I was going to storm out of this club. That promoter could keep his money.

Rafe’s eyes had narrowed. He immediately understood the reference and anticipated my reaction. His grip on my hand tightened. “Don’t react. That’s why he did it. He’s trying to provoke you. Just dance with me.” He sounded as upset as I felt. All of America knew we had broken up and had stayed broken up. Frank was about to give his club-goers something that no one would have thought possible.

Especially me.

I swallowed several times before finally nodding. I could do this. One dance, and then I was done with it for the night. There weren’t any cameras this time. Just a roomful of people I would never see again. At least this dance wouldn’t be televised.

He took my hand, raising it over my head, and twirled me around before pulling me into his arms. The crowd gathered around us seemed to enjoy that. He was holding me close, probably closer than he should have, and I followed his lead as we danced slowly. Although my head and my heart were in disagreement about how they should react to him, they both agreed that they loved how it felt to be held by him.

His hand splayed against the curve of my lower back, using pressure to let me know which way I should move next. His other hand engulfed mine, and I could feel the calluses on his palm. His broad and muscular shoulder flexed under my hand, like he was feeling the tension, too. I looked just over his shoulder, not wanting to make eye contact. I wasn’t sure I could handle it. My synapses were already overloaded. I didn’t need to make it worse.

A radiating warmth enveloped me, and all the other sounds, the other people, everything faded away and it was just the two of us dancing, as if we were the only ones in the club. My body shifted me forward, moving me even closer to him.

It wasn’t like the first time we’d danced to this song, but all the emotions I’d had before came rushing back. I related to these words in a way that I never had before. I had been crazy for loving him, for giving him my whole heart without knowing the truth.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered against my ear, making the skin there run hot. “I don’t get to tell you as often as I’d like to. But you are.”

He probably didn’t tell me because he knew I would argue with him about it. He knew that I grew up not wanting to be pretty or noticed. Somehow it wasn’t so bad when he was the one noticing. The way he held me and looked at me made me feel beautiful.

“I love holding you,” he went on as his nose nuzzled my earlobe, and that turned my knee tendons into water. “Even if it’s only because we’re dancing.” He planted a tiny kiss in that magical spot right behind my ear, and my mouth felt parched, like I’d been marching through the Sahara and hadn’t had anything to drink for a month.

Then the song ended, and everybody around us started to hoot and holler, applauding us for our dance. My heart beat so fast and so loud that the DJ could have used it for his next song. Rafe held me out to one side, and he bowed. I did a sort of curtsy, even though it was the first time I’d ever attempted one. Right then I was too dazed to do anything but let him lead me off of the dance floor. The regular music started up again, and we sat down on our little loveseat.

He had that look in his eyes. That look that said he wanted me. And given my current condition, I was in danger of giving in. His gaze dropped to my lips. Yep. No misinterpretation there.

Frank came over to introduce the VIP guests who had purchased a chance for autographs or pictures. I did my best to pull myself back together, to smile and say hello. Thankfully, I didn’t have to make a lot of conversation because it was too hard to hear and make myself heard. We got a lot of, “Are you guys back together?”

And I would answer, “No.”

Rafe answered, “Not yet.”

That went on for a long time, and it took all my resolve to focus on the people I was supposed to be entertaining and not think about Rafe and that dance. And the magic that was always sparked when we were together. He called his bodyguards a couple more times, and the last call was interrupted by a very drunk girl who wanted to sit on his lap and take a picture.

I did not rip out her extensions one by one, even though I wanted to.

We stayed for our contractually obligated two hours, and the very second that ended, Rafe said, “Let’s get out of here.” He left that skeevy waitress a fifty-dollar tip on our table. For three bottles of water.

He signaled to Frank, who walked over with an envelope. He handed it to me. “Here’s your money. Cash, like we agreed.”

I hadn’t agreed to that. I always got paid by check. I asked him a confused, “What?”

“It’s all there. Your boyfriend drives a hard bargain. You two brought in a lot of business tonight. I’ll call you again!”

I didn’t even bother saying he wasn’t my boyfriend. People generally believed what they wanted to believe, and didn’t want to be bothered with the facts. I nodded, putting the envelope into the clutch I had brought with me. I held it tightly against my chest, afraid of losing that much cash.

Rafe got his coat back, and the shivering valet had our car waiting for us, all heated up. As we walked toward it, a drunk, stumbling guy slammed into Rafe on the sidewalk.

“Sorry, man.” The guy slurred his words, but Rafe told him it was fine. The man shook it off and managed to start walking straight as he headed around the corner.

I gratefully got inside the waiting SUV, and a different valet shut my door. I saw Rafe tip the one who had retrieved the car, and from the look on the kid’s face, it was a lot of money.

“Are you hungry?” Rafe asked as he put on his seatbelt. “I’m in the mood for seafood. Where do they have good lobster?”

“Maine,” I responded, and a smile quirked the ends of his lips. “I really just want to get home, if that’s okay.”

I should’ve known that nothing is ever that easy.

“Home it is,” he said, pulling out into traffic. The weirdest thing happened as we were leaving—despite security holding onlookers back, I saw someone suddenly running away from the car in the passenger side mirror. One of the bouncers chased after him.