Free Phantom Warriors: Riot by Jordan Summers

steadfastly
ignored him.
    Kim hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d said,
“I do.” Even stoic, stick-in-the-mud Danny kept grinning. Of
course, he should be smiling. He’d just married the best girl in
the world. He had better take care of Kim or he’d have to answer to
Nina.
    The dinner passed pleasantly and soon it was
time to dance. Nina couldn’t remember the last time that she’d been
out dancing. She wondered if it was high school, then cringed at
the thought. The night wore on and the party grew louder. Nina
never realized she could feel so alone in a crowd of familiar
faces. Several people stopped by to comment on different aspects of
the wedding. Nina kept her answers polite, but short, especially
when talk turned to Harold’s health.
    Nina glanced across the room. Kim had been
dancing with Danny’s brother, who was now leading her off of the
dance floor. Her gaze moved to her best friend’s new husband. Danny
kept looking at his watch, obviously anxious to leave. Nina wasn’t
sure that she could bear it when Kim drove away. She was already
missing her and she hadn’t even left yet.
    Maybe she should go over and say her
farewells now. Nina took a step toward the dance floor, but was
stopped short by a gentle hand upon her shoulder. She turned
expecting to see another familiar face and found a stranger. Her
heart slammed into her ribs. Nina took a step back automatically as
she registered the size of the man touching her.
    She tilted her head way back, her gaze
locking onto his face. Soft brown eyes met hers, as he gave her a
crooked grin. The effect was devastating. The small action
transformed his formidable face into a welcome refuge. Nina’s mind
raced, as she tried to recall if he’d been at the ceremony.
    Was he one of Kim’s cousins? She had a lot of
them and Nina hadn’t met them all. Surely she would’ve noticed a
man standing head and shoulders above the crowd had he been there.
Another thought came to her, if he was Kim’s cousin, then why
hadn’t her friend introduced them? Talk about holding out on her!
Nina decided that they’d have to have a chat before her best friend
left.
    The man glanced at the DJ. “Would you like to
dance?” His voice rumbled despite the gentle tone.
    Nina debated for all of a millisecond, then
nodded.
    He led her out onto the dance floor and took
her into his arms. The moment his large hand settled on the small
of her back, Nina’s whole body began to tingle and warmth blossomed
inside of her. He adjusted his grip and her breath caught. Had he
noticed? She sure hoped not. If he did, the man didn’t let on.
Instead, he began to move with the rhythm. The song that was
playing was very upbeat, but the man kept the tempo of their
movements slow. Their bodies came together, brushing and swaying.
His big hands flexed and his body tensed every time they touched.
Nina’s clothes suddenly felt too tight, as she flushed with the
heat of arousal. The man’s nostrils flared and she could’ve sworn
that he growled under his breath.
    “Have we met?” she asked. “There’s something
about you that seems familiar.”
    He hesitated, then said, “In a manner of
speaking.” His vague answer aroused her curiosity as he guided her
expertly around the dance floor. For a big man, he was amazingly
graceful, unlike Nina who’d managed to find his toes twice already.
He brushed her clumsiness off with an easy smile and kept
dancing.
    By the time the song ended, Nina was
breathless. From the looks of the man, she wasn’t the only one
affected by their close contact. He reluctantly let her go. The
room came back into focus. Several people were staring at them,
including her best friend, Kim, and Rick Hensen. The big man
reached for her hand, drawing her attention back to him. Her vision
narrowed as he brought her knuckles up to his sensuous mouth, and
kissed the back of her hand. His lips lingered and Nina’s eyelids
drooped.
    A fresh flush of desire roared through