Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 555(@200wpm)___ 444(@250wpm)___ 370(@300wpm)
“I’m a little distracted, but I’m having fun.”
She eyed me suspiciously. “So mysterious these days, Scowl. But Ben and I are going to get to the bottom of it, and then you’ll really be in trouble.”
I laughed again. “That sounds about right.”
When I looked up, I noticed Kendra and James dancing right by us.
“You kids having fun?” he asked, winking at me, acting about as teacher-y as a teach could.
It felt like I was smiling for the first time since the song had started. “Yeah. You guys?”
“Best night ever,” James joked as he continued along, brushing his shoulder against mine.
It was so subtle, but at least it was fucking something.
No…everything.
When the song came to an end, James and Kendra settled near the punch fountain. Taryn, Ben, and I got to dancing with our classmates until I noticed Kendra chatting with some other chaperones.
I made a beeline for James while he was in the middle of drinking some punch. “Is it spiked yet?”
“No, but I keep going for it all the same, hoping for the best.”
I laughed as I poured myself some.
“Did you enjoy the slow dance?” he asked.
“Not the same when it’s not the special one you’re thinking of.”
“Tonight’s supposed to be—”
“Special, I know. Got it.” I sidled up next to him, putting my free hand in my pocket and taking a sip from my cup.
“Well, if you’re not out too late partying, maybe we can have our own dance.”
I imagined sharing a dance with him in the kitchen…or the living room…maybe the office where we’d shared that first intense exchange. Dancing would lead to more, I was sure.
“Guess I won’t be going out partying, then,” I said.
“No. You need to. Just text me before you get back.”
I didn’t say more, since I didn’t want him trying to talk me into staying out, when all I wanted was to be in him. We only spent a few minutes near each other, getting the closest thing I could to a fix before I returned to Taryn and Ben. Having had that moment and anticipating a private one with him was enough to let me cut loose and enjoy myself, sharing those brief looks with him throughout the night.
And once the lights came up, my buddies started making arrangements with some of the others, and I agreed to head to a house party with them. James was going to have to help clean up and stack chairs, anyway. Also, it was going to be easier to slip away from a party once Taryn was chatting away with her buddies and Ben snuck off with Malcolm. And when my opportunity came, I slipped out without much fuss and drove to James’s place, giving him a text warning as he’d requested, hoping he’d still be in his sexy suit when I got to the house.
I’d swapped out of my rental tux, folding and putting it in my duffel bag before switching to my street clothes for my trek through the woods. As I did, I checked my phone.
A message from James: Meet me at our spot.
The hell?
Tired as I was feeling from a night of dancing and fun with friends, a rush of excitement pushed through me, granting me a second wind. I headed through the woods, following the trail I showed James when I first led him out to our special place. I noticed a light in the distance, which I used as my guide to the clearing.
James was sitting on an upside-down Rubbermaid box, fidgeting on his phone.
I didn’t say anything. I wanted to drink him in without worrying about being caught like I had been at prom. As I neared, he must’ve heard me because he looked up quickly.
The orange glow from the lantern on the ground just a few feet from him reflected in his glasses as a smile spread across his face—the sort of look he got when I’d show up at his place, like I was the answer to every problem he’d ever had.
He still wore his suit, and as he moved, I noticed something in his other hand. As he put it in front of him, the light caught the rose he held.
“Motherfucker,” I muttered as we met each other halfway. “You’re such a dork.”
“You told me you love a dork.”
I kissed him, grabbing his waist and tugging him close. “Damn right I do.”
I hadn’t intended to kiss him as long as I did, but having been forced to be apart from him all evening, I had to make up for every moment that had been robbed from us.
“Wait, wait,” I said, pulling away.
I set the duffel bag on the ground and unzipped it.
I undressed and swapped out my clothes while he watched, not talking, clearly enjoying the show before helping me with a few bits, until we were snickering at the ridiculousness of it all—being in the middle of the woods, in our nice clothes.