Page 22 of Save the Last Dance
“Sit for a minute, Nina.” The rough edge of his voice, the masculine timbre of it, went right through her and warmed her from the inside out.
Stepping closer, she took the swing and lowered herself into the seat beside him. The canvas twirled a little beneath her, pivoting her back and forth. Mack leaned over and steadied it, his hand brushing her thigh as he held the chain for a long minute.
Heart in her throat, Nina felt her whole world close inon this moment, sitting in Heartache, the bluegrass band playing, white lights twinkling, stars overhead. And most of all, Mack Finley beside her.
“It wasn’t just what you said,” Mack admitted, his face in shadow from the trees overhead. “I’ve wondered the same thing myself—why I gave up on my marriage when I’m not the kind of guy to walk away from a commitment, even when I see the train wreck coming. So what you said earlier… You just articulated a thought that doesn’t sit well with me.”
He let go of the chain slowly, setting her loose to swing free. Except that she kept her feet planted on the ground, cheating to stay closer to him.
“I have a way of blurting things out.” The urge to touch him was strong, so she tucked her fingers under her thighs to keep them to herself.
“But at least you say what you’re thinking.” He gave her a slow smile. “I always know where I stand with you, Nina. No guesswork there.”
Actually, he might be surprised to discover how much she’d been thinking about him since she’d returned home. She didn’t say anything, though, sensing he had more on his mind.
“I never knew with Jenny.” His expression became serious and Nina braced herself, not sure she was ready to hear more about his marriage. His jaw flexed, as if he were weighing words before he continued. “So it surprised the hell out of me when—right before she left—she accused me of never getting over you.”
His words stunned her. They rang through her with a dull hum.
“That’s—that’s ridiculous,” she saidfinally, her mouth too dry for words. “Did you tell her we hadn’t even spoken since that summer?”
When she’d begged him to come to New York and start a new life with her. When she’d given him ultimatums and he’d gone more and more silent with every phone call until there was no reason to call again.
“She was out the door before I thought of a comeback. And considering it took me that long to form a response, I had to wonder if she had a point.”
It was as if she was listening to someone speak to her through water. She could hear what he was saying, but she felt far away. Like all of this was unreal.
“You can’t be serious.” She didn’t want to think about what it meant if he still had feelings for her. She’d gotten use to hers—the healed over hurt that left a long scar. But if he still cared about her… “I thought we were going to try to be friends.”
“Is that even possible, Nina, when the air damn near crackles every time I get near you?” He stared at her in the moonlight, searching for answers. His shoulder pressed into the swing chain, the sleeve of his polo shirt riding up high enough to reveal some ink from a tattoo that hadn’t been there before.
Maybe she chose now to notice the tattoo because meeting his gaze meant she had to be honest with him. She swallowed hard.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was rough in her throat.
He reached toward her and her heartbeat went wild. His hand wrapped around the chain over her head and he dragged her closer. Closer. Her knees brushed his. Her thigh bumped his hip and the warmth of his body next to hers teased over her senses.
“Does this feel like friendship to you?” He tucked hishands behind her knees and swiveled her to face him. He palmed her calves through her jeans, pinning her knees to his.
They stared at each other for a long, breathless moment, suspended beside one another and close enough to share each breath. Old emotions rose up inside her like living things, combining with new ones she hadn’t expected. She breathed deeper to take in the scent of his aftershave—bay rum and spices.
Her mouth went dry as chalk and she couldn’t answer. She shook her head. Licked her lips to try and speak…
But Mack was already leaning closer, his head tilting. She closed her eyes at the last second, savoring the press of his mouth to hers. His lips were warm and sure against hers, the pressure light but definite, just enough to warn her of his intent before he took more.
Her skin tingled everywhere, hyperaware of him. This was Mack, the man who’d inspired her teenage fantasies—and some adult ones, if she was honest—the one who’d shown her everything from how to kiss to…so much more. Her hands found his cheeks and smoothed over the rough texture of his five o’clock shadow, cradling his face as he took a deeper taste.
The stroke of his tongue along hers just about undid her, the slick, subtle pressure unleashing a tide of feelings she’d kept locked up tight for a long, long time. She closed her eyes tighter, trying to hold herself back even as she wanted the kiss to go on and on.
“Mack.” She broke contact by some minor miracle, though she didn’t pull away. “This is crazy.”
He was slow to open his eyes, a fact that soothed some old wounds just a little bit.With an effort, she let go of his face, her fingers gliding down his cheek to the straight edge of his jaw and then…back into her lap.
“Agreed.” His voice was for-her-ears-only soft, but the scratchy note in it told her he struggled for control as much as she did. “But it’s not going away. And we’re sure as hell not going to fix it by some lame attempt at friendship when all this heat blazes beneath the surface.”
Her thoughts swam fuzzily after the kiss, so she didn’t understand what he was saying. With a cool breeze rippling across her sheer blouse, she could only think about how good it would feel to close the distance between them again. To have Mack’s hands tucked beneath her knees to keep her anchored to him on the swings.
“So what should we do about it?” She hadn’t touched a sip of alcohol tonight but she suspected she might sway on her feet when she stood.
