“Amy Stone.” She placed her palm inside his. Searing heat branded her, sizzling up her arm and into her chest, knocking the wind out of her completely.

Wow.

She’d never had such an intense reaction to a man before. She caught a whiff of his sensual cologne, which caused an erotic spike in her body temperature. “It’s nice to meet you, John.”

A cute smile pulled at his lips. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Amy Stone.” His voice dropped a husky octave.

She ran her tongue over her dry lips. “So what table are you seated at?” she asked him.

He’d been holding her gaze with a look hot enough to melt the ice sculptures she’d seen earlier, but suddenly he twisted his body, looking around before turning back to her again. “Listen, the seating is…um…complicated.”

“Tell me about it. It’s a wedding. Seating is always complicated. I’m just hoping I’m not at the same table as my mom and her sister.” Amy had picked up her place card earlier, but she hadn’t seen her relatives since they’d left the ceremony to ask where they were seated. Amy rolled her eyes at her predicament and laughed.

John didn’t join her. “It’s not that kind of complicated.” He mulled something over in his mind for a while before finally speaking. “I just didn’t expect to meet someone like you here,” he said, warmth and something inherently more in his tone.

“Tell me about it.” She hadn’t come here with a date or intending to meet a man, either, but she was definitely glad she had met one. Now she didn’t have to survive those awkward moments during slow songs. If John didn’t ask her to dance, maybe she’d just ask him instead. Though that sounded more like something her mother would do than Amy, this man was worth stepping out of her comfort zone for. A tingle of anticipation rippled through her at the thought of a slow dance, his arms wrapped around her waist…

He bent his head close to hers. She inhaled and his aftershave filled her with deep yearning. He leaned closer. For a whisper? Not a kiss, it was way too soon.