Read Say It With Sequins: The Rumba: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance Novella for Free Online Page B

vibe.
    “It’s wonderful!” she yelled to Harri, over the music, and smiled up at him.
    Before he could answer, though, three or four very drunk people staggered over to them.
    “Hi Trevor,” Harri said, as a tall man grabbed him in a bear hug. “Happy birthday. Sorry we’re a bit late. Traffic.”
    This must be
Red Pepper’s
producer. Julia laughed and stood to one side as Harri disappeared into the group, who greeted him with much backslapping and raucous humour.
    By the look of them all, they’d been drinking for quite some time. Harri managed eye contact with Julia and, quirking his brows, extricated himself, making the excuse that they wanted to skate while the rink wasn’t too crowded. He propelled her to one of the marquees, where they had to collect their skates.
    Julia sat, trying to pull on her skating boots. “Are you sure these are the right size for me?” she complained.
    “Come here.” Harri tutted in mock exasperation. He kneeled before her and helped. “How much trouble are you?” He smoothed the thin leather boot onto her ankle, his cold fingers making contact with her bare leg making her yelp.
    She leaned forward so that they were nose to cold nose. “I can be as much trouble as you want,” she breathed huskily and then backtracked as she clocked his panicked expression. “On the rink, of course.”
    “Of course,” Harri said, in relief. “You’ve never skated before, have you?”
    “Nope.” As Julia tried to stand, she fell onto him. “Whoops. Seem to be making a habit of this tonight. I’m glad I didn’t have a drink first.” She clutched onto his sweater, enjoying the feel of his erect nipples through the wool. “You’ll have to hold me up, Harri.”
    “Looks that way, bach,” Harri responded somewhat tersely. “Come on, let’s get started.”
    As it happened, Harri had to hold onto Julia through most of their skating time. She proved to be as much a natural on the ice as she was in the dance studio.
    “I just don’t seem to have any balance for this sort of thing,” she gasped and clung onto his arm on one side and the rail on the other. Past flirting now, Julia simply wanted to stay upright.
    Harri was in mid-chuckle when the music abruptly stopped, to be replaced by the strains of ‘Happy Birthday’.
    Relishing a reprieve, Julia leaned on the rail, while everyone sang to Trevor who, judging from the racket coming from one of the marquees, was still ensconced in the bar.
    When it was over, Harri looked her in the eye. “I think you’re ready to try the middle of the rink out now.”
    “No way!”
    “Way,” he laughed. “Come on, you can still hang onto me. You can’t stay by the rails all night.”
    “I rather think I can.”
    “Chicken.”
    Julia brought herself up to her full height. “No one calls me ‘chicken’ and gets away with it!” She glared at him and then slipped a little. “You will hold me up though, Harri, won’t you? Don’t let me go, will you?”
    Harri laughed and put his arm round her waist. “Put your arm round my neck and you’ll be fine. Oh, the music’s changed again.”
    And so it had. The lighting changed too. To accompany the moody notes of Elvis’
Blue Christmas
the ice rink transformed from white to a greeny-blue. Dry ice shifted across its surface.
    Harri and Julia made their unsteady way across the ice. It was as if they were moving underwater; it felt dreamy and romantic. Their limbs slowed to match the seductive rhythm of the old song.
    Julia was only too aware of the man next to her. Although she knew she’d fall if he let go of her, she was certain he wouldn’t. She felt safe.
    She also felt as horny as hell.
    She stopped and slid round to face him. With her sudden movement, he staggered a little. It brought his face next to hers, within kissing distance. She felt his breath, hot on her cold face.
    He put both arms around her, to hold her steady. Feeling brave, in return, Julia slipped her arms round his waist,