She scrutinizes me for a long moment, rubbing her lips together. “Linnea. Most people call me Linn.”
“Nice to meet you, Linnea.” Fuck, even her name is pretty. “I’m CJ.”
She arches an eyebrow. “Is that short for something?”
“I’m afraid that’s top secret too.”
Her jaw drops open, which makes me laugh.
“What do I have to do to get the answers?” she asks, her nostrils flaring, but based on the playful gleam in her eyes, I think it’s all show.
The song’s final notes wind down. “We can keep dancing. If you’re lucky, I might let them slip.”
She laughs again, shaking her head.
“What? Too forward?” I give her an exaggerated cringe, biting my lip.
“I just…I’m not…” Her expression turns apprehensive.
“Here to get hassled?” Gently, I release her. As much as I’m loving this, I’m not the pushy type. “Totally understand.”
“You’re not hassling me,” she says in a rush, her soft blue eyes turning earnest. “Just…I need you to know that I’m not hookup material, okay?”
Kind of bold, but it’s refreshing. “And you think I am? I take offense to that.” I give her a playful wink.
The band kicks off a Dolly Parton cover, and the tension in Linnea’s expression softens. “Okay, CJ, let’s dance.”
Linnea grabs my hand and leads me closer to the front. I like her slender hand in mine, and that she wants to keep dancing. And yeah, I like the sight of her cute ass in those tight jeans and the exposed bit of skin at the curve of her waist. And the way her long hair sways between her shoulder blades, shining like spun honey beneath the lights. The music’s louder up here, which means we won’t be able to talk, and it’s more crowded, but I don’t mind either of those things because Linnea steps in close and starts to move.
It's not a slow song, so I don’t have a reason to reach for her, but it still feels intimate.
Now I’m kicking myself for withholding my job as Idaho Fish and Wildlife’s newest conservation officer, but would she be so carefree with me right now if she knew we might have to work together someday?
That’s a giant presumptuous leap but it’s too late to take back.
I’ll just have to make tonight count by treating her right.
Drunk CJ would have failed miserably at such a plan. In fact, drunk CJ would have already moved on in search of someone a little less authentic. Someone who would appreciate the kind of casual fun I had down to a science.
I rub the spot at my hip pocket where my two-year sobriety coin is attached to my keychain.Grateful I get to be fully present for this instead.
I soak up Linnea’s smile and the way the light makes her crystalline blue eyes sparkle. The crowd boxes us in, but Linnea doesn’t shy away. When she spins and gives me a look over her shoulder, I put my hands on her hips, my thumbs and index fingers grazing the bare skin at her waist. A heavy, pleasant warmth sinks through me as we move together, our bodies not quite touching. She’s close enoughnow that I get a hint of her scent. It’s fresh like apples, maybe a little earthy. I want to bury my nose in her honey-gold hair because if she smells this good after an hour of dancing in a crowded bar, then…
I shut down that line of thinking and refocus on the way her ass brushes my thighs, dangerously close to where my dick is taking notice. That’s another thing about sobriety. I’m completely in my own skin, feeling everything in real time.
I don’t miss being too drunk to screw, but being acutely aware ofeverythinghas taken some getting used to. Right now, it feels like being hit by a truck.
Dancing not too far away from us are Bear and Linnea’s friend, their attention completely locked on each other. I’ve lost track of Taylor and Kyle, but they’re likely back at the bar.
To keep my hands from wandering, I take Linnea’s hand and spin her around.
She laughs, and that light inside me starts to glow a little brighter. She’s having fun dancing with me. We’re just two people enjoying the music and each other’s company, for however long it lasts. It’s wild to experience so much joy from something so perfectly simple. Another wave of gratitude peaks inside my chest.
When the band drops into a slow song, Linnea doesn’t even hesitate or look for someone else; she steps in close and wraps her arms around my neck.
To quiet the nerves fluttering up my chest, I cradle her waist, grounding myself in the warmth of her skin beneath my touch.
She gazes up at me with a look of calm curiosity. Her lips are a glossy pink in the low light, and her pale cheeks are flushed. To stave off the sudden urge to kiss her, I swivel her hips and reach for her hand, spinning her slowly. When she returns, she’s laughing again, amplifying that pleasant tension thrumming beneath my skin. This time, when I grasp her waist, she gets close enough that her breasts press into my chest. Can she feel how hard my heart is pounding?