Dangerous Secrets (Montana Men #6)(47)

"Earth to Halley!" Carl said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.



       
         
       
        

Halley looked back at Carl, focusing on his features. "Sorry, I just realized something important," she told him and her eyes moved back to Mike. Sure enough, he was watching her. His family was still buzzing around him, but his whole focus was on her. Well, and Carl. Halley glanced at the man beside her, then back at Mike. With a laugh, she shook her head to Mike. His only response was an eyebrow going up. Obviously not believing her opinion of Carl's influence.

With a little shrug of her shoulder, her smile brightened. Mike was annoying, arrogant, and way too confident. But she loved him! Wow! She really, truly loved him! His reaction to her dancing tonight, yeah, that had been the clincher. He hadn't made fun of her dream. He was proud of her!

She tossed that around in her head for another few seconds, savoring the reality. Enjoying the fact that the man she loved wouldn't tease her about her love of ballet. What a stunning realization!

"Halley!"

Her eyes jerked back to Carl and she could see that he was irritated with her lack of attention. "Sorry," she said again, tilting her head down slightly even as she glanced over at Mike once more. "What were you saying?"

Halley tried. She really did! She just couldn't focus on whatever Carl was trying to say to her. Putting a hand on his arm, she shook her head. "I'd better grab my bag."

Carl's mouth fell open, he looked at the tall man who was now glaring back at him. Carl felt Halley's hand on his arm and wanted to grab her, take her out of here, and protect her from that man. "He's not good, Halley."

The woman of his dreams only laughed softly, the gentle sound drifting over his skin like a caress. "Mike wouldn't hurt me. Ever. He's strong and more than capable of protecting me."

Carl turned to glare at her. "He isn't the right man for you."

Halley had already started for the changing area, more than ready to get her stuff and leave so that she could be with Mike. She was startled by the vehemence in Carl's tone as well as the words. "That's funny because I just realized he's exactly the man for me." She paused, looking down but not at anything in particular. "He's been telling me that for weeks. Months, actually," she said, thinking of all the times he'd flirted with her, showed up at the coffee shop when she was there, at the diner or whatever social event was happening. He'd always been by her side … flirting. For so long, she'd thought he'd been teasing her and it had made her crazy. But … he'd been flirting with her. Trying to get her attention. Oh good grief, she'd been so blind! And even after she'd let … um … after Mike had pushed his way into her life, and her bed, she'd been too blind to realize what an amazing man he was. 

It took tonight, his reaction to her dancing, to help her understand. He was the best man in the world! And she loved him.

"I need to go," she said, not sure if she'd said that before. It didn't matter. She turned around again, but right before she stepped through the doorway, she looked back at Mike. He was leaning down, listening to something Sally was saying, but he was still watching her. She didn't understand the message in those green eyes, but she shivered, thinking about tonight, about being alone with him.

She couldn't wait!



Mike watched her carefully, that feeling that something was wrong hitting him between the eyes. He was distracted though. There was something different about her. Some change had come over her, relaxed her shoulders as well as the tension around her eyes. And she kept looking back at him, a softness about her lips.

Then it hit him! The change in her … she'd figured it out, he thought. Finally!

He wanted to move over to her and lift her into his arms, kiss her until she melted against him. She wouldn't resist him now. From the look in her eyes, she understood. Damn, it had taken her long enough.

So what was bothering him now? What was wrong?

Halley disappeared into the ladies' changing room and he was able to focus on something other than her. His eyes scanned the room, trying to determine where the danger was coming from. His eyes jumped to the man she'd been standing next to moments ago. He was still there, glaring right back at him.

"Hey Sally," he asked his sister, pulling her towards him but still maintaining eye contact with the other man. "Who is that guy?"

Sally turned, looking in the direction Mike was pointing. "Who?" she asked.

"The one in the tights," he replied with mild disgust. A man in tights. Please! He'd give the wimp a bit of slack because he'd made Halley look amazing, but … seriously! Tights? Okay, so ballet dancers, they wore tights. But the man seemed completely comfortable in them at the moment. Perhaps he liked them too much!