Page 92 of The Downside of Love
And now I do.And often. And on other places besides my lips.
My hand presses against her lower back as we make our way around the room. Airmen and airwomen are decked out in their finest, chest candy polished and in line, blue silk ties formed perfectly around strong necks, and not a single hair is out of place. For a brief moment, I forget about my failures and take pride in being a part of the blue line.
“It’s gorgeous in here,” Rory coos next to me, taking in the grand ballroom at The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs’s finest hotel and resort. When I heard the ball would be at The Broadmoor, it solidified my idea of attending because the venue is romantic. It’s the perfect place to take a walk along the lake while holding Rory’s hand. “Thank you for bringing me.” She grips my hand tighter and bashfully says, “Kind of feel like Cinderella or something.”
She’s so fucking adorable.
“Do you know anyone here?” she continues, looking around.
“A few guys from work brought their wives.”
“Are you going to introduce me?”
I kiss the side of her head. “If we run into them, sure.”
The last thing I want to do is talk to anyone other than Rory. The guys at work are okay, but they aren’t my favorite people. Maybe it’s because I’m a bitter asshole who hasn’t taken the time to get to know them, or maybe it’s because I’m Lt. Colonel Sheppard’s son. Could be the latter.
“Dance with me.”
I pull Rory onto the dance floor and we merge ourselves into the other couples slow-dancing to Blue Steel, one of the Air Force Academy’s bands. Hearing songs from the past reminds me of the night we went to the concert in the park.
I bring Rory close to me, grasping her hand to my chest, while I press my other hand against her lower back, keeping her close to me.
She peers up at me, a sparkle in her eye. She’s happy, and that’s all I can ask for.
“Did I mention how handsome you look tonight?”
“You did.” I place a kiss on her forehead.
“Well, in case you forgot, you look incredibly handsome tonight, Stryder. When you came out of the bathroom, you took my breath away.”
I don’t know how she does it, but even after months of dating, she still makes my heart race and my stomach twist in knots.
Unsure of what to say, I lower my head and press the faintest of kisses across her lips, lingering for a few seconds before saying, “I can say the same about you. Pretty damn sure I’m the luckiest fucking guy in this building right now. You look stunning, baby.”
“Does that mean I’m going to get lucky tonight?” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“Fuck yeah, it does.” I let out a low chuckle. “If you’re lucky I might even do a little striptease like you’ve been asking for.”
“Don’t you dare even joke around with me.” She tightly tugs on the lapel of my mess dress jacket. “I’ve been asking for a genuine strip show from you for a while now.” And she’s not lying. She wants me to get in uniform and perform a Magic Mike-level strip dance.
I’m all for taking clothes off, but undulating on the floor, dry-humping air—I’m not sure I have the talent for it, or the ability to not look like an idiot while doing it.
But hell, I’ll give it a go for Rory.
“I’ve been practicing,” I admit.
She playfully whacks my chest. “No, you have not.”
Bringing my lips to her ear, I say, “I have, in the shower, against the wall.”
True statement.
She pulls her head back. “No, you haven’t.” I nod, widening her eyes even more. “You’re serious? You’ve been practicing a striptease dance for me in the shower?”
“Maybe.” I smirk.
“Stryder Sheppard, do not tease me.”
