By the time the bartender puts another bourbon root beer float together, Lucy isn’t on the porch.

I’m not surprised. After what just happened, I figure she probably doesn’t want to be alone with me, that she’s afraid of what might happen. She’s not the only one.

According to today’s standards, what happened out here was innocent, the kind of stuff most teens indulge in when they first start dating, yet if felt like the most erotic thing I’ve ever experienced. Just thinking about it is turning me on all over again.

If Lucy was anyone else, I’d know how to handle the situation. I’d invite her up to my room and the two of us would get busy continuing what had been started on the porch.

But Lucy isn't just anyone else.

The truth is I don’t know exactly what she is. In the short time I’ve known her, she’s become a friend, but I’ve never experienced this strong pull for any of my other friends. The women in my life have always fit neatly into one of two categories. They’re either friends or they’re lovers. The two have never crossed over before. I’ve never wanted one to, until Lucy.

With her, all the lines keep blurring.

I blow out a heavy sigh. Nothing is going to get resolved standing out here by myself. It’s going to take both of us to decide what we want to do next.

I fully expect to find Lucy running yet another ridiculous errand for Suzie.

Suzie is easy enough to find. She and Eli are having their picture taken near the buffet table, a move that I’m sure is thrilling their hungrier guests who are standing near the long tables, staring at the various steaming dishes with expressions of intense longing.

The person I don’t see is Lucy.

I spot her just as Christian leads her out on the dance floor, where several other couples have decided to dance along with the music the disc jockey is playing while they wait for food to be served.

The opening notes of Seeger’s We’ve Got Tonight float across the dance floor. Christian pulls Lucy close, wrapping one hand around her hand, looping his free arm around her waist and they slowly rock to and fro to the romantic ballad. He dips his head and says something to her, prompting her to shake her head.

I stand at the edge of the dance floor and watch them. Jealousy jabs at me. Lucy never looks quite so relaxed when she’s with me.

“Is she the one?” Vicky appears at my side, startling me.

“What do you mean?” I say, frowning.

“As a comedian, a large part of my job is watching people. Gauging their reaction so that I know how to make them laugh, and I’m good at it.” Vicky smiles thoughtfully and pushes her hair behind her ear. “The way you search for her whenever she’s not by your side. The way your body kind of seems to curve around her when she is. The expression on your face right now. Those are things men do when they’re in love. I’m just curious. Is it the kind of love that burns out after a couple of weeks, or is it the forever and always kind?”

“I have no idea,” I tell her.

Vicky studies me. Her own face is arranged into a thoughtful mask. “For what it’s worth, and realizing that I’ve only just met both of you, I think you’re really good together.”

“Thanks.”

The conversation and the way Vicky’s quiet gaze seems to probe at my deeper layers is making me antsy. I can’t just stand here and do nothing. I need to move.

“Excuse me,” I tell her even as I step onto the dance floor. “I’m going to rescue my girlfriend from your boyfriend.”

Vicky’s delighted chuckle rings in my ears as I make my way to the gently swaying couple.

I tap Christian on the shoulder.

“May I cut in?” The phrase sounds old fashioned to my ears, like Fred Astaire in the old black and white movies my mom and I used to watch late at night.

Before Christian responds, I wrap my fingers around Lucy’s elbow and gently extract her from Christian’s arms.

“Ryan.” Her eyes are the size of saucers. Her voice is breathless.

“Here.” I thrust the root beer float into her hand. “I got this for you.”

Damn it. I feel like I’m back in grade school and trying to talk to Rachel Powell, the adorable redhead I had a crush on at the time. Everything I say and do feels so awkward.

“Thank you.” She takes my offering, lifts the glass to her mouth and drinks.

I watch the way her long, graceful throat moves as she drains the contents. My hands curl into fists as my cock hardens. I had no idea that watching someone drink could be such an incredible turn on.

A thin line of ice cream decorates Lucy’s upper lip. She uses the back of her hand to wipe it away even as bright red spots appear in the center of her cheek.

I’m barely aware of more couples making their way onto the dance floor as the Bob Seeger song fades. An old Dean Martin standard flows through the sound system.

