Page 70 of Keep On Loving You
Chapter Twenty-Three
A trickleof sweat slipped down her spine. Kat plucked at her dress. It was hot.Waytoo hot. There was no breeze to speak of and even with the sun down, the heat of the day lingered.
She flipped open her green satin fan that was fringed with what only could be described asfluffand used it for what it was intended. But the breeze generated by the prop was hardly enough to bring her any relief.
“Damn, woman. You look?—”
“Do not say a word.” Kat pointed her fan at Andy as he joined her backstage. “I know I look ridiculous.”
“You look far from ridiculous.” Andy’s eyes widened, and he took in the length of her with what even Kat could recognize as an appreciative gaze. And judging by the bulge in his very tight pants, it was obvious that he meant what he said. “You look positively sinful, Kitty Kat.” He closed the distance between them and pressed her upagainst the makeshift walls that had been erected on the portable stage.
As much as she would have preferred to make out with Andy for the rest of the night, especially considering what the alternative was, it was way too risky. They stood on the edge of a stage with only a few thin curtains between them and most of the town.
Including her entire family, who were all eagerly waiting to bear witness to Kat and Andy dance the salsa in public.
She stepped away from Andy’s arms and once more used her fan, this time needing to cool off for a different reason. “It’s way too hot to do this,” she said. “Maybe we should postpone?”
“You know we’re not doing that.” There was the slightest trace of laughter in Andy’s voice. “We’ve been working too hard and you look too damn sexy to waste this outfit.” The humor in his words was gone, replaced by a hunger that her body responded to. “I’m really glad we let Simone talk us into dressing the part.”
Secretly, despite the bout of stage fright Kat was experiencing, she was glad they’d gone all out with the costumes. They’d practiced so hard with Simone and for hours every week in the living room of her apartment until both Kat and Andy agreed with their teacher that they were ready. And they were. When Simone suggested they perform on stage at SummerFest, Trickle Creek’s annual summer festival, it felt like the perfect way to satisfy the requirements. They might as well look the part if they were going to go all out.
Kat’s dress was a rich emerald green with a plunging neckline. The fabric that hugged her body was covered in a long fringe that she knew, from practicing in her bedroom earlier, spun and shook beautifully when she moved.
It truly was perfect.
“Hopefully the fringe distracts from my lack of skills.”
He reached for her and whispered close to her lips. “Kitty Kat, I happen to know for a fact that you have?—”
“Are you two ready to go?” Simone’s head appeared between the curtains. “I’m going to announce you.”
“Announce us?” Kat shook her head and turned to walk off, but Andy’s hand clamped around hers.
“Go ahead,” he said. “We’re ready.”
The moment the other woman’s head disappeared, Kat shook her head. “I don’t?—”
“We’re ready,” Andy said again. “Just pretend it’s the two of us in the living room.” He led them to the center of the stage as Simone’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker.
Kat didn’t hear what she said or how they were introduced.
Instead, she focused on the strong presence of Andy behind her; he rested one hand lightly on her hip, and the other hand guided her arm, up behind her to his face.
“We got this, Kitty Kat,” he whispered. “Let’s just have fun, okay?”
“Okay.” Kat squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.Okay, Dad. Salsa seems like an odd choice. But this one’s for you.
Then the curtain opened, the lights flashed on, the music started and, with a well-rehearsed touch, Andy tracedhis hand down the side of her body until his hand was in hers and with a flick of his wrist, he spun her out on the floor, an arm’s length away.
And just like that, they were dancing the salsa on a stage, in front of everyone in town hooting and hollering their appreciation.
It was over almost before Andy realized it had begun. The moment he realized she was nervous, Andy swallowed any of the nerves he’d been experiencing and pretended he was way more confident than he was.
In the end, they’d pulled it off perfectly.
The crowd roared with delight as he spun Kat one more time. Shaking and shimmering in her green dress, she was without a doubt the sexiest woman on the planet. And her ear-to-ear smile as she performed absolutely lit her up.
With a final flourish, Andy pulled her in tight against him as the music ended.
