Page 81 of Shiver

“Ooh, we should join the party for our last night!” my mom tells us, and I’m not sure what’s shifted, but I actually want to.

Luca leans in closer to me, bringing his lips to my ear, and whispers, “Come on, princess. Let’s show them our new moves. ItisSunday.” He presses a kiss to the skin just below my ear, and a shiver races through me.

I nod. “Sure.”

His hand settles on my thigh. “Really?”

“Mhmm.”

He squeezes my leg, and my thighs clench, accidentally trapping his hand there. He chuckles against my ear. “That’s okay, princess. You can keep my hand. I didn’t need it for anything but you anyway.”

I grab his wrist, moving it back to my thigh as my family starts to get up, making their way over to the dance floor in front of the band.

Luca pushes out of his chair, the metal feet scraping across the ground, but his hand never leaves my lap. As he hovers over me, he drags his hand up my body from my thigh to my soft tummy and over the side of my breast before making his descent down my arm to grasp my hand.

He helps me out of my chair, gathering me into his strong arms and warm embrace. I tell myself this is all for show. That we’re just giving my family the final push to really sell this fake relationship, but somewhere buried deep inside, I know that’s not true.

I like Luca.

I like Luca a lot.

And it might be the scariest thing I'll ever do.

He nuzzles his face into my neck, not having to bend much thanks to my nearly six-foot height and the added boost from my heels. I slide my hands up his firm chest and feel the heat radiating off him through his thin light-blue shirt. He looks insanely good in linen fabric, and I’m a little jealous that he can pull off white shorts.

“You smell so damn good, baby.” He moans, and the sound goes straight to my clit.

I nip the side of his neck, and I’m rewarded with a low rumble that vibrates through his chest and into my own.

He unwraps himself from me but maintains his hold on my hand, walking me over to the dance floor.

We catch the end of a song, and my parents finish in the center of the floor, with my dad spinning my mom dramatically before pulling her back into him.

Everyone cheers, and the huge smile lighting her face brings one to mine too. “Alright, princess, I’ll follow your lead,” Luca says to me, keeping his voice low. A giggle slips from my lips, and I smack my hand over my mouth, my eyes wide from the sound coming from my own mouth.

“Did you just—“ Luca lifts a hand to my forehead. “You don’tfeellike you have a fever, but…”—he checks my cheeks too, and I squirm under him—“you justgiggled.”

I roll my eyes playfully, dropping my hand back to my side.

He gathers my hands in his, dragging me to the center of the dance floor. “Have you ever danced bachata?” I ask him, and he nods.

“I have, but not often or recently.”

“Just let the music take you where you wanna go,” I tell him as the band starts playing a new song.2

The beat is slow, and the male lead begins singing as Luca pulls our arms to our sides. His molten gaze singes me as our feet mingle together, and he slides his hand behind my back, maintaining his grip on my right hand.

The song has a fast buildup, but it’s long enough to allow us the time we need to adjust to one another’s movements.

The singer’s voice has trailed off, but returns quickly, the man’s deep baritone fills the space around us. The song hits a peak, and that’s the moment I realize what I’mreallyin for tonight.

What started as quick foot movements and swaying hips has very quickly turned into so muchmore.

Luca slides his hand down to the base of my spine, keeping our hips tucked together as my hand travels up his arm and around his neck. I grip the hair at the base of his skull, doing my best to stay in his grasp. Though something tells me,he’d never let me go.

“Yo no sé mañana,” the man sings, and as if the moment couldn’t be any more telling, it’s a song about not knowing what tomorrow holds.

There’s a push and pull in the song, so that’s exactly what our bodies do. My hand trails down to his chest, and he maneuvers his body so our legs are staggered. I push off his chest as he maintains his grip on me, pulling himself into me. Our pelvises line up with one another, but I push off him as he drags me back in.

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