Chapter Nine

Three days after Lilly lost her freaking mind and kissed Lincoln in her office, she stood in the large ballroom of Enchanted Dance. The locally owned dance studio catered to everyone, from toddlers all the way up to adults. The sisters who owned and ran the studio for the past three decades provided classes in many styles of dance, from tap to ballet, hip-hop to belly dancing, and, of course, ballroom.

Mile High Happiness had worked out a contract with the studio to provide a free class to all their couples. It benefited both companies. They were able to offer their brides and grooms a free dance lesson, something most people jumped at when they were preparing for a formal event where the first dance tended to be a big thing, and the studio saw a boost in enrollment, as many couples signed up for a few more classes to polish their moves for the big day.

Tonight, the class was filled with various couples, Kenneth and Marie, a few members of their wedding party, and her. Normally Lilly didn’t attend the free dance night, but Marie had insisted she come, and she was finding it hard to resist anything the sweet bride requested. Which was why she found herself in her favorite yellow sundress, smiling as she watched her clients try to waltz across the dance floor. Poor Kenneth had two left feet and kept stepping on Marie’s toes, but the woman didn’t seem to mind. If the smile on her face was any indication, Marie thought her fiancé hung the sun and moon. Who would mind a little toe smashing with a guy who could do that?

Her gaze wandered the crowd of dancers on the floor, landing on a certain man who inspired something a bit more earthy than the deep, abiding love she spied between Kenneth and Marie.

Lincoln Reid. Lust inspirer.

Heat still rose on her cheeks whenever she thought of the brazen way she’d pushed him against her office wall and taken his mouth. It hadn’t been a gentle kiss. No softness or romance, but a demanding claim of her body declaring she wanted more. Even though her mind knew it was a bad idea.

Bad decisions make great stories.

Her roommate’s favorite saying. But Mo didn’t have to deal with Lilly’s bad decision or the raging case of need it awakened in her. Dammit! She never should have kissed Lincoln. Again. The man was a potent keg of sexual dynamite. How could she have forgotten that one touch only made her crave more? She blamed her weakness on the constant nearness. But that was a lie. Even when she had zero contact with the man, she still wanted him, dreamed about him, desired him.

Unfortunately, the man in question harbored no such difficulties where she was concerned, if his current situation was anything to judge by. Something dark and ugly and suspiciously close to jealousy burned in her gut as Lilly watched Lincoln dance with the maid of honor, laughing at something the small, delicate woman said.

Not fair. Lilly wasn’t one to judge another woman on her appearance. Besides, Lincoln was a few inches taller than her, until she put heels on. At five foot eight, she towered over most women and a number of men she’d dated. It never bothered her, but many of her dates called it quits the moment she rose from the table. She was a tall woman who liked even taller heels, so what? She didn’t mind being taller than her date; unfortunately, many of them minded being shorter than her.

“Excellent form, Mr. Reid,” Piper Phelps, one of the owners and tonight’s instructor, praised Lincoln. “You must have taken dance before.”

His lips curled. “My parents enrolled me in cotillion classes as a child.”

Of course they had. The only thing Lilly’s mom had ever enrolled her in was after-school care so she could have more time with her latest boyfriend. Lincoln had the perfect childhood with the perfect parents, making him the perfect man.

No!

He wasn’t perfect. He liked role-playing games. She wasn’t one to judge, but she could never get into that dragon-and-elf-type fantasy play. And he drank pumpkin spice lattes! Two people who didn’t share hobbies or interests didn’t last long, in her experience. That went on the noncompatible side of her list. The side that was sorely lacking but she was determined to fill.

The maid of honor laughed again at something Lincoln said, causing Lilly’s gut to churn. Salacious flirt. There—she could add that to the list of why Lincoln Reid was a bad bet. Mr. No Relationships was probably trying to carry out the tired, old bang-the-maid-of-honor routine.

“She’s married.”

Lilly turned at the voice, startled to see Marie standing beside her. When had the woman left the dance floor? She’d been so focused on Lincoln, she’d lost sight of her bride- and groom-to-be. How unprofessional. Various forms of shame filled her, but she pasted a smile on her face as she asked, “Pardon?”

Marie tilted her head, short black hair held back with a beautiful silver headband. “Rachel.” She indicated Lincoln’s dance partner with a nod. “My matron of honor. She’s married. To Leticia.”

She had no idea where the woman was going with this, so she simply smiled brighter.

“I only mention it because you look like you want to scratch her eyes out for dancing with Lincoln.”

Lilly sputtered, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for her obvious staring. “O-Oh, no. I wasn’t…” Nothing. She had absolutely nothing. “It’s not like that.”

Marie smiled, stepping closer to her side to speak in hushed tones as she stared at the couples on the dance floor. Specifically, Lincoln. Forcing Lilly to do the same.

