“Charmer.”
“Just because I’m charming doesn’t mean I’m insincere.”
“That’s the problem,” I grumbled when he pulled me onto the dance floor as the last song faded. “I do think you’re sincere.”
A smile lit his face, but the smile turned to a pout as a fast, upbeat song started to play. “So, what you’re saying is that I’m too charming?” He started to do the twist despite the fact that it wasn’t on beat with the pop song blaring through the speakers.
“Did I say that?” I couldn’t remember the last time a man made me smile so much. Outside of the girls and Pippa, I never smiled as much as I did with Trey.
“You didn’t not say it, which is basically implicitly saying that I’m irresistibly charming.” He smiled playfully and pulled me closer when the pop song faded into an old school R&B song. “It’s okay Val, you don’t have to say it. I know the truth.”
“A model and a genius, impressive.”
His deep chuckle vibrated against my chest, his lip brushed my ear when he spoke next. “Thanks, I think so too.” Trey pulled me close enough that our bodies were flush together, dancing like lovers instead of boss and employee, instead of dancing like friends, because it certainly didn’t feel very friendly.
The dance felt intimate. His masculine scent invaded my senses even more than it did when we worked so closely together earlier in the day. Instinctively my head went to his shoulder, my eyes drifted shut at the velvety sound of Trey’s voice humming along to the song. He hummed instead of singing, and I smiled to myself as I realized that maybe even this gorgeous young man with all his confidence, was self-conscious about his voice. He didn’t need to be, his voice was deep and smooth, alluring just like everything else about him.
The dance felt as if it went on for fifteen or twenty minutes, Trey’s heat surrounded me protectively and I felt my body relax into his, my weight sank into him. Even after the song ended and another semi-slow song began, we kept swaying to the beat.
Trey pulled back first and smiled down at me. “I knew you were a good dancer.”
My heart swelled at his words and I felt my heart flutter. “And I knew you’d find a way to get three dances.”
“You can’t expect a man to let go when he’s got a beautiful woman in his arms, Valona.”
He’d called me beautiful. Again. And once again I didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t really think I was sexy, did he? Impossible.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
My shoulders sank in disappointment. Of course he didn’t mean it, he was just trying to make me feel good. “Oh. Sure. All right. I’ll meet you at the car.”
You’re getting ahead of yourself Valona.
I turned and slowly made my way through the venue space, through throngs of dancing and smiling couples, and stopped at the car to slow my racing heart. And to temper my disappointment.
Trey joined me a few minutes later wearing a mischievous smile as he held up a bottle of champagne. “This is your town, where’s the best view to enjoy expensive champagne?”
“Did you steal that?”
“Nope. Told the bride I was trying to woo a beautiful lady and she insisted.”
“You lied to her on her wedding day!”
“Nope. I told her the god’s honest truth.” He smiled and gave me a moment, just a moment, to hear his words. “Want me to drive?”
“No, I’ll drive.” I knew exactly where to go and I decided to enjoy this moment, this evening with Trey without analyzing it too much. So what if he was just being nice? He made me feel good, and I liked spending time with him.
“Wow this place is fantastic.” He looked out at the meadow that was just a light shade of green right now, pops of color just started to bloom all over the field. “This would be a great spot for photos.”
He was right, I realized and grabbed my small camera from the car. “Maybe in a couple months when all the flowers are in bloom.”
“But now they’re all just starting to bloom, like an almost moment. An almost kiss. A look across a room.” Trey’s forearms were on display since he’d rolled up his sleeves and popped the top button on his shirt. Casually gorgeous, what’s what he was.
And I needed to capture it. I focused the lens on the man, not the meadow, as he carefully peeled off the wrapper and the cage on the bottle and popped the cork, completing the task with a proud smile that nearly melted my camera. The sun hit his sculpted jaw perfectly when he tilted his head back to sip from the bottle and my heart stopped at the picture he made. “Oh, hell.”