Maizy the Bear Charmer(Diving Creek Ranch 16)(28)

With raised eyebrows, Maizy said, “I can’t imagine.”

Jayne crossed her arms over her chest and Maizy could see the certainty in her gaze. “But I know when I look into his eyes that he loves me more than his own life. Those women that proposition him? He doesn’t just turn them down, he tells them all about me, and how much he loves me. I’ve heard him do it. I think Cody, Heath, and Spencer could come to feel the same way about you, if they don’t already.”

Maizy looked from Jayne to Lucy and said, “I don’t know if it will work out but that’s what I want. I want someone who loves me just the way I am, not how I’d be if I lost fifty or sixty pounds, and who’s proud of me because I love to belly dance, not ashamed of me because of what it might mean to his job if anyone else found out.”

It was a fine line she walked. In essence wasn’t that her main worry—what the school board and school district would say if they found out she was entering a relationship with three men? It was happening so fast it made her head spin.

Grace returned to the table and Lucy said, “Is everything okay? What were you talking about?”

Grace sat back in her chair. “I wanted to make sure it was all right with Ben if we danced together. I knew he didn’t like it when we did that at the Pony. He said that the bears and the new guy, Ryan, would be keeping an eye on us. And evidently a certain sexy mind reader I love already called him to talk about it.”

Lucy scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Ethan called to give you permission to dance?”

Grace shook her head. “He did the opposite. He knew I wouldn’t dance because the guys aren’t here. He wanted us to have a good time.” Grace giggled. “He even made a song request. Ben told me I’d know it when I heard it.” There was no doubt that Ethan loved Grace, knew her well, and watched out for her even from a distance.

Maizy caught Cody watching her from the front, so damned sexy with his black hair tied back. He blew her a kiss and on impulse she reached up and mimed catching it. She couldn’t hear him but he burst into laughter before turning to a group coming in the door.

She looked over at Heath and giggled when he made a “you-and-me” gesture between them with his hand and then mimicked dancing together. She nodded. Warmth filled her and she turned to where Spencer had been earlier and found him gazing at her. He didn’t do anything else, like the other guys, but she saw the warmth that entered his eyes when she found him, the change that came over him. He was so big and strong, they all were, but there was something essential and safe about him that she was attracted to on a very earthy level. Grace had told her she thought he was a woobie, and then had gone on to explain that those comforting qualities were what defined a woobie.

The song changed and Grace suddenly cried out, “There it is!” as “Dayum, Baby” by Florida Georgia Line began to play. “I should’ve known.” She climbed from her chair and the others joined her. “Ethan caught me dancing to it a couple of nights ago.”

“By yourself?”

“Yeah, I was in my office writing and I got…inspired and he caught me.”

“What happened?” Maizy asked as Grace blushed a little more.

Grace laughed as she led the way. “Did I mention there’s a bed in my office?”

The girls laughed as they made a beeline for the dance floor and Maizy got to join them for her very first girl’s dance. They formed a circle on one of the outside corners of the dance floor, which also made it easy for Cody, Heath, and Spencer to see her, as well as the new bouncer, who she finally spotted watching them from several feet away.

The middle-of-the-road tempo was perfect for a sensual dance and the girls egged her on and she dusted off some of her basic belly dancing moves. It wasn’t the same without the costume and her jingling coin scarves but just moving like that, the sensual twist and shimmy of her hips and rolling of her shoulders and chest, was immensely freeing. She felt like one of them.

She had her hands in her hair as she rolled her hips and caught sight of Heath who had moved to within just a few feet of her. His eyes burned with pride and approval. Instead of shying away from his obvious interest, she used her arms and hand movements to entice him and actually succeeded in drawing him a little closer before he realized what she was doing and grinned at her.

The girls were watching her, too, and adding some of what she was doing into their dances. She spied Spencer near the DJ booth and directed her dance moves his way. The heat of his gaze was like a caress and she shimmied playfully, gaining a momentary smile from him, which made her feel like cheering.