“Really? Because I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

Crap! Had she been that obvious? The last thing she needed was to get into another heap of trouble with a bride over a member of the wedding party. She’d assumed she had her thoughts and reactions to Lincoln under wraps.

“And,” Marie continued, “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

Now the woman had her curious. She knew how she felt about Lincoln, sort of. There were a lot of confusing feelings and emotions, but she got the gist. Or her body did, anyway. But other than his desire for another roll in the sack, she had no idea how he felt about her.

Unable to stop the question from leaving her lips, Lilly turned her head to the other woman and asked, “How?”

The bride-to-be kept her focus on her friend on the dance floor, but a small smile played on her lips as she bypassed the question. “I love Lincoln. He’s my best friend after Kenneth. Like a brother to me. He’s been at our side through thick and thin. He was a rock for both me and Kenneth when I got sick and was going through chemo, always there to make me smile or hold me when I cried. He even held Kenneth a time or two. He’s our family.”

She understood that. Maybe not to the depths that those three experienced, but she, Mo, and Pru had been through a lot together. Death and heartbreak had touched their lives, and she and her friends had always been there for one another. She understood the bond Marie felt to Lincoln.

“He had a rough patch himself a few years ago.”

Lincoln? Always smiling and joking, carefree Lincoln had a rough patch? She couldn’t see it. The man breezed through life like he didn’t have a care in the world. Like he wore some kind of bad-news Teflon coating. She couldn’t imagine the cheerful guy experiencing a dark period.

C’mon, Lil. Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. You know that, even if Mo doesn’t.

Yes, she had firsthand knowledge of the misery life could throw a person’s way. Naive of her to think Lincoln lived a life of carefree bliss. The man had a close friend who beat cancer. Of course he’d had some dark moments. But somehow she knew Marie wasn’t speaking of Lincoln’s reaction to her own illness.

“What happened?” The question was out of her mouth before she could really think about it. She didn’t need to know more about this man. Knowing more would make him more human, more…appealing. But she couldn’t seem to stop her curiosity from getting the better of her.

“Not my story to tell.” Marie’s gaze was still fixated on Lincoln, though her smile slipped a little. “But it scared him off relationships and love. He hasn’t dated much since. Or smiled.” The woman’s head turned to her, eyes considering. “But when he looks at you, I see it again.”

She held her breath. “What?”

The smile returned to the bride’s face, bright this time, hopeful. “Happiness.”

Well, damn.

“I like you, Lilly. You’re sweet and kind, and I know we’re paying you, so it might all be an act, but I don’t think it is.” Marie tilted her head, staring with those dark, knowing eyes. “You care.”

Her head bobbed up and down of its own accord. It was true. She did care. Not just about making a paycheck but about her clients. Even the ones she knew were doomed to fail. Those she sometimes cared about more because she could see the disaster coming but felt powerless to do anything about it. All she could do was give them the day of their dreams and hope things worked out in the end.

“He’s a great guy,” Marie continued. “And he deserves a great woman.”

Did the bride-to-be mean her? And if she did, what did that mean for Lilly’s no-dating-members-of-the-wedding-party rule? The last disaster happened because she’d kept her relationship a secret. At the request of the guy. Stupid. That should have been her first red flag, but she’d been blinded by her emotions and hadn’t been using her head. Mistake number two.

But this situation was different. The bride herself seemed to be pushing the two of them together. She was fairly certain Marie was still unaware of Lilly and Lincoln’s one-night stand. If the woman did know, would she be more or less eager to help make this match? And what was that thing Marie said about heartbreak? Could it have something to do with Lincoln’s distaste of long-term relationships?

It’s not like they shared much of their lives the night they were together, but the thought of Lincoln having a secret made her gut clench. The last secret a guy kept from her almost destroyed her and those she loved.

Her head was spinning, and she hadn’t even participated in any of the twirls or spins currently being demonstrated on the dance floor.

In the end, none of it mattered. Whatever tragic event happened in Lincoln’s past had pushed him away from meaningful relationships. He had mentioned a time or two not being big on long-term commitment. Their night together might have been a first for both of them, but it seemed Lincoln was more Netflix and Chill, whereas Lilly was Hulu and Commitment.

Their relationship goals didn’t match. Probably the biggest marker on her list proving their paper match was a no go, which should make her happy. Then what was this sharp twinge of sadness filling her chest?

“Hey, sweetheart, sorry about that.” Kenneth arrived at Marie’s side, kissing her cheek as he slipped his cell phone into his pocket. “My mom had a few questions about the rehearsal dinner.”

So that’s why the two had left the dance floor. At the reminder of why she was really here—to work, not to ogle a man she shouldn’t want—Lilly turned her smile to Kenneth. “Anything I can help with?”

