Page 6 of Treasured
Her finger traced her water glass as she said, “No, it means sometimes the Steel women pick the wrong men.”
Her tone told me she’d had a bad experience, and I assumed his name was Arthur. I kept my voice low and said, “That’s not me.”
She sat back and stared at me like she didn’t believe me at all. “That’s what they all say.”
I leaned closer, ignoring how my hair stood on end from being so close to her as I said, “I… look, I respect that you’re a mom, and I respect that mind, body, and soul of yours.”
Music started up, and people filed out onto the dance floor around us.
Her finger touched mine, and energy coursed through me as she said, “That’s crazy.”
And then she cracked up, staring at the ceiling as she laughed. My own shoulders relaxed like I had found a slice of heaven. “You finally laughed.”
The DJ started a fast song, and she took my hand and tugged on it. “Okay, Dwayne. Do you want to dance?”
I pressed my hand to my heart. “With you?”
She crossed her arms and said, “You can go to your brother’s ex if you want.”
I stood up and walked with her to the dance floor, where I said, “No, you’d be the perfect woman in my arms right now.”
She curled her arms around me and said, “I can’t believe I’m falling for this charm.”
We moved in beat with the music. “You think I’m charming.”
She giggled. “I think you’re unbelievable.”
I let my hand go a little lower on her backside. “You can find out more later.”
Her face blushed, but instead of throwing me off her, she laughed and said, “The sex innuendo so early. I’m shocked.”
Interesting. I held her tight and stared into the blue eyes that bore into my soul. “I’m a man who knows what he wants.”
Her eyes were like ice, but she didn’t pull away. “And then will find an excuse to leave in the morning before we even exchange phone numbers.”
Or I’d keep her forever. Mary wasn’t someone I would ever willingly leave. Part of me wanted to claim her as mine and never let her go—ever. But she would not want to hear about that instinct. So I squeezed her palm in mine. “You could give me a chance, y’know. I might surprise you.”
She shook her head. “I’m not looking for a surprise.”
She glanced up and down my body, and I hoped she liked what she saw. I practiced in the gym for hours every day to be at my peak. “What are you looking for?” I asked.
She sucked in her bottom lip, and I spun her around to the music, which changed to a slower beat. She came into my arms willingly. She made the air smell like roses. She went onto her tiptoes and whispered in my ear, “Honestly?”
My lips tingled to taste her. Every part of me wanted to claim her as my own and keep her. I asked her, “If you could have whatever you want in a man, what would that be?”
She rested her head on my shoulder. Unlike my last girlfriend, I would keep her forever close. I was normally closed off, but she made me want to hold on and not let go.
For a minute, I wondered if she hadn’t heard me or had just chosen not to answer.
The song continued to preach about love, but then she finally glanced up, and it was like the sun had burst out of the morning sky as she said, “To be treasured as his one and only, to be loved and be considered important and as a partner in life…” My shoulders widened as if she were giving me direct orders to follow. She turned her head down. “Y’know, the guy a girl can count on, no matter what shitstorm shows up in her life next. One who’s rock solid and right there, holding my hand.”
I squeezed her waist like I was promising her to be that guy but instead said, “That’s honest. I like that.”
She let out a small “ha” that I would have missed if we weren’t so close. “What can I say? I’ve had time to think about it.”
I glanced over her head and saw a flash of light in our direction. Then I met Wanda’s gaze.
Mary wasn’t a target in our war for control of my brother’s company. I had the shares. So I pointed her toward the back door and said, “Tell you what, let’s finish this dance, say hello to everyone, and get out of here, together.”
