Oscar turned and wandered toward the back of the house, and Liza’s eyes widened as an idea dawned on her. She spotted Connor at the opposite end of the house and waved her hands wildly at him. After a beat, he caught sight of her, and his brow pulled low. Pushing away from the wall he was leaning on, he approached her wearing an amused expression.
Once he was within arm’s distance, Liza grabbed him by the elbows and dragged him down the hall and into the studio, throwing the first of the double doors closed behind him.
He glanced at the door and then raised one eyebrow at her. Andthenhe licked his bottom lip, andoh for God’s sake.
“Did you need something, Liza?”
“I have an idea.”
He took a step closer to her. “And what’s that?”
She squinted at him, momentarily distracted by the strangely thick silence of the atmosphere, and then glanced around the room. “This room makes me feel like I have a cold.”
He cocked his head. “It’s the acoustics.”
She opened and closed her mouth a few times in an effort to make her ears pop, and Connor’s lips stretched into a wide grin.
“Did you bring me in here to show me your impersonation of a really cute fish?” He reached for a table and flipped a switch, which filled the room with the quiet moan of a jazz trumpet, and her hearing instantly cleared.
“No, I have an idea. I wanted to run it by you privately so you could gauge whether we should suggest it to Jimmy.”
“So what is it?” He picked up her hand and drew her close to him, placed his hand on the small of her back, and then began leading her through a casual slow dance.
Her brow quirked, and she glanced down at their bodies. “You guys sure do like dancing around here.”
“What do you mean?”
She looked up at him. “Brennan just gave me an impromptu swing dancing lesson in the front room.”
“Ohreally.” Connor pulled her closer and slid his palm way down her back, almost to her ass, and heat curled low in her tummy. “How’d that go?”
“Uh…” She gulped. This wasstarklydifferent than the quick-paced, fun dancing with Brennan. “Fine.”
He lifted her arm, pushing her waist to make her turn a small circle and then pulling her back to him. “Well, go on then, Liza.”
His palm was firm against the base of her spine as she held the sculpted, hulking crest of his shoulder. All of it felt way too natural andgoodfor her comfort. The day they met they’d slow danced exactly this before the night had ended.
“Um…what?”
Connor picked up her hand off his shoulder to drape it over his neck, and now they were so close that every inch of her torso was flush against his. “So, are you going to tell me your idea or what?”
Liza’s line of sight was perfectly positioned at the level of his mouth, and she swallowed. “I…”
His fingers lightly tickled her side before he tiptoed them back to their resting place on her spine. “My eyes are up here, sweetheart.”
She scoffed and had an urge to squeeze her thighs together. “Jeez, Connor.”
“Tell me your idea.”
Liza swallowed again as she rolled her eyes, but she allowed herself to settle against him as he continued to sway. “Oscar’s uncomfortable here.” She darted her gaze around the room before landing it back on Connor’s. “This studio I mean.”
“I know he is.” He tightened his grip on her back and led them both through a slow spin. “He’ll get comfortable soon enough. We’re not going to force him or rush him.”
“Okay, but Connor—”
He brought her hand to his chest, and the trumpet had drifted into a sexy instrumental version ofWhen I Fall in Love.Liza struggled to recall exactly what she thought was such a brilliant idea.
“Talk to me, Liza.” Connor pressed his cheek against hers and slowed way,waydown. His breath was warm and quiet against her ear, and a chill shimmied down her spine.
