Page 30 of Should've Been Us
Dancing flowed through her veins so she wasn’t surprised in the least that she’d been following the instructors steps even as she zoned out and didn’t hear Dean’svoice.
“Sorry. Distracted Iguess.”
“I’d say so.” Dean only shrugged good naturedly, “You want to talk aboutit?”
“Definitely not.” She returned his smile and henodded.
“Not appropriate for little brother earshuh?”
That made her laugh a little as their feet got tangled and it took them a moment to get back on track. As much as she’d always hated when Derek said she was like the sister he’d never had, she’d always considered Dean family. He really was like a little brother to her. He’d spent years chasing behind her and Derek on his bike and climbing up trees after them. She would always think of him as that adorable, cherub faced little boy that wore Spiderman pajamas even if he was over six feet, two hundred pounds of pure man, muscle and lady-killing charm thesedays.
“It’s cool. I getit.”
“For the record, there’s plenty of things I don’t need to hear about your life as well.” Sheteased.
“But I always have the beststories.”
She laughed again even as she heard the instructor call for a change of partners. Dean laughed with her. He was already beginning to step back away from her, to move on, when a big figure cast a shadow over him. She looked up and her breathcaught.
“Connor.” Deangrinned.
“Scram kid.” He didn’t smile, “This one ismine.”
Dean chuckled and gave a mock bow before moving away. Lulu gaped up at Connor as he moved into her personal space. She was in too much shock over what he’d just said to even argue when he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer than any of her previous dance partners haddared.
“What were you two laughing about?” He asked, voice rough andserious.
She stared up at him mutely. He’d called herhis. To Dean. Surely she should have some sort of comeback for that. She wasn’t his… anything. Not really. Just yesterday she’d have called him an enemy. Today, he’d started to become a friend. Then he’d kissed her and twisted everything she thought about him up inknots.
Connor raised one eyebrow, “You’re not going to tellme?”
She frowned at him. Frowned at the way he so easily guided her across the dance floor. She had only a vague memory of dancing with Reed but she remembered him stepping on her foot. Dean had nearly tripped them at least twice. Connor though, Connor held her with confidence and surety, guiding her exactly where he wanted her to go, leading her as if he’d been doing it foryears.
And just when the hell had Connor learned to dance like this? And with who? And why did the thought of him learning to dance with someone else annoy her so much all of asudden?
“Do you have any idea how jealous it makes me when you laugh for one of them?” He lowered his voice when she remained quiet. “I want your laughs. I want your smiles. I hated seeing Reed and Dean touch you, even innocently. I’ve wanted you back in my arms since the moment I let yougo.”
Lulu sucked in a shaky breath and stared. His blue eyes twinkled and the chandelier overhead sparked gold off his hair. His lips were just a few inches away and if she leaned up, she could kiss him again. Take another taste of that deep, sensual, bourbon and chocolate taste of him that made her insides melt. She pulled her gaze away and swallowedhard.
She had to stop this whirlwind going on insideher.
“Are you really not going to talk to me?” Connor’s hand slid up her back in the gentlest caress and she fought off a shiver ofawareness.
Right. Talking. He wanted to talk and she was being a muteidiot.
She shook her head, “I told you earlier that I don’t want to talk aboutit.”
“Okay. I can think of much better ways to put that sassy mouth of yours touse.”
She growled at the classic Connor comment that made her want to smack him, “You’re anasshole.”
“You’re right. I’m the asshole that isn’t afraid to say the things you don’t want to admit you already know.” He only smirked down at her, igniting both a heat of desire and anger in equalmeasure.
Had it always been both? Was she only tricking herself into thinking it was the latter? Or was she just so lonely that she would accept even the attention of this man that she didn’t like all thatmuch?
“I hate you. I knowthat.”
“No. You don’t.” He sighed, twisting them around the next turn gracefully before catching her gaze again, “You just hate that I’m willing to admit what you can’t. Holding onto those dreams of you and Dare were pointless. You knew that. You knew it long before we got to this point,Lu.”
