Emancipating Andie

She looked up then, making eye contact with him, and he froze. A small smile curved her lips as she held up her hand to say hello, and he smiled back at her just as the bartender said, “Here you go.”

Chase turned, placing his empty glass on the bar and reaching for the shot, stopping before he took it. He didn’t know if it was the three consecutive Seven and Sevens, or the smile she just gave him, but at that moment, he made a decision.

“Actually, can I get a Lemon Drop too?”

The bartender quirked his brow at him. “You go

Chase smiled. “I won’t puke on your bar, if that’s what you’re asking.”

The bartender shook his head with a tiny laugh, reaching below for the bottle. He poured the shot, giving Chase the sugar-coated lemon chaser.

“Hang in there,” he said, and Chase could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn’t referencing Chase holding his liquor.

He grabbed the two shots and crossed the dance floor, careful not to spill any as he maneuvered his way through the dancing bodies. Just as he emerged from the crowd, she lifted her eyes, smiling at him again.

“Hi,” she said as he approached her table, the awkwardness between them seemingly gone, and he hoped it wasn’t just his hazy alcohol-induced perception.

“Hi,” he said, pulling up a seat next to her. “Having fun?”

She nodded. “I think I’ve met more people in the past few hours than I have in the past few years. But big weddings are always fun. I’m surprised to see you milling around, though. I figured you’d be glued to your camera.”

“Nah, I’m off tonight. Here, I brought you something.”

She glanced down, catching sight of the shot glass he placed in front of her, and she shook her head. “I don’t think so,” she said, looking back up at him and scrunching her nose adorably. “I’m not really a liquor kind of girl.”

Being this close to her again, Chase felt suddenly bold. “Well two days ago, you weren’t the kind of girl who let anyone else drive her car.” Andie smirked as he continued. “And yesterday, you weren’t the kind of girl to pull off the road and jump fully clothed into a lake.”

“I didn’t really have a choice about that one,” she said through laughter, and Chase gri

“Breaking out of your shell,” he said as he slid the shot closer to her. He raised his eyes to hers, his voice playful. “I say we make it the theme for the weekend.”

Andie glanced down at the shot, nibbling on the corner of her lip. He could tell she was thinking about it, so he added, “It’s a pretty tame shot. Girly, even.”

She laughed, taking a deep breath before she picked up the small glass, holding it up to him. “To breaking out of your shell.”

Chase smiled, holding his shot up and clinking it to hers. “Cheers.”

He tilted his head back slightly as he took his shot, keeping his eyes on her as she tossed her head back and drained the glass. She immediately whipped her head back up, her eyes wide as she placed the empty glass back on the table and brought her other hand to her mouth. Chase laughed as she squeezed her eyes shut before she finally swallowed.

“Oh my God,” she said, her voice muffled before she dropped her hand from her lips. “Was that straight vodka?”

“Well, lemon flavored, but yeah.”

“How exactly is that girly?” she asked, still horrified.

“Because now you get this,” he said, handing her the lemon wedge covered in sugar.

She grabbed it like it was a lifeline, taking it between her lips as her cheeks hollowed out with the force of her sucking, and Chase couldn’t help but laugh again.

“Lesson learned,” she said, tossing the expended lemon rind on the table. “That’s the last time I trust you.”

“Aw, come on,” he said, taking her empty shot glass and stacking it on top of his. “It wasn’t that bad. You can admit it.”

She licked her lips, removing the last remaining granules of sugar. “Fine. The sugared lemon part wasn’t that bad. I could have done without the vodka before.”

Chase watched the shiver ripple through her shoulders as she added, “Even though I kind of like the warm feeling I have right now.”

He gri

The words fell from Chase’s lips with surprising ease. “Will you dance with me?”

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise before she dropped her gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly. After what seemed like forever, he heard her soft voice. “Um…yeah, okay.”

Chase stood immediately, wanting to do whatever he could to remove the awkwardness that was starting to reappear between them. “After you,” he said, sweeping his hand in front of them, and Andie smiled up at him tentatively as she stood and made her way to the dance floor.

Just as she reached the edge, Chase grabbed her hand and put his other on her hip, giving her a tiny push and spi

“See?” she said, dropping her hand from her mouth and fa

“Lightweight,” he said with a smile, using his grip on her hand to pull her back to him. As soon as their bodies made contact, they both froze, and Chase felt Andie go rigid against him. He didn’t move, loosening his grip on her hand and giving her the freedom to pull away if she wanted to.

And then suddenly he felt the tension leave her body, first from her shoulders, then her arms, and then her torso, so that she literally melted into him. He swallowed hard as he placed his free hand on her lower back, and he was taken aback when she started to move first, setting the pace and swaying gently to the music.

It only took him a second to follow her lead, and when he felt her hand slide up his back and come to rest just below the nape of his neck, he inhaled a shaky breath, hoping she couldn’t feel his heart slamming against his ribs.

This was a bad idea. What the hell was he thinking?

He had no idea what song was playing. He didn’t even know if he was moving in time to the beat. The only thing he was aware of was her body against his, the softness of her breasts pressing just below his chest, her arm around his back, tightening infinitesimally as the dance continued so that she kept pulling his body closer to hers. He didn’t know if she was doing it intentionally or if it was the result of the vodka coursing its way through her system, but he allowed her to do it, trying with all his might not to focus on the way her hips were moving.

She turned her head, resting it against his chest, and he was assaulted with the scent of her hair. Instinctively, he turned toward it, completely overwhelmed with the desire to press his lips to the crown of her head.

She continued dancing, her movements fluid and simple but provocative nonetheless, and he could imagine what it would be like to hold her this way without the barrier of clothes between them. He could picture what it would feel like, how perfectly they would fit together, how effortless it would be.

Chase’s hand moved on her lower back, slipping past the fabric of the dress and up to her exposed skin, and he immediately closed his eyes. He’d had his hands on quite a few women in his life, but Jesus Christ, her skin actually felt like silk. Without his consent, his fingers curled, and he dragged the tips of them ever so lightly up the length of her back. Her skin prickled with goose bumps beneath his touch, but she made no move to pull away, and so he trailed them back down again, his fingertips ghosting the vale of her spine.

He had never wanted a woman so badly in his entire life.

The song ended, switching to something upbeat and pulsing, and Chase was completely torn between utter relief and the consuming desire for it to go on forever. She lifted her head off his chest, her arm still around his back and her hand clasped in his, and he tilted his head, looking down at her.