He yanked me closer, pushing his pelvis into mine. Whoa, buddy. His hands drifted over my back, gripping my waist and headed south to my hips. I repeated the “this is okay” mantra in my head. After all, if I rebounded with a guy, I had to let him touch me. I had to enjoy him touching me. Yes. I could do this.

He moved against me, turning himself on, but I just couldn’t relax. I couldn’t let myself go like usual. I cringed every time he moved his hips against me. Put that thing away already.

His hands gripped my butt, pulling me up higher on him as he ground against me. “Damn, baby, you’re gorgeous,” he whispered in my ear. His hot breath reeked of beer.

It was the final straw. I raised my hands and pushed back against his chest. “Deacon, no.”

That was all I got out before a giant body came between us. I caught his familiar scent before hearing his voice. “Back the fuck off, Deke.”

“Whoa, she said she wanted to dance, Walker.” Deacon stood a head shorter than Josh, and nowhere near as intimidating.

“She didn’t say she wanted her ass grabbed, did she?”

I stepped around Josh’s back and slid between them, facing Josh. “It’s over, Josh. Nothing to worry about.”

He kept his focus on Deacon, and if looks could kill . . . Yeah. “Go the hell away, Deke, and don’t come near Ember again.”

Deacon put his hands up like he was under arrest, gave me a shrug, and walked away.

“Seriously, Josh?” I jabbed my finger into his chest. “I had it handled. You didn’t need to go all caveman.” But I was glad he did. Hell, I was glad to see him. “What are you doing here?”

He smiled and pointed to the frat letters embroidered on his shirt. “How did you think you got these tickets?”

“I didn’t peg you for a frat boy.” A twinge of disappointment caught me off guard.

He brought his face down to mine, rubbing his nose along my cheekbone to whisper in my ear. “You can’t peg me for anything.”

I pulled away to save my own sanity. I wanted that mouth on more than my cheek, and that’s why I couldn’t have it. Not with him. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“Why were you dancing with Deke?”

“Because I wanted to.”

His eyes narrowed. “Right. I figured that out. Why Deke?”

Because you scare the shit out of me. “He was there.”

He pulled me against him, and my body caught fire. Why couldn’t I freeze up around him? It would make everything so much easier. “Lie to everybody else, December. Not me. I see right through it. Why were you dancing with Deke? What are you looking for?”

I debated lying to him, but what was the use? He’d seen me at my worst. He deserved the truth. “I thought I could rebound.” My face flushed, even with the heat of the party. “I just wanted to forget, to lose myself for a while in something that doesn’t hurt. Everything still hurts.”

His eyes bored into mine, stripping my soul raw. “Dance with me.” It wasn’t a question.

“I can’t use you.”

“It’s not using if I want it. Besides, it’s just dancing, and I think that’s covered under the whatever-you-need clause of our unwritten contract.”

“Contract, huh?” I couldn’t stop my smile.

His was slow and downright sexy. “Contract, vow, promise, whatever. It all means I’m your whatever, and whatever means dance. Now.”

He was perfect, and I was helpless. I slid up to him and moved to the music. Pressing myself against him, I forgot everything but the beat pounding through me and the movement of my hips with it.

Big mistake, looking up into those gorgeous brown eyes. Going. Going. Gone. The need to touch him, to feel his hands on my body clawed through me. I nearly groaned remembering what he could do with those hands. “Whatever?” I asked, testing my boundaries.

“I’ll never tell you no if I can help it.”

Locked into his eyes, I reached my hands out, stroking over his muscled shoulders. I ran my fingers down his biceps and arms, savoring the tingles in my fingers and the spark in his eyes. When I reached his hands, I couldn’t manage a seductive smile, so I simply grasped his hands and put them on my waist. “Is this okay?”

He pulled me close to his body in answer, fitting my legs so that I straddled one of his, and then moved me in perfect synchronization. Two seconds in Josh’s arms, and I was ready to forget any rebound plan had ever existed. My dress rode up higher on my thighs.

He held me to him, and I let go. Where I moved with the music, he followed, his hands moving up and down my back, skimming over my skin where the dress ended and sending shivers through me. Two songs, three, and the sweat beaded between my breasts. Thank God my hair was up. I turned around, pressing my back into him. He kept up with me move for move. His head slipped to my shoulder, and he kissed the skin there. My head fell back against his chest as he pulled me against him tighter. His tongue stroked over my neck just before his teeth grazed across me, and his hands moved lower to my hips. The loud music camouflaged my moan to the other dancers around us, but he heard it. His fingers bit into my skin in response. I was crossing the line, but I pushed back against him, needing to feel that he wanted me.

He did. I shamelessly moved my hips against him.

“December . . .” My name was a whispered plea on his lips.

I turned in his arms, but kept my body as close as before, rubbing against him in every place I could. A familiar ache stirred in me. I needed to feel his mouth on me. I ran my hands up the smooth line of his back, wrapping one around his neck while the other grabbed onto his hair and pulled him to me. “Josh?” I asked. I wouldn’t force him into something he didn’t want. Please, please want me.