After the Christmas Party(7)
“Ha. Tell me something I don’t know.” She was an expert on that particular mess. Chase had worked as the IT manager for the hospital where she’d worked in Memphis. She knew all about dealing with messes. Especially when he’d made their break-up so public.
“You’ll have to explain that comment,” Riley commented close to her ear.
“Not likely.” Because she had no intention of ever telling anyone in Pensacola of her humiliation. She’d come to forget things, not to rehash them.
His hold at her waist tightened a fraction. “You’re a really private person, aren’t you?”
None of her personal business had been private in Memphis. Chase had dumped her for another woman in front of the whole Christmas party. He’d been drunk and had…She grimaced, not letting the memories take hold. “Generally, I prefer to blend in than be center stage. If that means I’m a really private person, you’re right.”
He pulled back enough to stare into her face. “Funny, because when I look at you I can’t picture you anywhere but center stage.”
His kind words sounded so sincere that her knees threatened to buckle. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and…actually, her arms were around his neck. She leaned closer, breathed in his musky scent.
He pulled back, stared into her eyes. “You’re a leading lady, Trinity. You could never blend into the background.”
Heat infused her face and she started to point out that earlier tonight she’d blended in quite well until he’d made an entrance into her life. Now lots of people were looking at her and trying to figure out why he was dancing with her. Didn’t they know? Tonight she was the life of the party. Tomorrow she’d go back to the real world.
“You’re smooth with the lines, Casanova.”
His hand moved across her lower back, holding her close. “No Casanova and no lines. Honest. I’m just telling you the truth. You’re a beautiful woman.”
“I think you’re a player.”
“You think wrong.”
The woman’s comment about her being tonight’s lucky pick ran through her mind. “You’re telling me you’re as pure as snow?” She gave him a skeptical look. “I’m not buying it.”
“Not sure how pure snow is these days but no one would label me as pure anyway other than my mother, who thinks I hung the moon, of course.” He winked.
Trinity rolled her eyes. “Okay, snowflake.”
Her nickname obviously caught him off guard and he stared at her a moment then shook his head, laughter shining in his eyes. “I enjoy spending time with the opposite sex and I’m no saint, but you can call me ‘Snowflake’ if you want to. But for the record, I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
“No red-blooded man ever does.”
“Suspicious little thing, aren’t you?” He grinned. “Fortunately, I’m an open book and you don’t have a quiz in the morning. So how about for the rest of the night you don’t analyze this and just enjoy yourself?”
“With you?”
He tightened his hold at her waist. “That was the idea. I’d be very disappointed if you left me to enjoy yourself with someone else.”
Despite her uncertainty, the giddy feeling was still inside her so she just shrugged as if she couldn’t care less one way or the other. “So long as you don’t suggest we sing karaoke.”
That naughty look twinkled as brightly as the colored lights adorning the Christmas tree in the corner of the ballroom. “Too bad, because my number is coming up two songs from now and I plan on you joining me.”
“You plan wrong.”
He reached into his dress pants pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “Due to the time constraints, the Christmas committee had interested parties draw numbers earlier this evening.” He waggled his brows. “This interested party got a winning number.”
“I’d ask if you ever don’t win, but having to get up in front of all these people and sing doesn’t sound like a prize.” Grimacing, she glanced at the duo currently belting out a number. “Not a good one, at any rate.”
He laughed and touched his finger to her nose. “You’re funny, Trinity. I like that.”
“Not really.” She wasn’t funny. She hadn’t been since…since Chase had broken her heart and she’d withdrawn into her shell, trying to protect her tender inside.
Why had she done that? Why had she let him steal so much from her? Why was she still letting him steal so much of her life? For goodness’ sake, she had moved to a beach town because she’d assumed the locals wouldn’t put so much emphasis on a holiday associated with snow. Pathetic.