Page 14 of Blue Collar Billionaire
“Trust me. We all are. Now go get a drink with your guy.” Bianca glanced back at the crowd gathering in the great room. “Hey, Jack. I’d love it if you and Lexi could get the dancing going. It always takes forever for someone to have the nerve to get out there.”
“Uh. Sure.” Jack seemed uncertain about the assignment her sister had given him.
“We’ll do our best,” Lexi said, kissing her sister on the cheek. “Great job with planning this, by the way.”
“Thanks, Lex. I hope you have fun tonight.” Bianca, ever the kidder, elbowed her in the ribs.
Lexi hooked her arm in Jack’s and they made their way over to the line at the bar. She did her best to focus on Jack, but she couldn’t stop glancing at the entrance, looking for the arrival of her parents. Meanwhile, there were definitely people in this room who were looking at them. Possibly talking about them. Lexi feared that none of it was good, that she’d yet again become the subject of unpleasant gossip. Whatever confidence and determination she’d felt back at home was quickly fading.
“You okay?” Jack asked quietly. “You seem on edge.”
Lexi managed a small smile as she looked up at him. Good God, he was handsome. It was her best distraction right now. “It’s the dress. I can’t breathe, so I’m basically just hyperventilating.”
He unsubtly eyed her cleavage, one corner of his mouth twitching with a smile. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. The view is spectacular.” He gently placed his hand on her elbow, dragging his fingers down the length of her forearm until he reached her palm and grasped her hand. Then he raised her fingers to his lips and kissed them tenderly. That one innocent gesture did nothing to soothe her nerves. It only amped up her desire to have him kiss the rest of her. “I’m also not sure you’re being entirely truthful with me, but it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”
Lexi didn’t want to ruminate over the things that were worrying her. She wanted to grab Jack’s hand, race out of the building and kiss him ravenously. For a moment, she even wondered if his SUV had a generous back seat, although, if she thought people were gossiping about her now, having sex with Jack in the parking lot of the TCC would really get them talking. The bottom line was he was the only person in this crowd of hundreds who was making her feel good about herself. For the woman who was trying to move forward with her life, coming here tonight felt too much like she was moving backward.
They reached the bar and Jack ordered Lexi a glass of champagne and a bourbon, neat, for himself. He spotted an available bar-top table, but it was very close to the center of the action, meaning it felt as though they were on display. From what she could tell, Jack seemed to be enjoying himself, waving at some people and saying hello to others. Meanwhile, Lexi took deep breaths and tried not to think about what those other guests might be thinking. Was Jack crazy to be out with a woman who’d been left at the altar mere months after a divorce? Had Lexi allowed herself to be distracted by another handsome face?
Lexi, stop.How she hated this cycle of negative thoughts that sometimes crept into her head. She had to stop caring about what other people thought of her. And that needed to start right now. Lexi downed the last of her champagne and plunked her glass on the table. “I think we should dance.”
“Really?” Jack took survey of the room. “I know your sister said she wanted us to, but there’s not a soul out there yet. I’m not usually the first guy on the dance floor.”
“Why not? You like to have fun, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah, but that’s not really my idea of a good time. Especially with the DJ’s music choices.”
The song faded from an upbeat country song to a slower, romantic ballad, which Lexi took as further encouragement. She wanted to be in Jack’s arms right now. He was the only thing making tonight enjoyable. And if she was going to stop thinking about what others thought, her best course was to focus on him. Completely. “Just one song.” She tugged on his hand until he relented and followed her out to the dance floor.
“Okay. But I’m in charge.” As soon as they stepped onto the parquet wood, Jack pulled her into his arms and they spun in a circle. “Is that good with you?”
Lexi felt dizzy in the most delicious way. As she looked up into his face and soaked up his self-assured expression, she couldn’t have contained her smile if she’d wanted to. “I expect nothing less.”
Jack wasn’t much of a dancer. He could hold his own, but as a big guy, he’d always felt like all eyes were on him. Swaying back and forth in the middle of the dance floor in the great room at the Texas Cattleman’s Club, this was one hell of a place to put yourself at center stage. A good chunk of people in this room had been his clients at one point, and the rest were folks he’d love to get some business from. It was in his best interest not to make a spectacle, but he and Lexi had already succeeded in that. Everyone seemed to be watching.
“Either these people all need to get a life or we’ve made a horrible mistake by coming out here,” Jack said into Lexi’s ear. He loved every instant when her soft skin touched his.
“So, it’s not just me? You noticed it, too?”
“It would be hard not to,” he quipped.
“Remind me to yell at my sister. This was all her idea. Why isn’t anyone else dancing?”
“Maybe it’s your dress. They’re all mesmerized by you.”
Lexi peered up at him. “Somehow, I doubt that. Maybe it’s the incredibly handsome ten-foot-tall guy I’m dancing with.”
Jack laughed and pulled her a little closer. The silky fabric of her dress was smooth against his skin, but it was nothing compared to the tender warmth of her hand. She felt so right pressed up against him. He had no idea what they were doing or where this was going, but he only knew that at that moment, he didn’t want to be anywhere else but with her. “I’m only six-two.”
“Hey. Don’t say only. You’re a full foot taller than me.”
“Are you seriously only five foot two?” Their height difference was the perfect illustration of how opposites sometimes really did attract. Jack loved that they were mismatched in so many ways but were still so drawn to each other.
“Yes. I have to wear four-inch heels just to be average.”
“Trust me, Lexi. You’re not even close to being average.” He meant it. She was extraordinary, and he hated that she didn’t seem to know that. The song began to fade and segued into a faster tune. Jack was eager to exit the dance floor. Because as much he loved having her in his arms, he wanted to be somewhere out of the public eye. “Another drink? It looks like we managed to convince a few other couples to come out here.”
“Sounds great.”
