Don't Let Go Read Online Free Page B

not let anyone hurt her.
    Eric’s sister greeted them with hugs and squeals of delight. They barely had a chance to sit down before Dee dragged Annalee to the dance floor. Dee was the life of the party. Pregnancy wasn’t slowing her down one bit.
    Two balloon towers of blue and silver, the school colors, were set on either side of the platform where the DJ played a combination of new tunes and those from “back in the day.” Dee requested her favorite song and insisted Annalee join her in singing and dancing the chorus.
    Both women were laughing when they returned to their seats. Thom regarded his wife complacently. He was Dee’s perfect foil—calm, dependable, and able to settle her down when she got a little too wound up.
    Dee shook her finger at Eric. “Aren’t you Mr. Mysterious? I had no clue you were planning this little surprise.”
    “I wanted Annalee to be the first to know.”
    His sister turned to Annalee. “Were you surprised? Shocked? Knocked for a loop?”
    “All of the above.” The smile she gave him made his chest swell with pride.
    He had her up on the dance floor every chance he got, especially for the slow songs. That gave him the perfect excuse to hold her close, to feel her soft breasts against him, to trail his hand down to the small of her back, almost but not quite touching her ass. When a new song began, he ignored the up-tempo change. He and Annalee were the only couple on the floor still holding each other, but he didn’t care. Annalee was in his arms, and he never wanted to let go. She was such a luscious armful. Her scent, light and flowery, made his mouth water.
    He wished he could sweep her away right now, have her all to himself. Hold on, dude. Patience.
    “I have to tell you something.” He kept his voice low so the other dancers couldn’t hear. “This morning, when I met you walking the dog? It wasn’t an accident. I was on my way to your house when I found you in the park.”
    She blinked in surprise. “You were?”
    He smirked. “Yep. I’ve been wanting to make my move ever since Dee told me about your divorce. I wanted to give you some time. But not too much time. I didn’t want anyone else to snatch you up.”
    “Really?” Annalee’s voice was soft, her gaze full of warmth.
    He cinched his arm tighter around her waist. The scent of her hair made him almost dizzy. “Really.” He twirled her out, even though the music didn’t call for it.
    She twirled in. When her breasts nestled against his chest, excitement sizzled through him. “I’m glad you didn’t wait any longer.” Her voice was sultry and low.
    That did it. The sizzle flared to a blaze. No doubt now—he needed to get her alone.
    “Come with me.” His throat felt thick, making his voice gravelly. Taking her hand, he led her through the glass doors leading outside. In summer, they’d have been standing in a garden, but all the flowers had long since faded.
    It didn’t matter. Annalee provided all the beauty he needed.
    They found a stone bench far enough from the party to have some privacy. As they sat, Annalee shivered in the chilly night air. With a twinge of guilt, Eric shrugged out of his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. “My bad. I didn’t stop to think how cold it is out here.”
    “I’m fine.” She smiled, snuggling into the jacket as though she enjoyed having it around her. “Too noisy inside?”
    “Sure. Any excuse to get you alone.” His pulse spiked. It was all he could do not to grab her and kiss her. His gut clenched and sweat dampened his hairline as he took her hand again. “Annalee. Did you know you changed my life, that night you were my date for the prom?”
    Her eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean?”
    “That night I felt like the biggest loser on the planet because my date had dumped me. It had taken all my courage to ask Cindy Porter to go with me. To tell you the truth, I was shocked as hell she said yes, considering how long it took for me to get