larem pull her close as the gentle rhythms surrounded them. They fit together better than she would’ve thought considering the difference in their heights. Cocooned in the darkness of the crowded patio, she gave in to temptation and laid her head against Larem’s chest. A heartbeat later, he nestled his head against the top of hers, his breath softly tickling her cheek.
Dancing with Lonzo and D.J. had been fun, but this was different. Ever since that instant when Larem had grabbed her in the elevator, she’d wanted to feel his arms around her again. It was insane, and she knew it.
That didn’t make it any less true.
Unfortunately, songs never lasted more than a few minutes. As the final strains died away, she forced herself to step back. Larem resisted letting her go only briefly, but it was long enough to let her know that she wasn’t the only one with regrets.
She held on to his hand, tugging him down so she could be heard over the heavy metal that started blasting from the closest speakers. “I’d like a cold drink before I get whisked away again.”
He nodded and plowed a path through the crowd, towing her along behind him. When they broke through to freedom, he finally let go of her hand. It was for the best, but for the first time she felt the chill of the evening air.
“What would you like?”
Larem had leaned down close to her ear to ask. She turned toward him, toward that mouth that she very much wanted to taste again. For a second she thought he’d read her thoughts because he swayed toward her a fraction of an inch before abruptly standing back.
She blinked, wondering if she’d only imagined that small connection, but then she sensed another presence. They weren’t alone. Lonzo was standing right behind them, popping the top on a beer. She realized she’d never answered Larem, but accepted the pop he held out to her.
“Thank you.”
She hoped he realized she meant for more than just the drink. It was hard not to be disappointed by the missed opportunity, but it was definitely for the best. She didn’t know what to do about the attraction she felt for Larem. Rather than stand there next to temptation, she set her drink aside and went looking for D.J.
Chapter 12
Lonzo nudged Larem with his elbow. “You gotta quit looking at her like that. She’s cute and all, but Sasha’s the boss, not to mention her old man is a Regent.”
Larem was tempted to tell his roommate to fuck off and mind his own business, but Lonzo was right. Larem was playing with fire, and they both knew who’d end up getting burned if her father found out a Kalith warrior was itching to get naked with his daughter.
“There’s nothing going on.”
“Yeah, right.” Lonzo nodded toward the dance floor where Sasha was dancing with D.J. “I doubt anyone but me and Hunter know for sure that you’re seriously interested in her, but you need to be careful.”
“I had one dance with her, and so did you.” He glared in D.J.’s direction. “Go talk to him. He’s on his second.”
Lonzo snorted. “Yeah, he is, but she isn’t cuddling with him like she did with you. I’ve got to tell you, bro, those were some serious moves you put on her out there.”
“So I was lucky enough to get a song with a slow beat instead of whatever you want to call that racket.” His words came out as more of a growl than intended.
Lonzo understood him well enough to know that when Larem’s accent grew thicker, his temper was on the verge of exploding. That didn’t mean he’d back off.
“I’m not trying to piss you off, man, but you need to tread carefully. You already made waves when you went all heroic and saved her life, not to mention how you got all territorial when you faced down those two punks earlier. Toss in holding her close like that on the dance floor, and you might as well paint a sign on her back marking her as yours.”
Anger slid through Larem’s veins. “I didn’t hear her complaining.”
“No, you were both too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else. But I wasn’t the only one watching, and there was definitely some speculation about what was going on. Maybe you could deflect some of that if you’d go dance with someone else. Better yet, a couple of someone elses.”
That was the last thing Larem wanted to do, but he had to admit Lonzo was right. “Fine, I’ll go dance, but the first person who laughs gets his ass kicked, especially if it’s you.”
Lonzo grinned. “Fair enough. Meanwhile, I’m going to steal Sasha before someone else does.”
He laughed when Larem glared at him. “I’m just looking out for your interests, roomie.”
“Sure you are.”
“I sure as hell am.” Lonzo turned serious. “I don’t poach.”
The party slowly wound down. With everyone pitching in, the final cleanup didn’t take long. One by one, the cars and trucks disappeared from sight. Larem was catching a lift to the apartment he shared with Lonzo, but he wanted to make sure Sasha had a way back to her hotel. Yeah, she was a big girl and could find her own ride, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
Lonzo, always the mind reader, leaned close and murmured, “Want me to ask her if she needs a ride?”
Larem’s first instinct was to say no, but he gave in to the temptation. “Yeah, go ahead.”
He watched as his roommate stopped to talk to a couple of friends, taking an indirect route to where Sasha stood chatting with Lacey. Smart thinking. That would lessen the likelihood that anyone would think anything of his casual offer to give Sasha a ride.
To reinforce the idea that Lonzo was operating on his own, Larem left the house to stand outside by the truck. Either Sasha would be with Lonzo or she wouldn’t; all he could do was wait to see.
A minute later, the front door opened again. Larem had been leaning against the fender of the truck but immediately straightened up as soon as Sasha stepped out into the night air. He ignored the surge of excitement at seeing her coming toward him. Both the Kalith and the Paladins had superior night vision, so he carefully schooled his features to express only mild interest in her approach.