Freedom (Billionaire Secrets 2)

Right now, he’d give anything to share that freedom with her. Without another thought he reached for her, taking her small hand into his. He was about to risk everything for a stolen moment with her. But he knew that it was a risk worth taking. “Dance with me, Heather. For old time’s sake.”

Chapter 11

Under his intense gaze, she felt her face flush. “Simon, people will see us if we dance.”

“They will.” He hadn’t taken his eyes off her, and in their blue depths a heat smoldered.

Simon had always been a calm, cool, almost detached presence. But whenever he looked at her with that hungry longing, she worried that he would light something in her that only he could put out.

She had never reacted to another man the way she did to him. This night was fast spinning out of control. First Dannicka had tried to get under her skin, and then that song had started playing. Their song.

“We’re supposed to look like we’re just professionals. Coworkers,” she said.

“We are.”

Her heart started to pound. “Won’t this make it look like we’re something more?”

Releasing her hand, he said, “We don’t have to dance if you don’t want to. The song brings back memories. That’s all.”

Let it go. Don’t do this. “Wait,” she blurted out, her voice low and husky with a desire she couldn’t deny. “If we do this, maybe it will look like we’re comfortable enough with each other to dance. As friends.”

He took her hand again, sending a warm flood of heat through her body. With her stomach fluttering, she let him lead her to the dancefloor. Let him put his hands on her waist, his touch scorching through the thin fabric of her dress. Her hands slid up to wrap around his broad shoulders. With their bodies pressed up against each other she blushed again, now keenly aware of the hard, solid muscles beneath his clothes.

The couples dancing around them blurred, then faded away. All she could see was the blue of Simon’s eyes. Suddenly he was leading her around the dancefloor. It was like prom night all over again and being in his arms was like heaven.

“You’re not a bad dancer,” she said breathlessly.

“I’m a terrible dancer,” he said. “But I figure if I just meander around the room, I’ll make it look right. I did take a dance class in college. Coach wanted us to feel light on our feet. Not sure it actually helped my game.”

She laughed. “Well, you make it look good.”

“I hope the room agrees, because they’re all staring at us,” he said.

“They are?” Her eyes grew wide as she turned her head to glance around them. Heather’s eyes fell on Dannicka, who was glaring at them from across the room. The former cheerleader looked almost comical with her arms crossed and frown showing her age lines. Not as pretty as before.

Ordinarily Heather wouldn’t take pleasure in seeing someone get put in their place, but having Simon come to her rescue had been so satisfying. He had made her feel cherished and desired. If a woman had come on that blatantly to her ex-husband, Gary would have reveled it in. Rubbed it in her face and humiliated her. Simon wasn’t even her boyfriend and he had come to her rescue at great risk to himself and his company.

“Don’t look,” he ordered. “They’ll think we care what they think.”

“We do care what they think.”

He leaned closer and whispered, “They don’t need to know that.”

She shivered, the sound of his deep voice nearly unraveling her. It took every bit of strength in her not to tuck her head underneath his chin and give in to the moment. Instead, she focused her gaze on him again. “What if Dannicka tells everyone what you said? That we’re together?”

“I doubt anyone will believe one person’s gossip,” Simon said.

“Simon, we have to be careful,” she said.

“I can’t believe you remembered the song,” he said, changing the topic.

She blinked, thrown off by the sudden change in topic. “I can’t believe you remembered this song. I thought you hated music with lyrics.”

“I didn’t say I hated it,” he said, shaking his head. “I said it was a distraction.”