Free What The Heart Wants by Jessica Gadziala Page A

another fast oldie.
    It turned out her dance partner was named Devon and he wasn’t a nerd at all, rather what they would have called a hipster in more populated areas. He was witty and charming and within a few spins, he had her forgetting all about her mediocre dance abilities and her face broke out into a huge infectious smile.
    The song ended too quickly and Devon kissed her hand and walked off the dance floor. The band took the tempo down. A slow, sad song started and Anna’s stomach clenched when she felt a hand on her lower back. The bastard had found a way around the rules after all. But when arms circled around her, her face became pushed against a chest too wide to be Eric’s.
    She looked up to see Sam. He offered her a half-smile she noticed before she looked away. He looked handsome, damn him, in a blue dress shirt he had refused to tuck in.
    His wide hand pressed harder against her back, pushing her against his chest tightly. His other hand increased pressure on hers as they swayed. She had only slow danced a few times in her life and never had it been so… close.
    Despite her resolution to loathe the man, her body apparently didn’t get the message that he had betrayed her. She felt her heartbeat speed up and she felt unbearably hot. Sam’s finger started to trace small circles across her lower back and she felt herself melt against him.
    Mercifully, the song was short and Sam stepped back quickly when another man tapped on his shoulder, claiming the next dance. She knew he was trying to catch her eye but she kept hers downcast until he was off of the dance floor.
    The next few songs were fast-paced and she had a new partner for each. Some were high schoolers, Hank claimed her for one, and two older gentlemen with shockingly spry dance moves had her very much enjoying her time.
    The next song came on, and with no partner, she made her way back to the refreshment table, accepting a cup of punch from Hank’s kind looking wife. She had just raised it to her lips when it was pulled away from her. “This one is mine,” Eric told her, sounding almost angry. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the dance floor.
    Everything about how he was carrying himself made her believe he was going to grab her and haul her against his body. But instead, his hand landed lightly on her hip. She looked up at him, devilishly good looking in all black. His head was cocked to the side as if gauging if she would accept him. When she didn’t back away, his arm snaked across his hips, pulling her to him.
    His other hand didn’t reach to pull hers out to an angle as one would with a traditional slow dance. Instead, he pulled it under his arm and up his back to rest between his shoulder blades, her fingers brushing the back of his neck. Her face was resting against his chest and she could feel his heartbeat on her cheek. She felt his chin come down to rest on the top of her head. The music pulsed. It was a song she didn’t recognize but had a crooning tone that sounded deeply erotic.
    Eric’s arms squeezed her and she shut her eyes, blocking out everything but how good it felt to just be held.
    The song was long and she almost felt sleepy in Eric’s arms. Then it finally ended and neither of them immediately let go. She felt a hand at her shoulder as the band switched to a recent chart-topping number.
    Eric’s eyes were seething and she didn’t have to turn around to know who had claimed the next spot on her dance card.
    Then Eric nodded stiffly at her and walked away.
    Sam looked sheepish when she turned to face him. “You’re a terrible dancer,” he said, his usual lopsided grin in place.
    She knew he was just teasing her but she felt her heckles rise. Why would he take up her time just to admit to her he wasn’t going to enjoying dancing with her? Just to prove that in that situation he had the upper hand? Or just because she had been dancing with Eric? Maybe he thought that kissing her (and regretting it) somehow