I haven’t loved him my whole life. In fact, I’ve only started to like him in the past few days. Erma specifically said my soul mate was the Williams boy I’d loved since I was a kid. That I knew who he was.

“Erma’s never wrong, right, Lydia?” I ask.

“That’s right.” She skillfully pushes Will and me together and places our hands in the proper positions.

Will’s right hand feels warm and heavy on my left shoulder blade. He spreads his hand across my bare back and a liquid warmth flows over me. My whole body, all my senses and awareness are focused on the spot where his fingers press against my skin. He takes his left hand and clasps my right. His grip is gentle, with a quiet strength. He runs his thumb over the back of my hand, so featherlight that I’d miss it if I weren’t so aware of him.

The stroke of his fingers on my hand vibrates over me all the way down to my core. I clench my legs together and try to stay in the here and now. We’re in Lydia’s studio to talk about soul mates.

Soul mates.

I put my other hand on Will’s right shoulder. My mouth goes dry and I hold back an involuntary sound of pleasure. The right side of his lips turns up in a half-smile. He knows.

I try to get a grip. But my body keeps reminding me that the last time I gripped Will’s shoulders, he had me against a wall, or on the ground. With his mouth on me. I let out a sharp pant.

“Perfect,” Lydia says. “I can always tell whether a couple will make it. Erma has her soul mate predictions, but I have dance.”

Will looks into my eyes. “Really?”

“Try this,” Lydia says. “We’ll do some basic waltz steps.” She demonstrates, and Will leads me in a languid movement.

Lydia continues. “Dancing with your partner is the best way to learn their secrets. You can learn in ten minutes flat what they’ll be like in marriage and whether or not you fit.”

I want to say something, but my tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth and Will’s hand has short-circuited the wires between my tongue and my brain.

“That’s interesting,” Will says. I can’t tell if he’s talking to Lydia or commenting on the way I’m melting into him.

As Will flows into another waltz move, Lydia goes on. “More than interesting. Listen close. Sure, you can tell if a man will be good in bed by how he dances, the way he leads you, if he responds to you, your chemistry.”