Naya looked into Marcy’s eyes. “He won’t?”
Marcy’s eyes smiled, revealing her amusement. “My brother-in-law. The man I’ve been talking about for the last five minutes?”
Naya’s stomach clenched. “No!” she whispered.
Luke immediately understood what was going on, that Naya was about to bolt and he stopped that possibility by simply taking her hand and pulling her mercilessly closer. “Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” he teased.
Marcy looked up at her brother-in-law, then at her friend. “Do you two already know each other?”
Luke pulled her even closer. “Oh yes. We definitely know each other,” he grinned and pulled her even closer, ignoring her resistance.
He handed his drink to one of his brothers. “Let’s dance,” he suggested and ignored the chuckles of his brothers as he pulled Naya along behind him.
Naya glanced at Marcy, begging her to intervene. But the woman was beaming, almost bouncing with excitement at the turn of events. Obviously, Marcy had planned this all along and just hadn’t mentioned anything to her.
“Broccoli, broccoli, broccoli!” she chanted.
“Newest favorite food?” Luke asked as he pulled her onto the crowded dance floor, his arms wrapping around her waist with one strong arm while his other curled around her fingers. They were barely moving since there wasn’t much room. But she still tried to make a bit more space between their bodies.
He wasn’t allowing it.
“Stop wiggling, Naya. You’re turning me on. Just relax,” he commanded and pulled her even closer.
Naya tried to stop wiggling, but it was hard when one was dancing. Especially with him. “What are you doing here?” she asked in an angry tone.
His hand slid down her back, pressing her hips closer. “Probably the same thing you’re doing. Talking to people, networking.”
She grumbled, wishing that wasn’t the case. “We’re going to have to coordinate our schedules. I don’t want to have to worry about bumping into you all the time.”
He laughed softly and spun her around, causing her breasts to press against his chest. “You do that. Send me a list of all of your social engagements to me and I’ll make sure that things are taken care of.” His hand once more slid down her back, resting just above her bottom, making her breath catch. “Why haven’t you answered my calls?”
She looked at his shoulder, unable to see anything else since the man was so tall and those shoulders were so shockingly broad. Must be padding, she thought with a nasty taste to her mouth. Or maybe that was just fear. Fear that she would fail at resisting this man. “Because.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only answer I can give you,” she told him honestly.
He twirled her around and she caught her breath when his leg slid between hers. “Not good enough. I guess I’ll just have to make my own assumptions about the reason.”
She waited, wondering what he might be assuming. But when there was just silence, she looked up at him. “What are you guessing?” she asked.
His lips didn’t smile, but it was there in his eyes and she shivered with the promise there. “That you’re afraid of me,” he told her, his hand on her back, sliding sumptuously close to her bottom and she arched into him, painfully aware of his hand. “Hmmm…do that again. I like it,” he told her softly.
Naya shivered, both from his voice as well as the way he was moving against her. Dancing with Luke was like making love standing up. Everything about him was sensuous and dangerous.
“Broccoli!” she whispered to herself, closing her eyes.
She should never have closed them! His teeth nipping at her earlobe startled her, causing her to lose control and a soft moan broke through her control.
“You sound amazing when you let go,” Luke commented and Naya felt his lips smile against the skin of her neck.
“Broccoli,” she whispered with more vehemence, her body stiffening in her effort to keep herself from falling under his spell.
“Are you hungry, love?” he asked, twirling her again.
She took a deep breath, her eyes closed. It didn’t occur to her that she should be watching out. Nor did she realize the strong hold she had on Luke’s hand and shoulder. With all her might, she was gripping his hand and shoulder, trying very hard to keep herself from giving in to the temptation to press her body up against his