“Here, I’ll take that.” Smiling, Christian slips the empty glass from her fingers. “Have fun, you two.” He slaps my back as he sidles past me and goes in search of his own girlfriend.

“May I?” I ask, even as I take Lucy’s hand. My thumb rubs small circles across the back of it and I savor the feel of her soft, warm flesh against mine as I use my hold to draw her into my body.

Her lips part slightly and she nods as her hand settles on my chest above my heart and my arm finds the curve of her waist.

I hold her close, closer than is generally considered socially acceptable at a wedding, but I don’t care. I love how her body feels against mine as we begin to move to the rhythm of the music. No other woman has ever felt quite so good, so natural, when pressed up against me. Lucy’s a perfect fit.

Her warm breath fans across the hollow of my throat as I inhale the sweet, clean scent of her shampoo.

“Are you glad you came?” I murmur.

Lucy shrugs. “Right now I am.” Her voice is a low, sexy undertone that warms my blood.

Feeling both more content and more restless than I’ve ever felt in my life, I lean forward, dipping her low over my arm in a move I learned for a scene I shot two or three years ago. The scene was ultimately cut, but I still remember the move.

The sight of Lucy bent over my arm has my dick twitching.

My gaze slides down the graceful line of her throat and over the curve of her shoulders. Her breasts aren’t overly large, but the way she’s bent backwards pushes the soft swells against her neckline. They look like they’ll fit in the palms of my hands. I imagine how they’d swell as arousal courses through her body as the nipples harden at my touch.

My heart pounds and my hands shake as I tug at Lucy, pulling her hard into my body. Her hazel eyes shine as her gaze captures mine. She puts all the other women I’ve danced with over the years to shame.

Without sparing a moment’s thought to the possible consequences of my actions, I dip my head low.

Her lips part in anticipation of my crushing her mouth with mine, but I bypass them, aiming instead for her jaw. I outline it with a peppering of kisses as my hands rub slow circles on the small of her back.

Her body trembles against mine.

It’s more than I can take.

My hands spear into her hair as I cover her mouth with my own.

The feel of her mouth against mine sends shock waves through me. Bourbon mixed with root beer lingers on her lips, prompting me to lick the faint traces away as I encourage her to open for me.

Lucy doesn’t need much encouragement. She angles her head back and groans, the sound vibrating through my entire body as I deepen the kiss. Her small hand on my chest fists around my jacket as she stands on tiptoe, pressing her soft, warm body against mine.

I drop her hand, which I’ve been holding this entire time, so I can cup her ass and pull her firmly against my cock, rocking my erection against her pelvis as I deepen the kiss. Even with the several layers of clothes between us, the friction drives me wild.

I kiss her until my need for oxygen finally forces me to lift my head.

I stare down at her, the blood rushing through my ears as I wait to see how she responds.

Time seems to stand still as she slowly lifts her hand. The couples sharing the dance floor with us disappear, becoming nothing more than a blur of color and movement as my entire world and will narrows until Lucy isn’t just the center of it, but becomes my entire reason for being.

The warmth from her fingers sears my skin and soaks through my flesh until it seems to touch my very soul. I sigh and lean into the slight pressure. It takes every iota of self-control I possess to not reach out and haul her hard against my body as she stands on her tiptoes and gently presses a light kiss that tastes of root beer and bourbon to my lips.

The kiss is even more intoxicating than the booze I taste still lingering on her lips.

I should hold back. I’ve been in charge of things since the second I hauled Lucy up out of her chair at the coffee shop and kissed her, but well, the hell with it. I’ve wanted to kiss Lucy again, to savor her unique flavor, since I stopped kissing her that afternoon, and now that the opportunity has finally come up, I’m going to take full advantage.

Before she has a chance to pull away, to rebuild the walls of friendship that I blasted through, I thread my fingers through her silken hair and urge her closer. I lower my head, catching her soft sigh in my mouth as my lips cover hers and I kiss her the way that I’ve been fantasizing about since I first laid eyes on her.

A small sound of pleasure rumbles up from her throat and shoots straight through me, making my body hotter and harder than it’s ever been before.

I can’t get enough of her taste, her feel, her … essence. Just a few kisses and I’ve become completely addicted to her. I have no intention of quitting.

