Project Runaway Bride(22)

Because of that, she couldn’t stop. Not yet.

Besides, it was just dinner. And takeout, at that, not some romantic, candlelit meal at an upscale French restaurant. Just a carton of sweet-and-sour chicken, a couple glasses of wine and some comfortable, friendly conversation that was about something other than the wedding or Zaccaro Fashions.

Reid arrived with a firm knock, and butterflies she definitely shouldn’t have been feeling unfurled in her belly, spreading to all of her other extremities.

As soon as she opened the door, he looked her up and down, his gaze raking over her like a touch. Warmth enveloped her, turning her feverish in an instant.

Maybe she was actually coming down with something. Because having this sort of reaction to Reid was wrong and not typical of her at all. She was normally so levelheaded, so steadfast. Yet being near Reid McCormack made her feel anything but.

Smiling as he brushed past, he moved to the sofa in the middle of the room and sank down, unloading the paper sack one white-and-red container at a time. Juliet collected utensils and the wine before joining him.

It was the most natural thing in the world, settling beside him. Except for the little shocks of electricity zinging through her bloodstream and raising every hair on her body. Which only intensified when their knees touched.

The breath caught in her chest, making it hard to swallow. She only hoped he didn’t notice the tremor of her fingers as she poured their wine.

In an effort to get herself under control, she closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, then let the air out again as her lashes fluttered open. Reid was mere inches away, staring at her intently, and the oxygen got trapped in her lungs all over again.

“How about some music?” he asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

Before she had a chance to reply, he got up from the sofa and moved unerringly to the table in front of the windows that overlooked the street below. Along with a number of other random items she and her sisters kept there was an iPod and a dock with speakers.

The only problem was, it was Zoe’s iPod. That didn’t bode well for Reid finding a song that wouldn’t split their eardrums or send them into seizures, since Zoe’s current tastes tended toward psychedelic club beats.

To Juliet’s surprise, though, he did some searching of her sister’s playlists and came up with a beautiful, classical instrumental piece that filled the loft with romantic calm.

The calm part was good and much appreciated.

The romantic, she was afraid would be her downfall.

Reid returned to the sofa, and for the next thirty minutes they made small talk while they ate. Well, he made small talk. Juliet mostly nodded or offered short answers when appropriate.

She felt like a plastic doll, stiff and only able to move when someone stood behind her and lifted her limbs one by one.

Could he tell how uncomfortable she was? Or that she was only uncomfortable because she was too comfortable around him?

She could barely swallow the bites of food she put in her mouth and forced herself to chew, because what she wanted to do after they finished eating was lean into him and curl up at his side with her arms wrapped tightly around him.

“Finished?” Reid asked suddenly, jarring her from her wayward thoughts.

She looked down at her plate, realizing it was mostly empty. Only a small amount of rice and vegetables remained, but she knew without a doubt that she wouldn’t be able to get the rest down, no matter how hard she tried.

She put her fork down across the plate, which he took from her and set on the coffee table. Then he pushed to his feet and held a hand out to her.

“Let’s dance.”

Juliet’s heart sputtered in her chest as duty warred with desire. Oh, how she wanted to, even though she knew she shouldn’t.

But he didn’t give her a choice. Reaching down, he grasped her fingers and hauled her up. She went into his arms like water flowing in a stream—smooth and easy, the most natural thing in the world.

For the span of a single breath, he held her there, firm against the solid wall of his chest. The warmth of his skin permeated his pressed white dress shirt and her satin dress, and nestled deep inside her, where she hadn’t even realized she was cold. It was lovely.

She nearly closed her eyes and sank even closer to him, wanting the moment to last forever. But then he stepped back, just a whisper, and she was dragged from the enchanting yet imaginary cocoon.

Tugging her around the end of the sofa, he pulled her into the large open space near the windows. The sun was going down, turning the light outside to a smoky gray with hints of orange and lavender.

Music spilled from Zoe’s iPod, the beautiful strains putting Juliet in mind of long, flowing gowns, tailored black tuxedoes and a ballroom full of couples moving about the dance floor in perfect synchronicity.