Page 4 of Tempt

And based on the frantic, garbled descriptions I’d just gotten from my friends, I was quite positive Theo fell into one of those two categories. He was either hiding from his pre-planned life by burying himself in his work, or recovering from whichever substance he’d used to dull his pain.

Why else would someone who had it all choose to work like a lunatic and never go out?

“May I have this dance?” Theo stood beside me. His suit jacket was gone, his tie was loosened, and his shirtsleeves were rolled to his elbows. My eyes got stuck on the muscles of his forearms and I couldn’t seem to look away.

They were really good looking forearms.One dance.

“I’m ready.”

“You don’t have to sound like you’ve resigned yourself to battle.” He smiled softly as I took his hand. Oh how his accent made that simple sentence sound like a symphony. He gently guided me toward the dance floor. “I’m not terrible company to keep, you know.”

I shrugged a split second before he spun me into his arms and circled our hips to the change of song—Big Bad Voodoo Daddies—taking the lead. Theo was not only drop-dead gorgeous, he was a really good dancer.

Damn it.

I wanted to keep up this illusion that he was just another boring brat. But the scars on his face and the way he was moving were proving that there was nothing predictable about Theo.

“Now let’s see if I can keep up with you.” He grunted and moved us through a complicated series of steps that quickly cleared the dance floor. Theo was easily six-foot-two and when a guy that big got to swinging his legs, people tended to make room fast.

“I think you’ve got that backwards. I’m just trying to keep up with you.” I laughed but I always thought my dancing needed more work. I was never going to be as good as I wanted to be.

“Don’t you dare laugh. You’ve very good.”

My heart stopped and my knees went a little weak. Why did I care what he thought about my dancing skills? I shook my head. “Thank you. May I call you Theo?”

The next thing I knew I was flipping through the air. I kind of hated how easily the bigger guys could do that. It was like they didn’t even need my permission to fling my body over their arms. I was only five-foot-four and usually hung out around one hundred and twenty pounds, so they legitimately could swing me around like a doll. Guys loved dancing with me for that reason.

That, and I could keep up.

I landed on my feet and glared up at him. “Don’t do that again.”

His eyes glinted with something like approval. “Yes, ma’am.” Theo was definitely missing a cigar. There should be one clamped between his teeth, even while dancing. It just seemed like him. “And what should I call you? I really don’t want to call youdoll.”

The way he said that…Oh wow. There was a gentle purr to his voice. He spoke directly to me—not at me, not through me. I got the impression he wasn’t the kind of guy who wasted his breath on conversations he didn’t need to have. If he was speaking, it was because he had something specific to say, and he always said it clearly and directly.

“Allison,” I said. “Allison Riley.” The man had gorgeous hair. Thick, dark, finger-clutching hair. I resisted the urge to touch it and let him spin me instead. “My friends say you don’t get out much.”

His eyes met mine and held. Just for a moment. “Your friends are correct.” He looked me over as we separated for a series of steps, but it wasn’t to appreciate my body—I confused him.

“What?” I asked as he grabbed my hand and, with the flick of his wrist, spun me into his arms. His chest heaved, his tie moving up and down with each breath. It made it nearly impossible to look at anything other than his broad shoulders and strong neck. Or the way his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. Or how completely sculpted all of those lines looked running together.

Fuck, he was a good looking man.

“You really don’t know who I am, do you?” he said.

I tore my eyes away from his shoulders. “Only what I’ve learned in the last five minutes.”

He blinked and suddenly I was spinning again. The floor felt like liquid under my heels. I loved dancing with someone unpredictable. It made it so much more exciting.

“And that didn’t scare you away?” he asked with a cocky little grin. I got the impression he kind of liked his mysterious reputation.

“Oh, it did.” I grinned up at him. “But I figured one dance couldn’t hurt.” The song changed movements and Theo pulled me against his chest, ducking his head to my shoulder. Our hands were clasped between us, tight against our chests and his other arm was wrapped around me. It was intimate.

It was also overwhelming.

Everything that hit me when I first fell into him washed over me again. The musk, the muscles, the vibrations—everything about him. I wasattractedto him. But that smile and those dark eyes along with his voice… He was hypnotic.

And then things went to a whole new level.

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