The Best Man in Texas

The Best Man in Texas by Tanya Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

Book: The Best Man in Texas by Tanya Michaels Read Free Book Online
Authors: Tanya Michaels
group’s name. She filled the club with the sound of an electronic violin and was joined by a guitarist, keyboardist and lead singer. Their lyrics were strangely melancholy, considering the funky toe-tapping quality of the music.
    Brooke, clearly familiar with the band’s work, was singing along, wriggling and swaying in her chair.
    He leaned close to make himself heard, wondering if it would be inappropriate to tell her she smelled really good. “I guess if Giff were here, the two of you would be dancing?”
    Angling her head, she looked at him, her blue eyes unreadable. Then she laughed. “Not likely. Giff doesn’t dance.”
    Jake had a memory of Giff’s high school girlfriend trying to cajole him out onto the floor at their senior prom. “What about you, Brooke? You dance?”
    The answer was obviously yes. Even seated, she was all but shimmying to the music.
    “I…used to. But not in years,” she added, sounding nervous. “I’m way out of practice.”
    “Well, what are we waiting for?” He held out a hand. “No time like the present, right?”

Chapter Six
    This is bad. Dancing with her fiancé’s best friend shouldn’t feel so good, Brooke admonished herself. But maybe it had nothing to do with the guy in front of her; maybe it was just the uninhibited thrill of dancing again. Her old boyfriend Sean had told her once that he’d known they’d be incredible together in bed after seeing her on a dance floor. The way you moved, he’d said. No one had ever said anything so erotic to her.
    She frowned, dismissing the memory. No amount of “incredible” had made that relationship worth saving. He’d been erratic and moody, as undependable in the long run as she’d found him sexy in the short term.
    The opportunity to cut loose on a dance floor tonight, combined with her enjoyment of the band really did make this the best present Meg had ever given her. I have to remember to call and thank her. Or not. Brooke could just imagine trying to explain to her sister—who found a way to make even the most innocent situations sound suggestive—that she’d spent her Friday night dancing with Giff’s hunky friend.
    It wasn’t as if this kind of music lent itself to ballroomdancing; Jake didn’t have an arm around her waist and shoulder. They were only dancing “together” in a loose interpretation of the word. Then again, given the limited space in the club and the active enthusiasm of the crowd around her, she’d found herself jostled against him more than enough times to appreciate his fireman’s muscles beneath the button-down shirt he wore.
    After half an hour, she realized she was getting too breathless to sing along and that her calves and thighs were getting the slightest bit sore. Not twenty anymore.
    “I think I need to sit for a minute,” she admitted.
    “Want anything else to drink?”
    She nodded vehemently. “Bottle of water. Please.”
    No sooner had she returned to their table than the band slowed down for one of the few ballads in their repertoire. Brooke felt a wave of relief that she and Jake hadn’t still been on the dance floor when the first notes of the love song had played. That would have been awkward.
    Although, come to think of it, despite their rocky start to the evening, tonight had been far less awkward than she’d anticipated. He had a good sense of humor, seemed to be enjoying himself and was inarguably easy on the eyes—all in all, a fun companion. Her earlier irritation with Giff had long since faded, although it still puzzled her that someone who knew her so well would spring a surprise on her.
    “Your water, ma’am.” Jake handed over the cold bottle with a flourish.
    “You are officially my hero,” she said, twisting offthe cap. “I’ll be petitioning the city to put up a statue in your honor.”
    “It wouldn’t be the first,” he drawled.
    She laughed but realized that he probably had performed more than his fair share of heroics. “So, you’re a

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