"Holy hell.” The words slipped out between Shane's lips as Nicole walked up in a red dress skimming the top of her thighs, with cutouts highlighting toned abs. Sexy didn’t even come close as a descriptor for the beauty walking up to him.
Nicole grinned as she drew near. “Ready to dance the night away?”
He had to swallow twice before he could answer. “Sure.”
Nicole grabbed his hand, then smiled at the bouncer standing outside the club's entrance. Though the door was nondescript, the vibration on the sidewalk alerted anyone passing by that music was playing on the other side.
Loudly.
Walking through the door was like stepping into another world. Strobe lights bounced off the dance floor; a bar, highlighted by pink and blue lights, stood in one corner; and a DJ spinning records was working on a little stage right above the dance floor.
“Come on.” Nicole pulled him towards the floor.
“You might not need any liquid courage, but—”
Nicole laid a finger on his lips. “No one knows us here. No reason for liquid courage.” Her hips began to move with the beat and she lifted his hand, the one she hadn’t let go of, and spun herself through it. “Relax, Shane.”
It wasn’t the dance floor or the music tensing his muscles.
Nicole.
“Relax.” She slid her arms around his neck. “Move your hips with mine.”
Her hip brushed his and all thoughts vanished from his mind. His hand went to her waist, she smiled, and he forced himself to inhale. Slowly he started to match her movements, not as gracefully, but they were dancing.
The songs moved through and around them and there was no one else in the world. Time raced forward, or maybe stalled altogether for them.
“Shane.” Nicole turned in his arms and let out a yawn. “I need a snack…and to go to bed.”
The bar had food, but filling wasn’t an adequate description. “There were street vendors outside.” He grabbed her hand, unwilling, or maybe unable, to go a minute without touching her.
It was like they’d entered an alternate universe on the dance floor. One where touching each other was the only option. One where they weren’t colleagues but two people drawn together. A fiction that would vanish when they stepped back onto the ship. But for now…
He was going to enjoy every minute.
They grabbed some food, eating it as they headed towards the hotel the research company always booked for the scientists and staff on the port call.
“Did you mean what you said the other day?” Nicole’s question hit Shane as he held open the hotel door.
He raised a brow. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
Nicole headed for the open elevator and hit the button for the third floor. He tapped the one for the fifth.
The door closed and she turned to him, her dark hair falling out of the pinup hairdo she’d crafted for dancing. “About kissing me? Did you mean it when you said you’d thought about it. Dreamed about it?”
“Yes.” Before he could say anything else, her mouth was on his.
The world spun, then stopped. Holding itself in place for a moment while the two of them exploded.
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