Anny wasn’t sure she was still breathing. Her chest ached and her entire body quivered with anticipation. The man standing beside her was tall and broad shouldered. He wasn’t handsome in the classical sense. He couldn’t be with several wicked scars marring the left side of his face. It gave him a menacing appearance, but there was something compelling about him. His black hair fell to his shoulders, longer than most of the men around here wore theirs. It gave him a wild, untamed appearance. His eyes were so dark she couldn’t tell if they were brown or black, but the depth of unspoken emotions in them pulled on her heartstrings. Maybe she was being fanciful. He was a stranger. A tall, dark stranger. She should have been scared to death or at least cautious. Instead, she was filled with an urge to get closer to him. So when he held out his hand, she eagerly took it.

She was safe enough here. The bar was filled with people. There was no danger in indulging in a harmless dance. She’d call it a birthday present to herself.

He led her to the crowded dance floor and turned her so she was facing him. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Just follow my lead.” His warm breath tickled her ear and sent a shiver racing down her spine. His voice was deep and compelling.

He placed one hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer, aligning their bodies. The man was huge and made her feel slight in comparison. “Just move to the music, chère. Let your body feel the rhythm.”

She watched him, unable to tear her gaze away from his face. He was ruggedly handsome. His rough appearance so at odds with his fluid speech. She’d caught the hint of Louisiana in his voice and instantly knew who he was. Most of the town was interested in the group of men who’d moved up here a little more than two years ago from the south. Speculation was rife, but no one really knew much about them. They mostly kept to themselves and were quiet and polite whenever they ventured into town.

He moved easily to the music, his body fluid and innately sexual. She, on the other hand, felt more like a robot, her movements stiff.

“Relax,” he murmured. “No one is watching. There’s nothing to worry about. Just close your eyes and let the music take you.”

When she did nothing but stare at him, he sighed. “Close your eyes. Go on.”

Anny reluctantly shut them and immediately became more aware of the man she was dancing with. With her vision impeded, her other senses took over. She could smell him. It was an outdoorsy scent, like trees after a morning rain. She was also well aware of his large hands resting at the base of her spine. He held her loosely, but she was very aware of his broad chest and shoulders.

“Feel the music.” He turned to the left and she automatically moved her body to match his. “That’s good, chère,” he praised. The music was slow and had a beat that was easy for her to follow when she stopped thinking about it.

Warmth flowed from him and she had the urge to cuddle up to him. Anny wondered what it would feel like to have his much bigger body rubbing against hers.

As if he could hear her very thoughts, he pulled her closer. Her breasts pressed against his chest and her belly pressed against a very hard bulge in the front of his jeans. Heat suffused her and it was all she could do not to fan herself.

“What’s your name?”

Her eyes flew open. Her dance partner was staring at her with those dark, bottomless eyes. She was dancing with a stranger, pressing her body up against his and wondering what it would feel like if they were both naked, and she didn’t even know his name. What had come over her? She couldn’t blame the alcohol because she hadn’t even had one full beer.

“Anny,” she managed to get out.

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, grazing his fingers along the side of her neck as he did so. Her skin tingled where he touched her and a throbbing began low in her belly. “Conrad,” she added. Was that her voice so sultry and slow? “Nice to meet you, Anny Conrad.” He maneuvered them around the floor until they were dancing in a shadowy corner. “I’m Armand. Armand LaForge.” The song ended, but thankfully another slow one began. She didn’t want this amazing dance to end, not yet. It wasn’t often in a woman’s lifetime that she had the opportunity to spend time with a man like Armand.

He was sexy without even trying. All he had to do was breathe. His voice alone was enough to make any woman a puddle at his feet.

“Hi.” Her greeting sounded more like a sigh. He grinned and she immediately felt her cheeks heat. Could she be any more stupid, acting silly over a man she just met, one who’d only asked her to dance. He probably thought she was an easy conquest.

She started to pull away, but he kept his hands tight against her back, imprisoning her in the circle of his brawny arms. “Stay. Please.”

It was the sincerity in his voice that made her stop trying to get away from him. “Dance with me, Anny.”

Commonsense told her to thank him for the dance and walk away. It was time for her to go home. Like Cinderella at the ball, the clock was ticking away and this wasn’t real. But she was no Cinderella and he certainly wasn’t any Prince Charming. He looked more like he’d be the villain in any fairytale, yet she was drawn to him.

“Just one more,” he coaxed.