Page 55 of Fauxmance

I shut up after that, not so much in response to what he said, but because the tango started. I still didn't know if Hayden was bluffing. If I needed to lead, I was ready. It didn't matter how many lessons we'd had; Sean never got the hang of it. But it turned out my worry was unfounded. Hayden was a brilliant dancer. More than that, dancing with him was magic.

Decent, my foot.

As Hayden's body moved with mine, we were approaching completely indecent territory.

He held me closer, more confidently than my ex ever had. His hand flexed against my waist, and every time I felt a little jolt of warmth. There was this unspeakable tension between the two of us. I knew he felt it, too, because when I dared a glance, Hayden's eyes were filled with intensity.

I'd never had someone look at me like that before.

I'd never danced like this before.

The wedding disappeared, and it was just Hayden and me, dancing alone in our own little world.

To break the tension, I cleared my throat then said, "So, where'd you learn to dance like this?"

Hayden's lips twitched. "Gigi. She enrolled me in ballroom when I was young, hoping to give me some culture."

Thank you, Grandma Constance, I thought.

"Well, they paid off," I said.

His eyes sparkled as he pulled me closer. "I'll be sure to let her know."

We twirled across the floor, and that tension never left.

"She really liked you, you know," Hayden murmured. "I knew she would."

"We only spoke for a few minutes," I said.

He nodded. "And you impressed her. She even invited you to my cousins' weddings. That's no small thing."

I rolled my eyes. "She invited me because she thinks we're together, Hayden. I have no doubt she would've invited any girl she thought was your girlfriend."

"You're wrong on that," he said. "Gigi liked you, and she never likes anyone."

"I liked her, too," I said. "I can tell she really cares about you."

"Hmm, sometimes I wonder if she's the only one."

His words hit my neck, and I couldn't fight back a shiver.

"You're wonderful, you know."

"Thank you," I breathed. "You're wonderful, too."

"That's why I couldn't skip this wedding," he said, "as much as I wanted to. You're a hard girl to forget, Magnolia."

I shrugged. "We did get stuck in an elevator together. I thought that only happened in the movies."

"Tonight has been surprisingly fun," he said. "I know I'm just one of the many red lobstersin your life"—I chuckled—"but if you'd like to keep this fake arrangement going a bit longer, I wouldn't hate it."

My eyes widened at what he was saying. "Do you mean…?"

"I'd be honored if you'd come with me to those weddings, Maggie," he said as our dance came to an end. The final dip was smooth. Hayden held me securely in his arms, his lips only inches away from mine. For a moment, I thought his gaze went to my mouth, but I might've been imagining it. Probably was. He was justso close. "I know you probably have a lot of things to do, and it's three weekends out of your life. But would you be my plus one?"

I felt my heartrate pick up, my lips lifting into a smile. "Why…I mean, why would you want me there?"

Hayden studied my face a moment before straightening. "Well…Grandma Constance has already taken a shine to you. She thinks you're my girl. It would make sense."

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