Page 52 of Lost Trust

Ryder’s mouth cocks to the side as he looks Royce over thoughtfully. “Yeah. He looks like a nice bull boy.”

Royce chuckles. “Thanks, little man.”

He extends his fist, and Ryder bumps it with his.

I bite back a smile.

“Well, I guess that settles it,” Royce says, looking back to me.

“I guess so.”

His gaze holds mine, and he tips his head toward the dance floor.

I should say no.

Instead, I hear myself say, “One song.”

“One song.”

He offers me his hand, and I stare at it for half a second before taking it.

His fingers close around mine, warm and rough, and every thought of protest flies from my mind. I glance down at Ryder, who is grinning up at the two of us.

“I’ll be right back, baby.”

Royce leads me onto the dance floor just as the music changes. A slow song rolls through the barn, soft and easy, and before I can decide where to put myself, Royce tugs me closer.

My breath catches.

He smells good.

Clean soap, warm skin, leather, and something darker underneath that I can’t quite name. Something that rekindles the memory of that long-ago weekend.

He’s tall, broad through the shoulders, with a thick chest that makes me feel delicate, pressed against him.

His arm settles around my waist, and the touch sends a little shiver through me.

I hate it.

Royce looks down at me, his whiskey-colored eyes catching mine. Sharp chin. Dark hair curling slightly at his nape. And a face that would make any woman melt.

“You’re tense.”

“Am not.”

His mouth twitches. “You are,” he murmurs, his voice dropping lower. “Relax, Rina. I don’t bite.” He eases back just enough to catch my eyes, a slow, wicked smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Unless you want me to.”

“Not even a little bit,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady.

His eyes spark with unmistakable amusement.

“You sure?” he murmurs, leaning down until his mouth brushes my ear. “Because I seem to remember you liked it.”

Heat floods my face.

The bastard knows exactly what he’s doing.

Memory flashes, hot and immediate.