Other than recommendations for venues and sometimes bookings, the rehearsal dinners were largely left up to the couple, as most in-laws handled that aspect of the wedding. Since the wedding was being held outside of the city in the mountains, Kenneth’s parents had contacted Lilly a month ago to garner suggestions, and she’d provided the couple a few of the best caterers in the area.

“Nope.” Kenneth smiled at her. “Mom just wanted to make sure she had the head count right.” He nuzzled his fiancée’s ear. “You ready to get back out there?”

Marie giggled, her shoulder raising as Kenneth gave her tiny love nips along her neck. The moment was so intimate that Lilly turned her eyes back to the dance floor to give the couple a bit of privacy. Nothing she wasn’t used to. Soon-to-be married couples were often so in love, so wrapped up in their own happiness, they tended to forget other people were in the room with them. A tiny love bite was nothing compared to the few instances where a couple’s PDA had gotten so out of control she actually had to audibly remind the couple she stood a few feet away.

“Actually,” Marie answered, “I need to talk to Rachel about the bachelorette party. Can you go grab her for me?”

Like the lovesick puppy he was, Kenneth placed a kiss to his fiancée’s cheek and hurried off to do her bidding. Lilly watched as he weaved among dancing couples to reach Lincoln and Rachel’s side, tapping his friend on the shoulder and sharing a few words. When the man pointed their way, Rachel smiled, nodding and giving Lincoln a hug. A very friendly and long hug, in Lilly’s opinion.

Married, Lilly. To a woman. Get your ugly jealous head out of your ass.

Ugh! She needed help.

Kenneth hurried back over with Rachel, the woman spotted Lilly and smiled.

“Hi, Lilly. How’s it going?”

She’d met Rachel at the bridesmaid dress fitting a few weeks ago. They hadn’t conversed much, but she was very nice and seemed genuine. Which made Lilly feel all the more awful for her petty and completely unwarranted jealousy.

“Hello, Rachel. I’m doing fine. You looked beautiful out there.”

Lilly had two left feet, and neither of them could dance a step.

“Thanks. I met my wife line dancing. We still go every Friday night.”

“Excuse me.” Marie grabbed her friend’s hand. “I need to steal my matron of honor for a moment.” A sly smile overtook the bride-to-be’s face. “Oh dear, it looks like Lincoln is all alone out there. Lilly, why don’t you go dance with him?”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t.” Not if she wanted to keep her distance—and her clothes on.

“Don’t be silly,” Marie insisted. “He needs a partner. You can’t leave him out there by himself.”

Her logic was sound, but Lilly smelled a setup. Especially after the conversation they’d just had. No way was Marie pushing her toward Lincoln just so the guy wouldn’t be alone on the dance floor.

“Kenneth, will you take her over there, please?”

“Babe,” Kenneth whispered into Marie’s ear, just loud enough for Lilly to catch his hesitation. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, after—”

“It’s fine, honey.” Marie batted her eyes at her fiancé, who looked slightly apprehensive but agreed to her request.

“Come on.” Kenneth gently took her arm and started to lead her across the room, weaving her among the twirling couples.

“Oh, but I—”

Her protests were cut off as they arrived in front of the man in question.

“Hey, Lincoln.” Kenneth glanced back to Marie with a puzzled frown but, at her wave, turned back and smiled at his friend. “I found you a new dance partner.”

“Did you now?”

Pale hazel eyes lit up, a smile curving Lincoln’s lips as he stared directly into her eyes. With their minimal height difference and her three-inch heels, they were on even footing. She might even be a half inch taller than him. Didn’t seem to bother the man one bit. He stood there, grinning at her like a fool. No. Not a fool. Like a predator about to devour his prey. And at the moment, she felt very much like prey. An offering by a sweet but meddling woman in love. Why did people in love always try and set up everyone they knew? Just because they were happy and lucky in love didn’t mean everyone else would be, too.

A buzzing sound came from Kenneth, and he dropped her arm to dig his phone out of his pocket.

“It’s my mom again. I better take this.” He brought the phone to his ear, leaving the dance floor with a wave. “Hey, Mom. What? No. Cousin Barry is allergic to shellfish, not peanuts.”

Lilly stared after Kenneth as he left, her attention catching on Marie talking to Rachel. The woman noticed her stare and smiled, giving her a wink and thumbs-up. Very different energy than the weird vibe coming off Kenneth as he led her over here. It seemed not everyone was on the Lilly-and-Lincoln train. In all the months she’d known the couple, this was the first thing she’d seen them not 100 percent agree on. The realization left a sick sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.

She turned back to Lincoln to find him smiling at her, a question filling his soft gaze. One she had precisely zero answer to. She was trying to be strong in resisting him, but she had about fifty-fifty support and opposition from the people around her right now, and the even split was not helping her give a firm no or yes either way.

Because if she gave this man her body again, she feared she just might lose her heart.