The Spanish Love Deception

letting it hang in th

bo

nc

sitated. Not really sure

was just the way I automa

f the deal?" I

n fr

n. Just for show,

id-and I was pretty su

o. But a big part of me

so by the moment. So, b

f a lifeline I could grab

mess in

d, that frown disappea

y decision. "

tting his large palm wra

of an ide

y behind him, and my

unease. His hand was war

tingly even though I cou

trying to hold on to

how good of an idea

all group of people h

ped walking, turned, an

ly flagged this as a bad

ether I should run away o

idn't have to face wh

nc

eth

the man I had been ant

d

et bab

ound my waist, and I fel

y from the points where

, and something heavy

of my s

lted my head back. I

ll at once. And that se

tion thr

Aaron's chest-noticin

t unlike earlier tonight

let my hands rest there.

immediately cradled i

ere moving, almost ever

together. Aaron's moti

ere stiff an

ugh my nose, I tried to

ing. To calm that red-ho

ge of how close our bo

d making it impossible f

esides

ng. Bodies flushed. An

doing. A situation in w

er, shouldn't be finding

people who couldn't

cle with a swift motio

ng my heart quicken in

in

perfect for swaying

mooth rhythm. Ideal for

se's arms could bring. B

ng anything that resembl

and hard and

I tripped. Before I kn

e beat and tangled toget

to the floor if not for

dly around me-who

, feeling my face heat

. "And

so much in one single n

se

d around me. "Just fo

me even

nding in my body turne

ed, my heart raced,

eached my ears, strangl

a gurgle.

my face heat

s his thumb brushed

that left a tiny trail o

d to all corners a

lf that this was a sim

e body, being held by a

ms after all. So, either

mind. Because this fel

damn

hifted to my lips brief

it. It didn't matter th

as it had ever been and m

nstead details that I ha

e lips were, which I saw p

e long and dark and fram

d see the lines of the s

he spot where that frow

re re

t that one of my feet tr

p around my waist as he

sid

o be good at this, Cat

felt the air leaving h

xtra attention to how c

feet and answered almos

an

ooth motions spun us on

u

upposed to carry the

his head not giving up a

c in you

not red with embarras

done a worse job at dancin

ything to do with the m

t's my partner that'

low and short-lived, bu

arlier, leaving me a

gh my nose, trying to r

t. Because what an awful

omplished was filling my

very heady and very,

it, please, un

g something you are no

out of my h

a spectacular dancer."

ucceeded in distracting

lood stuff is nothing mor

ed Spaniards who can't fo

ve

ep leading then." His voi

ut just in case you belon

ered because what was

ious? I was doing a poor

danc

was physically imposs

re, for our bodies to c

bly low. His lips hovered

few things you don't k

rigid in response. A fl

om

mber that I was here to

on a little show at fight

r not, to everybody els

ome this kind of close

mp back,

on his hard chest with

re only managed to turn

ping and waving a

" Aaron asked, soundi

by the question-and the

o mind, "You said this

ms across his chest. "Bu

hing to do

s. Archibald so ril

his chest again, trying

n beneath all the layer

Archibald, huh?" I felt

me guess. Tonight was n

charitable qua

wasn

cougar magnet." I laug

ut a lit

y ear, rousing a wave of

astically bidding, if

" I mu

There had been many

e-interes

d me to be here?" Aar

I guess it all makes sens

ind of c

hat's

s scared of a bunch of

ant to buy h

back, spinning us into

teasing me?" he sai

r admit to such a thing

of a hair in his arms.

ina?" he asked very

a boat or having a ques

smile tugging at my l

you. I saw how tense y

and get out of there."

here ... it kind of ma

ion make you u

e brush of his jaw agai

an electrifying wave of

a woman's interest in m

n't send the

oice came out br

was sure he had needs

ling to think about wi

fted on my back, trail

f my face-no, my whol

ened around me

you," h

ords like soft puffs o

voice was bar

foot." I opened my mou

not being deterred by M

ncomfortable when she fou

s and spending a coupl

t his sigh on the skin on

suaded her

lot like protectivenes

ly, trying to make se

clearly messing with me

onsidering the amount th

sulky face when I beat h

had really been. "I'm al

ndure last year with t

for a charity that focus

poor guys. I'd adopt them

ell, I'd happily volunte

any

's what you want." Aaron

ay yes. Yes to the chanc

smile too. "You just

your m

ntered. "It's part o

nted hurt hit me again

e deal. That was Aar

k, revealing his face.

ing stupid for considerin

se he genuinely wanted t

.

h

ppened tonight was spi

ew and different ways I w

laughter. Dancing. My

then the fact that we wo

of a fe

ogether in knots tha

me, a strange emotion

r me to say something t

ook my head. "I would

ed to say. "I guess that

lled?" I didn't know if th

ld even check anything.

hat the fundraiser has

unchanging, "Nobody need

nyway.

n that searching way I

needs t

s friends, right?" That

even f

t to be, Catalina?" A

ien

did I? We had never b

me. That hadn't been o

g obstacle that had sto

n had put there, not me.

the other way around. It

Aaron." My palms felt c

used. "What kind o

der my words. "Yes

losed. We had stopped

n on Aaron's chest, dro

ething locked tightly be

his exp

" he said, his arms, whi

own. "This wa

y flinch, and I didn't

or what he'd

ront of each other, u

d dismissive in the past,

s if I had said som

nd place my hand on his

life of me, begin to fat

h I assumed was commo

hat this was us getting

ld s

t listening to sense th

that and I couldn't help

es or whatever they n

ctually stung. So much t

ng that

breath. "This is why I

y we have n

ke, and this was the r

of control whe

ice was unspeakably fla

he last thing

mine, felt like hail fa

in front of each other. P

one we had been in while we danced. Right before t

ur f

should hav

im, not knowin

he said, "I'll be back

ho

d and left me r

to th

didn't trust without the

against my chest. Feeling

ence and my head questi

less of how much I remi

th

ng at

ever bee

the same Aaron and L

mething that wo