Dance of Desire (1001 Dark Nights) (19 page)

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Authors: Christopher Rice

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“I second that,” Amber says. “But we did it. That’s all that matters. We did it.”

“You can say that again,” her mother says.

“I will. A whole bunch.”

“Also, I’ve got a present for you, sweetie,” her mother says. But she’s scanning the crowd, not reaching into her purse or revealing some gift bag she might have been hiding behind her back.

“I’m ready,” she says.

“An old friend of mine from Baylor knows little Mary’s aunt.”

“Wait.
Mary
Mary?”

“Yes, Joel’s Mary. Well, it turns out she’s not Joel’s Mary anymore. She already jumped ship for the drummer in some band that can actually get a gig. Joel apparently did a whole night of singing sad karaoke at some bar in Irving before they kicked him out.”

“Well, God bless ’em,” Amber says, toasting the air in front of her with her beer bottle. “God bless ’em both.”

One of the bands they’ve hired for the evening has been tuning up on stage for the last several minutes. But it’s Caleb who now takes the microphone. He clears his throat a few times.

“Alright, everyone. If I could just have your attention.”

There’s some whoops and applause from the crowd, but he quiets them with a wave of his hand.

“Now, I’m not sure if all y’all heard but as of today, Watson’s is under new management.”

The reaction inside is touchdown-at-a-Cowboys-game loud. And it goes on for several minutes as people clap and scream and war whoop.

“Wow,” Amber cries to her mother. “They really hated Joel.”

“Or they just love Caleb as much as you do,” her mother shouts back.

When the applause and the screaming finally die down, Caleb’s got a big smile on his face, but all he does is nod his head and touch the brim of his hat as if someone complimented him on his jeans. “Thank you. I appreciate it. And I can guarantee you, we’re gonna keep this place on track so it lasts another twenty-five, or hell, let’s make it
fifty
years being just the kind of place Abel Watson intended it to be.”

More applause. And then people start shouting other intervals of time. One hundred years, three hundred. It’s like a badly organized auction before Caleb silences it with a winning grin and an outstretched arm.

“Now, some of you may know my history with the Watson family is a long one. And if it hadn’t been for them, I’m not quite sure where I would have ended up. Certainly not here with all you fine people, making my head swell with all your rowdiness and attention. But I did something else this week. Something important. And I need to tell y’all about it, regardless of what you’re gonna think or what your opinions may be.

“See, a long time ago my parents died, and Abel Watson decided the best way he could take care of me was if he welcomed me into his family. So he adopted me. And that adoption probably saved my life. Today, though, things are a little bit different. You see, years ago… Well, let me put it this way. You ever know the minute you lay eyes on someone that they’re the one for you? I mean, you ever hear someone’s voice and think, that’s the voice I want to wake up to for the rest of my life even if she’s yelling at my lazy ass to get out of bed and get to work.”

Peals of laughter and a few whoops of agreement come up from the crowd. But Amber’s heart is in her throat as he continues. This is the moment she’s feared almost as much as losing him—the moment when they stop ducking questions about whether or not their relationship has changed.

She expected him to make some sort of speech, and they’d agreed that tonight they’d stop hiding. But she’s not sure if she’s ready for him to be this specific and detailed. At least not in front of this many people. People who might already be judging them silently; people who will now have the chance to judge them out loud.

“Well, that’s how I felt the first time I laid eyes on Amber Watson,” he says.

The roar that comes up from the crowd is almost as loud as the one that greeted his announcement Watson’s was under new management. And just like that, all her feelings of anxiety lift, carried away by the full-voiced joy and support of people who’ve only wanted the best for her.

He waits for it to die down again, then he says, “So, when I tell you that I went and had my adoption nullified, it’s not because Abel Watson wasn’t a good man and it’s not because the Watsons aren’t the most important people in my life and always will be. It’s because years ago, before my parents died and before Abel took me in, Amber and I realized we were fated to be something else for each other. And every day since then, we’ve just been delaying the inevitable. And that’s why I’d like to remind her that I love her. That’s why I’d like me and her to be the first official dance of the new Watson’s.”

“Wipe your face, honey,” her mother says.

“What?” Amber says. “I didn’t wear any makeup ’cause I knew he’d do this.”

Her mother reaches into her purse and hands her a tissue. Amber walks through the crowd, cheering faces on all sides of her, and then, once she’s a few feet away, Caleb jumps off the edge of the stage and lands on the dance floor, arm out, ready to take her for a spin.

“Toldja I’d give you this dance, Amber Watson,” he says once she’s close enough to hear him.

“You sure did, Caleb Eckhart. You sure did.”

