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many couples out there, let’s slow it down for one song.”
    “ The Only Exception”—Paramore.
    Oh. Shit.
    Jake stood in front of me. Twelve inches could have been a mile if neither of us had the nerve to close it. We stared at each other, trying to catch our breaths.
    Empowered feeling—gone.
    Until he stretched out his long arm, and his strong hand lighted onto the curve of my waist. He looked as scared as me as he took two steps to shore up the distance between us. I couldn’t look at him anymore; the intensity was pulling me in like an undertow, deep into a wave I would never be able to swim back up from. Instead I closed my eyes and let my head lean against his shoulder.
    Four years he’d been gone. FOUR YEARS! The thought screamed into my mind. But I wouldn’t trade this moment or feeling for anything. I wouldn’t even trade my own pride or anger because, in contrast, it made the intensity of this perfect moment just that much stronger. With my messed up background I didn’t really believe in love. Jake North was my only exception.
    The sensation of his hands on my hips made me take in a sharp breath. Desire pooled through me. He made sure he held me at a respectful distance, and I wanted to scream. But his hot breath on my neck, close to my ear, told me he felt the same thing I did. His breath was ragged, like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs, and every time he breathed out he sent a current of heat shooting down my neck all the way down to my most intimate place. Dancing didn’t normally feel like this. Nothing felt the same without Jake as it did when he was involved.
    I hoped he could smell my shampoo. He smelled like fresh night air mixed with the heat and smoke of the fire, body spray and the sweet scent of his own musk. I wanted to pull him closer; I wanted to know what our bodies would feel like close up and tight to one another. I inched forward a bit and got away with it. A little more and I felt his chest pressed more into mine. My breasts hardened at his touch. Oh my God, it was such a beautiful sensation, a rush I wanted more of.
    As I tried to bring myself closer he stayed me with his hands on my hips, not letting me go any further. Embarrassment heated my face and limbs and I wanted to run, mortified by my moment-ago-behavior.
    That’s when I heard Jake North sing.
    At first I thought I’d imagined it; I was living a little— okay big —fantasy here. But it was real. He didn’t push me back or away, just halted me from getting closer. At that moment his fingers dug deeply and needfully into the muscles of my hips and he breathed the lyrics of the song over my ear.
    I nestled my face into his chest until I could hear his heartbeat. Meanwhile he pressed his head gently against mine as if to say, “I’m here,” and kept sing-breathing the words of each chorus until the song ended.
    Everyone clapped and I was forced to wake up to reality.
    That’s when Drew and Brian came running up with the other guys and began dousing Jake with full cups of beer. I jumped back quick to miss the shower.
    Caleb threw Jake over his shoulder and the group swallowed him up, chanting and jeering. I took a few calculated steps back. I knew the party was far from over, but I needed some air. The kind of air no one else was breathing. So while all eyes were on Jake and the ensuing riot, I headed around to the front of the house.
    I found the yard swing and got into it. Chevelle was blaring over the prairie now, and I knew no one would hear me as I giggled like a hyper lunatic because Jake North had just sung to me.
    I gripped the ropes and let my legs meter in and out, putting the swing in motion. This thing had been here for forever. Jules and I used to spin each other on it, while Will and Sam would give us underdogs, making us scream.
    I was dizzy enough and decided swinging probably wasn’t the greatest thing to do. Instead I let my feet touch the grass and pulled the Celtic knot from under my