Page 38 of Surprisingly Us

“We’ll need to touch. And it will need to be natural. If we’re dating, you can’t turn into a cardboard cut-out when I put my arm around you.”

I roll my shoulders back, trying to ease the tension there.

“What areyoudoing?” he asks, a teasing smile on his face.

“Getting comfortable,” I say, leaning away from him.

“Yeah, you look really comfortable right now.” He drops his arm.

“Sorry, I’m just not used to having guys touch me like that. I mean, when it’s necessary for choreography, sure, and I’m super comfortable with Sebastian, but this,” I motion between us, “is new.”

“Who’s Sebastian?”

“He’s a soloist at the company and a good friend. We’ve been paired together in a few roles.”

He nods then places his hand on the side of my waist. His fingers tickle the space between my waistband and my cropped tank and I start to squirm and giggle.

“Jesus, okay.” He runs a hand through his messy hair. “Let’s try something else.”

He releases me, then moves to sit down on the couch.

“Come straddle me.”

“I’m sorry, what?” I can’t help the nervous laughter that escapes. “I don’t see howthatis necessary. No one’s going to be straddling anyone in public.”

“It’s a strategy. You go past the point you need to be comfortable with. Pushing you into a more uncomfortable situation now, when we’re alone, will make it easier for you to relax with simple touches when we’re in public.”

I want to see his logic but my body is doing that tingling thing again.

Maxine stands to stretch, then starts moseying her way over to Rhys, his vacant lap her target.

“Come on, before she beats you to it.”

He leans back into the couch cushion with his hands interlaced behind his head, looking perfectly self-assured. Like he knows what he’s talking about.

I decide not to think about it. It’s like ripping off a band-aid, right? Except it feels like it’s going to be one of those really sticky ones that does its job and then some, vowing to seal that cut up like a vault by sacrificing the perfectly unharmed skin around it. Not to mention if there’s any hair in the vicinity.Ouch.

My thoughts on bandages gives Maxine the advantage and she’s already nearing Rhys’s lap.

It’s now or never.

Okay, Lettie, just do it.

I rush over to where Rhys is seated on the couch, lean forward to place my hands on his shoulders for balance, and bring my knees onto the couch to straddle his lap.

Okay, this isn’t that scary.

“You have to sit down, Lettie.”

Oh, that’s why my thighs are shaking. I’m still holding up all my body weight.

“Right.”

I lower my butt onto Rhys’s thighs, but there’s still as much distance between our chests as I can manage without falling backwards.

“We’re going to stay like this until you relax.”

I exhale, trying to let out the tension in my body.

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