fun?” I asked with a wide grin.
Her eyes sparkled as she leaned close to me and said in a low voice, “I am. Just wanted to check on you—didn’t want you to feel like I was ditching you.”
“Not at all,” I replied earnestly. “Go have fun. Seriously. Tonight is about relaxing. I’m glad you’re having a good time.” Not to mention that frown line between her eyes was gone. That alone made me happy.
She gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll text you later, okay?” The guy’s hand slid around her waist, tugging her up against him, and she laughed on a gasp. They disappeared into the crowd.
“I see you’re all alone,” an unfamiliar voice said from behind me. I spun to see the gap-toothed guy from the bar eyeing me. “Wanna dance?”
“I’m good, thanks.” I took a step back.
“I’ll bet you are.” He moved toward me and reached a hand out to touch my waist. I shoved my hand on his chest to push him away.
“I said no.” My bitch voice was out in full blast now. Usually I wasn’t this harsh, but the combination of alcohol and frustration made me edgy.
The smile fell from his face, and I saw a flash of shock in his eyes. Before he could respond, I walked away from him and made my way to the fringe of the dancing crowd. And there was Nick—Dr. Muramoto, standing by himself, swaying in place, a water bottle in hand.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was right in front of him.
He blinked. “Megan.” My name was a breath on his lips, and the sound of it set my skin tingling all over.
“Dr. Muramoto,” I murmured.
He chuckled, and a dimple popped up in the corner of his mouth. “We’re not in class. You can call me Nick.”
I swallowed. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m a teacher, not a dead man. I love good music and dancing.”
A laugh slipped from my lips. “Fair enough. My roommate is the DJ. I came with a friend.”
“Where is he?” The question was light; I couldn’t read into it.
“ She’s dancing with some guy she just met.”
Nick took a fraction of a step toward me, and I did the same. We were only a couple of feet apart now. Music throbbed in the space between our bodies, filled my pores, made me feel light and free. I found myself moving. Our movements flowed together; his eyes were locked on mine, seeking, intense.
I couldn’t look away.
When our chests brushed against each other, I realized we’d moved together again without me knowing. All the noise and anxiety and frustration fell away from my mind. My body became my focus—my body and his proximity, the weight of his gaze. He kept his hands off me, but his eyes roamed me freely.
It was a visual caress that made me throb.
Sweat slid down my skin; I barely noticed. I was in this bubble with Nick, absorbing all those small details about him I hungered to know. The light scent of his soap wrapped around me. His lips were parted ever so slightly, breaths coming out in small huffs to brush against my cheeks. Even in my boots, I noticed he was a few inches taller than me.
“There you are!” a giggling voice said from behind him. Redhead wrapped her arms around his torso and tugged him back, away from me. “I wondered where you went off to.”
He paused and tore his gaze from mine to eye her, murmuring something in her ear as he disentangled himself from her grip. But he kept his hand in hers.
And just like that, the spell was broken. I stood in place, drowning in disappointment.
This was crazy anyway. What was I doing? Trying to hit on someone who would only ever view me as a student? This was far too desperate for me.
I needed to go home. Right now. Frustration tightened my chest. I turned away from them, dug into my purse and grabbed my keys. Snagged my coat off the rack and thrust my arms into it, then stepped out into the cold night. The wind stole my breath, slapped my cheeks.
I crammed my hands in the coat pockets and tucked my neck deeper in the collar as I made my way to my car. A
Her eyes sparkled as she leaned close to me and said in a low voice, “I am. Just wanted to check on you—didn’t want you to feel like I was ditching you.”
“Not at all,” I replied earnestly. “Go have fun. Seriously. Tonight is about relaxing. I’m glad you’re having a good time.” Not to mention that frown line between her eyes was gone. That alone made me happy.
She gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll text you later, okay?” The guy’s hand slid around her waist, tugging her up against him, and she laughed on a gasp. They disappeared into the crowd.
“I see you’re all alone,” an unfamiliar voice said from behind me. I spun to see the gap-toothed guy from the bar eyeing me. “Wanna dance?”
“I’m good, thanks.” I took a step back.
“I’ll bet you are.” He moved toward me and reached a hand out to touch my waist. I shoved my hand on his chest to push him away.
“I said no.” My bitch voice was out in full blast now. Usually I wasn’t this harsh, but the combination of alcohol and frustration made me edgy.
The smile fell from his face, and I saw a flash of shock in his eyes. Before he could respond, I walked away from him and made my way to the fringe of the dancing crowd. And there was Nick—Dr. Muramoto, standing by himself, swaying in place, a water bottle in hand.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was right in front of him.
He blinked. “Megan.” My name was a breath on his lips, and the sound of it set my skin tingling all over.
“Dr. Muramoto,” I murmured.
He chuckled, and a dimple popped up in the corner of his mouth. “We’re not in class. You can call me Nick.”
I swallowed. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m a teacher, not a dead man. I love good music and dancing.”
A laugh slipped from my lips. “Fair enough. My roommate is the DJ. I came with a friend.”
“Where is he?” The question was light; I couldn’t read into it.
“ She’s dancing with some guy she just met.”
Nick took a fraction of a step toward me, and I did the same. We were only a couple of feet apart now. Music throbbed in the space between our bodies, filled my pores, made me feel light and free. I found myself moving. Our movements flowed together; his eyes were locked on mine, seeking, intense.
I couldn’t look away.
When our chests brushed against each other, I realized we’d moved together again without me knowing. All the noise and anxiety and frustration fell away from my mind. My body became my focus—my body and his proximity, the weight of his gaze. He kept his hands off me, but his eyes roamed me freely.
It was a visual caress that made me throb.
Sweat slid down my skin; I barely noticed. I was in this bubble with Nick, absorbing all those small details about him I hungered to know. The light scent of his soap wrapped around me. His lips were parted ever so slightly, breaths coming out in small huffs to brush against my cheeks. Even in my boots, I noticed he was a few inches taller than me.
“There you are!” a giggling voice said from behind him. Redhead wrapped her arms around his torso and tugged him back, away from me. “I wondered where you went off to.”
He paused and tore his gaze from mine to eye her, murmuring something in her ear as he disentangled himself from her grip. But he kept his hand in hers.
And just like that, the spell was broken. I stood in place, drowning in disappointment.
This was crazy anyway. What was I doing? Trying to hit on someone who would only ever view me as a student? This was far too desperate for me.
I needed to go home. Right now. Frustration tightened my chest. I turned away from them, dug into my purse and grabbed my keys. Snagged my coat off the rack and thrust my arms into it, then stepped out into the cold night. The wind stole my breath, slapped my cheeks.
I crammed my hands in the coat pockets and tucked my neck deeper in the collar as I made my way to my car. A
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