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He swiped at his nose and nodded, leaving a large gap between us. “Sure.”
That makes one of us.
Nodding a few times, I went back to staring at the wall and wishing for death.
I allowed the awkward silence to simmer for a few more beats before popping up and flattening down the smooth fabric of my black, formfitting dress. While Tara looked like a Disney princess with a glittering tiara in her hair, shimmery lotion on her skin, and a giant, fluffed skirt with sequins that could blind somebody, I was going for sleek and sophisticated.
My dress was the color of obsidian nightfall, with off-the-shoulder sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. Half of my hair was pulled up in a glitzy barrette, while the rest spilled over my bare shoulders in golden waves. I felt pretty. Womanly. My makeup was subtle, aside from the bright raspberry lipstick kissing my lips. Copperglow Berry; my favorite. I’d been wearing it the night I met Reed, so I wasn’t sure if it was blessed or cursed, but it complemented my lightly bronzed skin tone and added boldness to my otherwise understated look.
The front door opened.
I swiveled left.
And my heart bottomed out of me.
Reed spotted me instantly, a physical reaction stealing his feet as he locked up, stilled, and idled in the entryway with his eyes fixed on me. Tara was too wrapped up in kissing her boyfriend to notice him, so I latched on to the private moment and entwined myself in its grip.
His eyes were fire.
Lightning.
Embers and jade flames.
He rolled his gaze up and down the length of my body in a slow pull, and I watched his throat work and flex through a tight swallow.
I smiled softly. There was nothing else I could do.
“Picture time!” Whitney made her way into the living area with a disposable camera in hand, waving it around. “You girls look gorgeous. So unbelievably grown up.”
My invisible tether with Reed snapped, its pulse flatlining. I twisted toward Tara’s mom and fiddled with the pearly pendant on my necklace chain. “Thank you. I guess we do clean up nice once in a while.”
Tara jumped up from the sofa, waving at her father. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”
I did.
Every atom in my body heard him and felt him.
Reed palmed the back of his neck, the creases around his eyes softening. Two dimples emerged as he studied his daughter. “Squirt…look at you.”
She did a little hip-bob as the huge skirt of her dress swished side to side. “Mom took me and Hals to the salon to get our hair done. You like?” Tara flicked her fingers through her soft brown curls and waggled her eyebrows.
“You look incredible. Where’s my gun?”
Tara groaned. “The only thing you’re killing is my mood with those dumb Dad lines.”
I giggled, turning my attention to my date as he sat like a stone on the couch. “Come on, let’s get these pictures over with.” While I had intended on going to the Prom alone, Tara wouldn’t allow it, so she’d roped this poor sucker into being my date. He was painfully shy, but that would likely work in my favor. No pressure, no expectations. If I’d gone to the dance with Eric Solomon, I was confident I’d be channeling my self-defense training when he inevitably got too frisky with me.
Nolan inched off the couch, his face almost as red as his amber hair. “Okay.”
Whitney ushered us all to the patio door. “Let’s take pictures outside. The white ash tree in the backyard is blooming with those pretty flowers.”
Tara and Josh strolled ahead, arm in arm, while Nolan shuffled behind them with his head down. I gathered a breath and began to walk forward.
But then two palms landed on my hips and I went deathly still. Heat broke out all across my skin, staining my chest and collarbone. I fought for air, but it was stuck in my throat like bubblegum.
Warm breath coasted along the nape of my neck as Reed leaned in and whispered, “You look…so goddamn beautiful.”
My vision blurred. My legs shook under me as he gave my hips a gentle squeeze and then let go, moving around me and walking ahead to meet up with the rest of the group.