Perfect Song (Mason Creek Book 2) by Lauren Runow (christmas read aloud .txt) 📕

my body against his. I instantly want to rest my head on his chest and breathe in his scent that seems to welcome me in, but I stop myself. I remind myself that I barely know him, and no matter how secure he’s making me feel right now, I still have to have my guard up.

“So, you’re a dancer too?” I ask, fidgeting and unsure of myself and the emotions running through me.

In high school, you just held on to each other and pressed your body against the other while you moved in a tiny circle. I can honestly say I’ve never had a man move me around like you see in the movies, which is exactly what he’s doing right now.

“Every man should know how to move a beautiful woman around the dance floor.”

I feel my face flush, and I turn my eyes away from him to hide it.

“You’ve been gone so long that you don’t recognize a gentleman when you see one. Those city guys don’t know how to treat a woman.” He pushes me out slightly and holds his arm up to twirl me around before bringing me back in.

“And a country boy like you does?”

A low rumble sounds from his throat. “No doubt about it, I’m no boy.”

As he pulls me closer, I swallow hard, feeling every hard edge of his very masculine frame. “Is this how you woo all your women?”

“Most women want me for what I do up there.” He motions toward the stage. “Sadly, I don’t get the chance to dance as much as I’d like.”

I lean my head back and look up at him. With a challenge in my tone, I say, “For someone who never hangs out, you’ve made a point to be out two nights in a row.”

He laughs lightly. “It’s just by chance that I was here last night to relax and have a beer.” He leans forward, his voice a whisper from my ear. “I came here tonight, hoping I’d get to see you again.”

Chills run through my body, and I take a sharp inhale at his blunt admission.

I blink a few times and stare over his shoulder. He must sense the tension in my body because he rubs his thumb over the back of my hand.

“I know I can be forward, but sometimes, that’s the best way to be. You’re newly back in town, and you have a lot of catching up to do, but I’d love to get to know you better, if you’ll allow me to.”

His words are so sincere. If I’m being honest with myself, I do want to get to know Tucker better. There’s something about him. Maybe it’s because my friends like him or because he’s a father or a known singer or because he’s helped me out or because he’s so damn sexy that I find myself staring at his mouth when he speaks, wondering what it would be like to taste him. Whatever the reason, I feel like I can relax.

“For a man who doesn’t woo women very often, you’re certainly doing a great job at it.”

“You like my woo?”

“It’s decent woo,” I say coyly.

“Is that a challenge? All right. But I have to warn you, you might not be prepared for the full Tucker Simms experience.”

“You make it seem like a ride at a theme park.”

“I’m not gonna touch that comment with a ten-foot pole.”

“What? No witty comeback?”

“Only inappropriate thoughts, and I just said I was gonna show you what it’s like to be with a gentleman.”

“Shame. I was starting to see what kind of a cad this cowboy really was.”

“Challenge accepted then.”

“You’re something else, Tucker Simms,” I breathe, and I can feel his smile radiate through his hold on my body.

I grin and continue to dance. “Sure Be Cool If You Did” by Blake Shelton plays, and I tilt my head to meet his gaze. His lips turn up in a slight smile as we listen to the song talking about how he came to the bar to chill and had no intention of meeting anyone.

Kind of like us.

Walking into this bar last night and meeting someone new was the furthest thing on my mind. Yet here I am, dancing with a guy who’s caught my attention, even when I thought that part of me would be dead for a long while.

He wraps his arm around my back, pulling me closer to him, and I go willingly. When I place my head on his shoulder, a sense of peace washes over me. I’ve never fit so well against someone. He’s just tall enough to where my head rests perfectly against his chest.

He tucks my arm in, so he’s holding me closer, and I inhale the sweet smell of his cologne. I’m not normally a huge fan of men wearing cologne because it’s too strong, but the slight scent wafting off of him is woodsy and sexy, making me want to stay pressed against him even longer.

For this second, I’m not the girl I was in New York. Right now, in this moment, I’m a woman dancing with a man I just met. The best part … I feel like I can breathe for the first time in weeks.

I’m drawn into him even more as the song comes to an end, and he places his finger under my chin, tilting my head up to look into his eyes.

“I really want to kiss you right now, but I won’t. We just met, and I want to show you that I’m a gentleman. You deserve every aspect of what that word means. I’m just hoping you’ll give me the opportunity to prove it to you by giving me your number.”

I close my eyes for a brief second, and when I open them, he’s staring at me, waiting with bated breath for my response. Seeing someone so interested to get to know me is like a warm blanket wrapping around me. I have this feeling like he’ll protect me if he gets