the meantime, every nerve ending in her body screamed for his touch.
When he reached her side, he leaned down to talk into her ear so she could hear him over the band. “You want to dance?”
She pulled back to see if he was serious. In her experience, most men didn’t like to dance unless it was a slow dance. For now, the pounding beat worked its way into her bones and made her want to move. If he wanted to dance, she was game.
She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the part of the crowd where most of the people were dancing. Those closest to the stage just jumped up and down with their arms in the air.
Damian surprised her with his moves. Fluid and lithe, yet still suggestive of massive power, he moved like a man comfortable in his own skin, making him one sexy dancer. All kinds of things quivered inside her just watching him.
The song changed, slowing from the frenetic rock to a throbbing ballad. Damian reached for her hand and spun her, pulling her backwards into him and resting his hands on her hips as he swayed them both to the music. She leaned into him, losing herself in the rhythm of their bodies moving to the music, the hum of need dancing on her skin like popcorn in a hot pan.
His fingers dug into her hips, pulling her tighter to him, and when she felt his cock twitch against her ass, she placed her hands on top of his to keep herself from melting in place.
He bent near her ear and said, “If you don’t find us a place to be alone, I’m going to take you right here.”
His hot breath on her neck, and his words in her ear dissolved her insides to molten longing. If he wasn’t careful, she’d come where she stood and he’d miss half the fun.
She turned in his arms and his erection poked her in the belly. His groan vibrated over her skin and took her breath away. Want swirled her insides. She wanted to tuck her hands up under his shirt and explore; to feel his hands on her naked body; to feel that exquisite moment when he entered and filled her.
Standing on her toes, she pressed herself to him, reaching his ear and said, “Follow me.”
She laced her fingers in his and pulled him off the dance floor toward the house. It took willpower not to run, or giggle, or clap her hands in glee, but on the inside she was a kid on Christmas morning getting ready to open the biggest gift under the tree.
She could almost taste him on her lips.
As they reached the top steps of the deck, someone screamed.
Damian froze and turned to scan the crowd—tense, alert, ready. Elena stepped up to the bannister next to him, but before she could even ask what was going on, Damian had taken off down the steps at a sprint, running for the pool. He kicked off his shoes as he ran and didn’t even pause before diving like a dolphin into the water and clutching a limp body that had sunk to the bottom of the pool.
Elena hurried off the deck and shoved through the crowd that had gathered. She broke through as Damian hauled the person—it turned out to be a kid—out onto the pool deck and started CPR and mouth to mouth.
The boy’s parents crowded Damian, his mother sobbing and trying to touch the boy’s face, while the rest of the onlookers pushed in trying to get a good look.
“Back off,” Elena said, giving people the physical shove they needed. “Give him space to work.” She touched the father on the arm to get his attention. “Sir, could you please keep your wife back?”
The man came out of his daze long enough to nod and reach for his wife, murmuring in her ear, to encourage her to back away a few steps.
Elena pulled out her phone, ready to call 911, but Damian moved with practiced precision and confidence. Within moments, the kid gagged and coughed, and Damian rolled him to the side so the water could drain from his lungs.
The mother rushed in, clutching at the kid, who sat up looking dazed.
The father grabbed Damian’s hand and pumped it gratefully. Elena heard Damian tell the father to take his son to