“You ready, baby.”

“So ready,” she says.

He takes her outstretched hand and grips her waist. She panics for a moment when she realizes she doesn’t know if they’re about to waltz or two-step or what. But once the music starts none of that matters. The only dance that matters is one she does with him.

* * * *

Also from 1001 Dark Nights and Christopher Rice, discover
The Flame
,
The Surrender Gate
,
Kiss the Flame
, and
Desire & Ice
.

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1001 Dark Nights story

The First Night

by Lexi Blake & M.J. Rose

Turn the page for a full list of the

1001 Dark Nights fabulous novellas...

Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

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HIDDEN INK
by Carrie Ann Ryan

A Montgomery Ink Novella

BLOOD ON THE BAYOU
by Heather Graham

A Cafferty & Quinn Novella

SEARCHING FOR MINE
by Jennifer Probst

A Searching For Novella

DANCE OF DESIRE
by Christopher Rice

ROUGH RHYTHM
by Tessa Bailey

A Made In Jersey Novella

DEVOTED
by Lexi Blake

A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

Z
by Larissa Ione

A Demonica Underworld Novella

FALLING UNDER YOU
by Laurelin Paige

A Fixed Trilogy Novella

EASY FOR KEEPS
by Kristen Proby

A Boudreaux Novella

UNCHAINED
by Elisabeth Naughton

An Eternal Guardians Novella

HARD TO SERVE
by Laura Kaye

A Hard Ink Novella

DRAGON FEVER
by Donna Grant

A Dark Kings Novella

KAYDEN/SIMON
by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

A Bayou Heat Novella

STRUNG UP
by Lorelei James

A Blacktop Cowboys® Novella

MIDNIGHT UNTAMED
by Lara Adrian

A Midnight Breed Novella

TRICKED
by Rebecca Zanetti

A Dark Protectors Novella

DIRTY WICKED
by Shayla Black

A Wicked Lovers Novella

A SEDUCTIVE INVITATION
by Lauren Blakely

A Seductive Nights New York Novella

SWEET SURRENDER
by Liliana Hart

A MacKenzie Family Novella

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Liliana Hart's MacKenzie Family

Desire & Ice

A MacKenzie Family Novella

By Christopher Rice

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I'm so thrilled and grateful New York Times bestseller Liliana Hart allowed me to reference characters from her MacKenzie Family stories here in DANCE OF DESIRE. If you'd like to find out how Caleb's buddy Danny Patterson got together with his new fiancée, buy DESIRE & ICE: A MacKenzie Family Novella, now available from all retailers. Here's a taste!

* * * *

She'd just give him one little kiss. Something to warm them, distract them and tide them over until they could be alone with all these explosive new feelings.

The next thing she knew she was on her back, their mouths locked, tongues finding their mutual rhythm. The thoughts flying through her head told her this was stupid, wrong. So what if he wasn't her student anymore, hadn't been for years.

They were still trapped. They should be watching the door, the window. They should be doing anything other than discovering they kissed like they were born to kiss each other. He broke suddenly, gazing into her eyes, shaking his head slowly as if he as if he were as dazed by this sudden burst of passion as she was.

"I think…" he tried, but lost his words.

"What do you think, Danny?"

"I think if we just keep our eyes on the door, we'll be fine."

"Okay."

Was he putting the brakes on? She wasn't sure. It was the most sensible thing to do, that was for sure. He slid off her and sat up, back against the wall, eyes on the door. She did the same. But he curved an arm around her back and brought her body sideways against his. It was awkward at first, but then he positioned her so that she was lying halfway across his lap.

"Now that I'm watching the door," he said, unbuttoning the top few buttons of her blouse, "I think we'll be fine."

"Oh, yeah?"

He brought his fingers to his mouth, moistened them with his tongue, then dipped them between the folds of her shirt. Slowly, he wedged them under the cup of her bra. When he found her nipple underneath, he said, "Yeah. Just fine."

In an instant, her body was flush with goose bumps.

Eyes on the door, his gun within reach, he circled her nipple with his moistened fingers. His precision and restraint combined to make her wet in other places as well. She'd seen the passion in his eyes, a youthful crush that had matured into a man's desire. But now, he was willing to delay his own gratification so that he could protect her and pleasure her at the same time.

"Let me give you a little help there," she whispered.”

On behalf of 1001 Dark Nights,

Liz Berry and M.J. Rose would like to thank ~

Steve Berry

Doug Scofield

Kim Guidroz

Jillian Stein

InkSlinger PR

Dan Slater

Asha Hossain

Chris Graham

Pamela Jamison