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“Did you mind me cutting in?”
    “Nope.” She shook her head. “I was actually disappointed that you let him cut in.”
    He studied her features. “Thought you’d want to talk to your old boyfriend.”
    “Not really.” She smiled at Dillon. “I’d rather dance with you.”
    “If he tries again,” Dillon said with a grin, “I’ll take care of him.”
    She raised an eyebrow. “And what does ‘take care of’ mean?”
    “I can take him outside and kick his ass for bothering you.” Dillon gave a half-teasing, half-serious look.
    She laughed, picturing Dillon flattening Geoff. “It’s probably not a good idea. I bet you could take him but I doubt he’d go down easy. Geoff has training in some kind of mixed martial arts.”
    “If he bothers you, just let me know,” Dillon said.
    “He’s harmless.” She smiled. She found herself liking the way Dillon wanted to protect her.
    Sheesh. What an old-fashioned way of thinking.
    As they danced around the room, she caught a flash of Geoff’s face as he watched her, but she couldn’t read his expression.
    When the dance ended, she saw Geoff moving their way.
    Not wanting to talk to Geoff, she took Dillon’s hand. “Let’s get something to drink. You’ve worn me out.”
    He squeezed her hand and led her outside where the air cooled her skin that was hot from dancing so much. After they got a couple cups of punch and they’d each picked out desserts, they sat on a hay bale. The bale was on the edge of the gathering and the bright lights and it was shadowed.
    The chocolate cake Carly had chosen was incredible. “Taste this.” She raised her fork with a piece of the cake on it.
    He opened his mouth and she slid the fork between his lips. His gaze held hers as he took the cake.
    “It’s good,” he murmured when she slipped the utensil away. “Damn good.” He raised his plate that held half of her one of her cookies that he hadn’t eaten yet. With a sexy grin he said, “I have to say your cookies are better.”
    She smiled and thought about kissing him again, right here and now. They weren’t a couple of teenagers, but who cared what anyone thought?
    What was she thinking, anyway? She was breaking all the rules by letting her guard down around Dillon. She was too comfortable with him, something she was going to have to remedy.
    His blue eyes were a shade darker, passion in his gaze. Despite telling herself she shouldn’t let him get too close, she he couldn’t help herself as they started to lean toward each other. Their lips were close to touching—
    “Mind if I sit here?”
    Carly and Dillon both startled enough to jerk apart and she saw that it was Geoff who’d interrupted them.
    Geoff sat on the hay bale beside her and gave an apologetic look, which didn’t fool Carly. “I don’t know anyone else here,” he said. “So I thought I’d see if you’d mind me joining you.”
    She tried to think of a graceful way out—she really didn’t want to sit between two men who both appeared to be interested in her. She smiled at Geoff and stood, and Dillon got to his feet beside her.
    “The band just finished their break, so we were planning to head back to the barn to dance.” She took Dillon’s hand and smiled at Geoff. “Sorry about that. Enjoy your dessert and punch.”
    “Sure.” Geoff’s nodded. “Have fun.”
    Dillon gave him a curt nod in return. He and Carly picked up their plates, cups, and plastic forks, and left Geoff behind. She felt a little bad for brushing him off so blatantly, but maybe he got the message that she wasn’t interested in striking up a relationship with him.
    But was he that bad that she couldn’t just be friends with him? At one time they’d had fun and she’d felt comfortable confiding in him. He was the type of person who would take another’s secrets to the grave.
    It did bother her a little that in the past he’d been relentless in trying to contact her and get her back after she told him that she