Page 63 of Last Fall

16

ERIK

I’ll Never LetYouFall

Hot,sweaty, anonymous. Dancing with Zoe was a very good and a very bad idea. Girl had moves. And even though she seemed to be a little off because of me, she kept slipping into this zone where the musictookover.

Itwashot.

Hot because it was her.Justher. Not the past, not her anxiety about me, not even the stress she kept on her shoulders about her work. This wild woman dropping to the bass line, rolling her hips, and throwing her head back, was the real ZoeBurke.

With her sweet little body pressed hard against mine, it made it difficult to hide how much I liked it. She didn’t seem to notice so I didn’t focus on it. Instead I did my best to show off what my mama gave me. Music and dance were an integral part of my upbringing. Everyone danced. Music always played on the radio or in person. I often caught Mom and Dad dancing after they put us to bed. The Cassidys danced when they were happy. We danced when we were sad. We danced when we were lonely or tocelebrate.

It wasn’t about knowing the steps or being the best. It was about getting lost in the music—just like Zoe was doing in my arms right now. Her dark hair was sweaty. Pasted against her neck. Her jacket from the hockey game had been left behind in the car, leaving her to dance in her t-shirt andjeans.

I loved allofit.

The DJ came over the speakers with a horn. “What’s up Ybor?” The crowd cheered, turning his way. Zoe spun so I grabbed onto her hips and pulled her against me. With a roll of her shoulders she melded into me like she belonged there. “I’ve gotten a million requests for this tonight. I know you want to hear it. So now is the one and only time I’m gonna play it you, you hear?” The crowd grew quiet and you could cut the anticipation with a knife. “And we don’t play that English shit down here. Ya’ll know yourSpanish.”

Then the first guitar picks of “Despacito” filled the air and you would have thought an actual rock star had walked on the dance floor. People lost their damn minds screaming and running to find a place. Apartner.

I dropped a kiss onto Zoe’s shoulder as I placed my hand across her belly, swaying my hips to the first words, ready to spin her back and make the very most of the sexiest song of the year with the sexiest womanIknew.

Her skin tasted salty. Ilikedthat.

I could have sworn she whispered my name but it was hard to tell between the music and the writhing bodies. Didn’t matter. In my head that’s how it happened. The music pulsed, I kissed her, and she whisperedmyname.

Sounded damn finetome.

I gave her hips a nudge and she whipped around in time for us to make the three note drop to the title of the song and then all hell broke loose as Tampa’s finest danced theirassesoff.

Zoe looked different under the club lights. Red and yellow danced over her skin. Her eyes flashed up at me. Hungry. Uninhibited. I held her close and whispered the words in her ear, pronouncing the Spanish in the sexiest way Iknewhow.

The lyrics couldn’t be moreperfect.

Slowly.

That was Zoe and me. There was no rush. Every step of falling for her had been slow.Intimate.

This would only happen once and I was going to savor the process. Memorize every detail. Appreciate the miracle of a woman revealing herselftome.

She danced a few steps back, her shoulders swiveling in time with her hips, a smile curving her lips. I yanked her back to me for the chorus. The force of our bodies slamming together felt damn good and she threw her head back to laugh. My hand cupped her ass and down we went with themusic.

The crowd yelled “Puerto Rico,” and then the entire club moved as one. Zoe threw her hands in the air. Her hair fell into her face as she laughed and moved. She turned and backed into me, as clear an invitation as I needed to latch onto her hips and finish the song the way it was intended. Hot, sweaty, and sexyashell.

I’d never had somuchfun.

“Water!” She yelled when the song ended. I grabbed her hand, making sure to lace my fingers between hers before pushing my way through the crowd to get what she wanted. “Oh my it’s so hot in here!” She latched onto my belt loop with herotherhand.

Whether it was my size, the look on my face, or the gorgeous woman who tucked herself under my arm while we waited, the barkeep quickly slid two bottlesourway.

“Thanksman.”

He held up his paw indicating I owed him five dollars. Zoe fished my wallet out of my pocket without my asking, biting her lip as she held it up for me. I liked this feisty little firecracker that took me dancing. I hoped to see more of this side of her now that we’d broken down somewalls.

“Oh I’mpaying?”

She shrugged. “Idrove.”

---