As the conversation wound down, they walked into the ballroom and Kiley continued to marvel at the elaborate decorations. Dark green holly ringed gold-and-silver tapers that served as centerpieces on the round banquet tables, which were covered with pristine white tablecloths. But it was the fifteen-foot Douglas fir Christmas tree in one corner at the front of the room that caused her to catch her breath. It was huge, perfectly shaped and decorated with thousands of blue twinkle lights. A huge silver loopy bow served as a tree topper, its wide ribbon streamers cascading elegantly down over the branches. The effect was stunning.
Kiley enjoyed listening to the conversation at their table throughout dinner. They were seated with Piper and Ryan, Alex Santiago and his fiancée, Cara Windsor, and Josh’s twin, Sam, and his wife, Lila. The brothers entertained them all with stories of how they had traded places in a variety of situations and the many pranks they pulled on their friends. And Ryan shared some humorous anecdotes about his days on the rodeo circuit. Alex seemed rather quiet throughout the evening, but that was understandable. He still suffered from amnesia and had no memory of his childhood or past events, but he did seem to enjoy listening to his friends tell about their antics.
Sitting beside her, Piper leaned close. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Absolutely,” Kiley answered. “I love my daughter more than life itself, but I hadn’t realized how much I missed social situations and adult conversation.” Smiling, she asked, “How about you? Still feeling like a fish out of water?”
Piper laughed. “I’ve never been a ‘girlie’ girl by any stretch of the imagination, but dressing up and pretending to be one isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
When Ryan claimed Piper’s attention, Alex Santiago smiled at her from across the table. “I hear you are doing amazing things at the day care center.”
“I’m not sure how amazing it is, but I love what I do,” Kiley answered, smiling back. “The children’s Christmas program is next week. We’d love to have you join us if you’re feeling up to it.”
“I think I would like that,” Alex said, looking thoughtful.
As Alex turned to greet a fellow TCC member, Josh’s twin brother, Sam, spoke up. “In a couple of years we’ll be needing the services of the day care center for our twins.”
“Even if I decide I’m not going to go back to work, I’ll probably need the respite.” Lila laughed. “Especially if they’re anything like Sam.”
When the band started playing, Kiley and Josh sat in companionable silence for a time as they listened to the music. But when the singer introduced a slow song, Josh smiled as he rose to his feet and held out his hand. “Would you like to dance, honey?”
“I haven’t danced in so long, I’ve probably forgotten how,” she answered, laughing as she placed her hand in his.
“It’s just like riding a bicycle,” he said, leading her out onto the dance floor. “Once you learn, you never forget.”
As he took her in his arms and placed his hand at her back, Kiley’s heart skipped a beat and her knees threatened to give way. The feel of his warm palm caressing the skin exposed by the low-cut back of her gown was intoxicating and caused a longing within her stronger than anything she could have ever imagined.
“We’ll have to do this again sometime.” He pulled her close to whisper in her ear. “Although I have recently discovered there’s a lot to be said for staying in on Saturday nights.”
His breath feathering over her ear and the heat from his hand on her back reminded her of just how long it had been since she’d been held by a man as they danced, how much she missed the closeness. She briefly wondered if anyone watched them, but everything around them seemed to fade into nothingness as she stared into Josh’s heated gaze.
“Y-You really like eating in front of the television and watching cartoon movies?” she asked, hoping to distract herself from the heat swirling throughout her body.
Shrugging, he smiled. “Watching the show with the pony princess is a lot of fun. But it really starts to get interesting after she’s gone to bed and I get to hold and kiss her enticing mother.”
The evidence of his rapidly hardening body pressed to her stomach made her feel as if her insides had been turned to warm pudding and she found herself clinging to him for support. “Josh—”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Kiley,” he said, his expression turning serious. “I want you and nothing would please me more than to take you home, get you out of this slinky black dress and sink myself so deep inside of you that we both forget where you end and I begin. But that isn’t going to happen unless it’s what you want, too.”