“I think that you have no idea what you just got yourself into. I’ll get my dance.” I leaned in, brushing her cheek until someone called my name.
“I need to make the rounds, but I’ll find you later,” I promised.
“Okay.”
I couldn’t resist lingering for another beat. I skimmed my hand down to her waist, enjoying the way she shuddered at my touch. It was impossible to be this close to her and not want to be even closer, but we weren’t alone.
Yet.
Tearing myself away from Heather, I headed toward the guy who’d called me, the sound technician. After discussing a few details, I headed straight to the organizers’ table. Our entire family would sit at it, plus Heather and Avery, but right now, only Skye and Cole were there.
“Skye. I need to talk to you about Heather and the raffle,” I said.
She looked up from her iPad. “Shoot.”
“Pick me for all of Heather’s dances.”
“Ryker! We don’t cheat. I won’t rig the system, not even for you.”
What did I expect? Skye was a stickler for rules. To my knowledge, she’d never cheated in school or in college.
“What if I promise to make it up to you? Whatever you want.”
Skye cocked a brow. “Bribery doesn’t work with me.”
Well... that was debatable. She’s been known to soften if presented with the right bribe, but I knew better than to think I stood a chance. I might be overconfident and cocky on occasion, but I wasn’t delusional.
“Fine. But pull me out of the raffle.”
Up until recently, family members didn’t participate in it, but we’d changed that a few events ago, and I’d had a blast. Tonight, I wasn’t interested in anyone but Heather.
Cole just looked between us with a grin. “Well, I’ll be damned. Didn’t think I’d see the day when Ryker voluntarily gave up on the opportunity to dance. That means I win by default.”
We competed for who had the most raffle tickets.
“You don’t win if there isn’t a competition,” I pointed out with a grin.
“I’ll take you out of the raffle, but I won’t be meddling with Heather’s tickets.”
That meant one thing: I had to apply plan B. One way or another, Heather was all mine tonight.
Chapter Twelve
Heather
While Tess delivered the opening speech, everyone was focused on the stage, but I kept glancing around. Where was Ryker? The skin on my entire body tingled, anticipating the moment he’d walk up to me again.
Once Tess descended from the stage, the emcee walked up to the mic.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the first dance of the evening has been raffled off. Gentlemen bought tickets for this one. We’re going to switch after five dances. Gentlemen, you can now approach your dance partners. Ladies, do check the raffle ticket. We’ve had cheaters in the past.”
Everyone laughed, and I even heard a few whispers of “it happened to me.” I briefly wondered if Ryker planned to cheat. Honestly, I’d be disappointed if he was.
I waited by the dance floor, as Tess said was tradition. This evening was so out of the norm for me that I was grasping for anything that sounded familiar.
My heart pulsed at a lightning-quick speed when I noticed Ryker. He was walking straight toward me, stopping only half a foot away.
“I believe I’m the lucky winner.” He handed me the ticket. When our fingers brushed, an electrifying heat jolted straight through me. He smiled, flashing his dimples. I glanced at the ticket. It simply said Ryker. My heart was beating wildly. My fingers shook a little.
“How exactly did you game the system?” I whispered.
“I bought every ticket for this dance.”
“Wow.”
Those deep blue eyes pinned me with such an intensity that they lit up every cell in my body.
“I told you I’d get my dance, Heather.”
“I didn’t know you wanted it so badly.”
“Now you do.” He was half leaning into me, his warm breath landing on my cheek. His gaze dropped to my mouth. I licked my lips, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. I became aware that everyone else was already in position to dance, so I followed suit.
Ryker expertly led the dance, only I wasn’t paying much attention to the music or our steps. I was too wired up, too consumed by our proximity.
“This is a great event. How did it all start?” I asked.
“It was Hunter’s idea, but we just wanted to create something together, as a family.”
“So you participate in all of them?”
“We try to, but there are instances when we just can’t make it. Hunter and his wife are skipping this one.”
The rhythm of the song changed lightly, and Ryker’s hold on my waist tightened. He kept me close enough that I was certain he could feel my heartbeat.
When the song finished, Ryker lowered his hands, taking a step back.
“Pleasure to dance with you. Can’t wait to do it again,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“This isn’t the only dance I’m bidding on.”
And just like that, my heart rate quickened again. I couldn’t keep my smile under control either.
“On how many, exactly?”
He tilted his head playfully. “Someone’s eager.”
“Just want to be prepared.”
“I’ll keep you guessing. Just know that you’re not getting rid of me tonight.”
“Ryker, you don’t have to buy out every single dance. It’s expensive.”
“It’s worth it.”
Oh, my. What could I say to that?
The next hour went by in a blur. Whenever he had to go to buy tickets for the next dance, my entire body hummed with the need to be closer to him. No matter what I did—even if it was to sit down for a minute or to check on Avery, I longed for the sound of the gong announcing the next round. With every dance, he kept me closer, his touch became more daring, and I leaned into it every chance I got, because this felt damn good.
To my dismay, the last dance came far too quickly. I wasn’t ready to let go, but I had to.
“Forgot to give you the ticket for this last one,” Ryker said.
I laughed. “Not necessary.”
“What if I cheated?”
“Did you?”
“You won’t know until you read it.”
I wanted to tell him that weeding out cheaters was always easy. The real dance partner would have popped up. But that mischievous glint in his eyes... hmmm... he had something in mind. He was insisting on me taking the ticket for a reason, so I did.
I glanced down at it, feeling his gaze on me, the tension sizzling in the air.
Ryker: Meet me behind the red curtain after my speech.
I looked up. Oh, God... there was so much heat in his eyes, so much promise. He was expecting an answer, but before I could give him one, we were flanked by Tess and Skye.
“Don’t forget you’re giving the second speech tonight,” Skye said.
“I know. Ten minutes left.”
“Heather, do you want to sit?” Tess asked.
“Great idea. My toes feel as if they’re about to fall off.”
I was even more aware of Ryker than before as we all headed to the organizers’ table. I held the note in my fist, the words still playing around in my mind. Where was the red curtain? I glanced around the room slowly, until I noticed it at the far corner. My stomach flipped, especially when I realized Ryker was watching me. I wanted to say yes right away, but I had to think this through, and I honestly couldn’t with six-foot-two of sexiness right next to me.