He held her close in an intimate embrace, and she could smell the subtle hint of sandalwood cologne lingering on his shirt. But it was the familiar scent beneath the fabric that had her turning her face into his neck and taking a deeper breath—all heated skin and testosterone-filled musk. She’d never before understood what other women meant when they said a guy smelled like “a man.” Until she met Adam. Now she totally got it.

Mouth watering, she took another deep breath before he released her and then smiled up at him. “Having a good time?”

“Yep. And I hear you need a dance partner.” He lifted one brow.

She stilled. “Oh, I…well, I was…”

“Good, let’s dance.” He snagged the margarita from her hand and passed it to Josh. “Keep an eye on her drink, would ya?”

Josh nodded but looked almost as confused as she felt. What was Adam doing? Was he drunk or something? Josh was finally showing some interest in her—well, in her breasts anyway—and Adam was messing it up. What the hell?

“Come on,” Adam said, dragging her toward the dance floor.

He kept a gentle hold as he pulled her through the crowd. A fast song was already playing as they reached the middle. He spun her to face in the direction they had just come from, and she spotted Josh watching from afar.

Adam moved in behind her, the hard planes of his body surrounding hers, as he molded himself to her backside. One strong arm slid around her waist, palming her stomach. She tensed and sucked in an unsteady breath.

He bent his head until his firm lips brushed against the lobe of her ear and his hot breath fluttered over her neck. “Relax, darlin’. Josh is watching. I promise this isn’t going to hurt one bit.”

Josh? Who the hell cared about him?

Something hot had slid through her veins at the sound of the sexy, demanding tone whispered into her ear. Why was he talking like that? God, how much had he had to drink tonight? Couldn’t have been much. It was early, and he didn’t even smell like booze.

Intrigue spiraled through her, and she released a deep breath, letting her body go lax against his. The large hand resting on her stomach settled in just below her navel, his fingers lightly caressing, as he placed his free hand on her hip and tightened her body against his.

Desire winged through her, but she bit her lip and ignored the sensations. The last thing she wanted was for him to think that he was turning her on. Even if it was true. They hadn’t even started dancing yet, and her blood pressure had already spiked sky-high.

When Adam finally began to move, her stomach twisted in automatic response. He ground himself against her, and blood thrummed in her veins in time with the pounding in her ears.