My hands slide downward, skimming along the span of her back, thrilling at the feel of her taut body before rounding the curve of her ass and sliding lower, making their way toward the hem of her skirt.

Lucy breaks the kiss and throws her head back, arching her body into mine as she gasps for air. Taking full advantage of the change, I trail a line of kisses along her jaw and down her throat, loving how each new touch of my lips triggers a sexy sigh or delightful tremor from Lucy.

“Yo!” I barely the amused masculine voice over the blood pounding in my ears. “Get a room.”

Lucy presses against my chest, and reluctantly I loosen my hold and put a little distance between us. I stare down into her beautiful eyes. They’re full of emotions and thoughts that I can’t begin to read.

I glance over my shoulder and see Christian and Vicky slow dancing a few feet to my left. Vicky’s face is buried in Christian’s chest, her shaking shoulders suggesting that she’s laughing so hard she’s about to cry. Christian is grinning at me.

“I’m serious,” he tells me. “There are kids here.” He points. “And they shouldn’t be seeing this, so get a room.” His gaze moves downward, taking in the way Lucy’s and my lower bodies are welded together. “And get it sooner rather than later.”

Vicky’s shoulders shake even harder as he dances her away from us.

“So.” I let out a shaky breath and tug on Lucy’s hair, using the pressure to lift her face so I can look into her beautiful eyes. “I think that sounds like good advice, don’t you?”

Lucy draws her lower lip between her teeth. Confusion dances across her face and I can all but hear the wheels turning in her head as she considers her options. The fact that she’s even thinking about leaving Suzie’s wedding and making the trek up to my room, to my bed, sends a surprised shiver of delight coursing through me.

Lucy’s eyes look everywhere but at me. I hold my breath. I can feel the moment slipping away and sense that it’s the last time Lucy will let down her guard, that she’ll never get close enough for another slip up.

Even worse, I have a sinking feeling that I’ve crossed a line and that the friendship that’s been blooming between us has been irrevocably damaged.

And that breaks my heart even more than the thought that she’s about to turn me down, because as much as I want to sleep with Lucy, I want her sweet smiles and shy presence in my life even more.

As sanity tinged with regret returns, I look around the hotel ballroom. All around us, couples sway with the music, but while their bodies may be moving, their eyes aren’t. Nearly every person’s gaze is locked on Lucy and myself. Some are admiring, some merely curious, others appear mildly scandalized. At the far end of the dance floor not far from the ballroom’s entrance, I see Suzie standing with her new husband. Beneath her heavy wedding day makeup, her skin is red and mottled. Despite the distance between us, I can feel the fury rolling off of her.

I shift my weight, moving my body slightly so I’m between Suzie and Lucy. There’s no doubt in my mind that Suzie will find a way to make Lucy pay for whatever slight she thinks has been made against her. Another thing to feel guilty about.

Just once, it’d be nice if I’d stop and fully consider all the possible outcomes of my actions before it’s too late to turn back.

When I crashed Suzie’s wedding, I’d done so because I thought Lucy deserved to see the fruit of all her hard work and I wanted to watch her relax and enjoy herself. It never occurred to me that Suzie would turn into a raving lunatic. Or that I’d give in to my weird need to kiss Lucy just one more time.

My attention returns to the stunning woman in my arms. I can’t decipher the emotions swirling in her hazel eyes.

“Luce, look. That was a …” I scramble to find the appropriate word. I can’t bring myself to call it a mistake or a slip up. “If you don’t want to continue… If you want to stay here and drink Suzie’s wine, and eat as much of her expensive food as we can hold, and dance the night away, I’m down with that.”

Lucy shakes her head and reaches out. She takes my hand and twines our fingers together before taking a deep, steadying breath. “I think,” she whispers, her voice so soft I lean closer in order to catch her words. “I think,” she repeats. “That I want to go with you.” She shakes her head. “No, that’s not right.”

My heart sinks and I start to draw away, sure I’m about to be rejected.

She draws a deep breath and squares her shoulders. Her steady gaze captures and holds mine. “I know I want to go with you,” she says in a soft, earnest voice.