A curvy waitress appeared out of nowhere as the men finished their inaudible greetings. “What are we having?” she asked, slapping four small napkins onto the table.
“I’ll get this round,” Spencer said. “Two beers here. You guys?” he asked Caleb and Snow.
“Bud for me,” her husband said, then looked to her for an answer. She’d expected him to remember that she didn’t like beer, and this didn’t look like a wine sort of joint. “Water or soda?” he asked.
So he did remember. Snow said, “Water, thanks.”
The waitress melted into the crowd as Cooper yelled, “Come on, Lorelei. They’re playing our song.”
Spencer threw his hands in the air as his best friend tugged his woman onto the dance floor. Lorelei blew him a kiss seconds before Cooper spun her into the mass of rotating couples.
“You gonna let him take your girl like that?” Caleb asked Spencer, who didn’t look the least bit put out.
“She knows who’s taking her home.” He gestured toward the floor. “Don’t feel obligated to keep me company. Get on out there.”
Snow used to like Spencer.
“We’re good right here,” she said, straining to be heard over the music.
“Don’t be silly.” Caleb took her hands and, with a single tug, spun Snow until she was tucked against his side. “We’re here to dance, woman. Let’s do it.”
Against her will, and protesting all the way, Snow was pulled to the floor and maneuvered into the churning throng of dancers. She stumbled twice, but Caleb remained patient. “I told you,” she yelled. “I don’t know how to do this.”
He pulled her closer and said, “Follow my lead, darling. Just follow my lead.”
Her eyes locked with his, Snow stepped off with her right, and did her best to echo his movements. After a full turn around the dance floor without a single stumble, she smiled at her partner. “I’m doing it. I’m dancing.”
Caleb’s eyes turned dark. “Yes, you are.”
With their bodies so close together, Snow enjoyed the feel of Caleb’s thighs pressed to hers. And the flex of his biceps beneath her palm. As they made a second pass around, going much slower than the other dancers, she realized the flexing of another part of her husband’s anatomy.
“Sorry,” he whispered in her ear. “But you’re driving me crazy.”
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” she said, attempting to pull back. “I think it’s time to get off the floor.”
Her husband held tight, keeping his cheek against hers. “The song isn’t over yet.”
She nodded. “Right.” No wonder dancing this way had been frowned upon in high school. This was practically foreplay.
Pulling her in again, Caleb asked, “When can we leave?”
A voice in her head said, Not soon enough, but Snow ignored it. “We just got here,” she answered.
“Okay,” he said, his voice vibrating along her skin. “Fifteen more minutes.”
Chapter 15
After two more turns around the floor, Caleb escorted Snow back to their group to find a new person had joined the gathering. And from the looks of it, she was ready to give birth at any second. The mother-to-be stood between Spencer and Lorelei with her head bent to hear something the latter was saying. Their conversation ended with a nod before Lorelei turned to Snow.
“What happened to ‘I can’t dance’?” she asked.
His wife shrugged as he tucked in behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. There was no reason for the others to witness the effect Snow had on him.
“Caleb is a good lead,” she said, reaching for her water glass on the table. “How are you doing, Carrie?” she asked the pregnant woman. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
Carrie hefted herself onto a stool with Spencer’s help. “Lorelei convinced me to come. I think she expects me to hit the dance floor and jar this little girl into making an appearance.”
Lorelei dropped an arm across Carrie’s shoulders. “The munchkin needs to get out here already,” she said. “I’m dying to meet her.”
As if remembering herself, Snow said, “Oh, Carrie, this is Caleb.” He extended his hand in greeting, leaning close so the woman could stay upright on her stool. “Caleb is my fiancé,” she added, which was the first time she’d introduced him as such. The words sounded nice to his ears, making him think maybe they had skipped something important with the impromptu nuptials. “Caleb, this is Carrie Farmer.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said. “Congrats on the little one. Your husband must be thrilled.” The group hushed, and he knew he’d said something wrong, but wasn’t sure what.