Page 23 of Stealing Summer

I continued to sing along with her, trying to shake off the feeling of knowing he was watching. Still, I couldn’t help but continue to glance at him from time to time, wondering what thoughts were running through his mind as he watched me. Was it all in my mind, or was that smoldering look in his eyes filled with desire?

eleven

The pounding bass of the music vibrated through my chest. Willow and I had been dancing for a while now, and my eyes darted to Reese every so often. I couldn’t help but think about what had transpired between him and Blair and whether it had anything to do with me.

“I have no idea where I put my drink. My song came on and I got too excited… I think I threw it somewhere.” Willow snickered, spinning me around in time with the beat. As I turned, I saw that Reese’s gaze found mine once again. This time, however, he was making his way through the crowd and was headed in my direction. I swallowed, anticipation and anxiety began to flutter within me.

“Hey,” Reese said smoothly as he reached me, his hand rested gently on my arm. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Uh, sure,” I stammered, feeling the eyes of everyone around us as he led me away. The music seemed to fade into the background as we moved further away from everyone else.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

“Everything’s fine,” he assured me, with a gentle smile. Then, he leaned in so close that his lips brushed against my ear as he whispered, “You look so damn good tonight. I can’t take my eyes off you.”

My breath was caught in my throat at his words, warmth flooding my cheeks. It was as if everyone around us had faded away, leaving only the two of us and the undeniable chemistry that sparked between us.

“Reese, I—” I started, unsure of what to say or how to react.

“I just couldn’t help myself. I had to pull you away,” he said with a slight smirk, clearly enjoying the effect he had on me. “I wanna kiss you again.”

“We shouldn’t,” I breathed out, trying to keep my composure. His words had left me reeling, but at the same time, I knew what had just happened with him and Blair. I knew she was here somewhere and it wouldn’t be right.

I wanted to lean into him, to let him wrap his arms around me and give in to the desire that burned between us. But I couldn’t. Not after hearing the argument he’d just had. It wasn’t fair to Blair—who could walk by any moment, heartbroken or upset.

He pulled back slightly, confusion flickered in his eyes. “Why not?”

My mind raced, searching for a way to explain without revealing that I’d overheard his argument. “Because I know Blair’s here, Reese. I can’t come between whatever the two of you have going on. And most of the team is here too—if anything gets back to Parker, he’d be so pissed.”

“Is that all you’re worried about?” He chuckled softly, his eyes never leaving mine. “Parker doesn’t own you. You can make your own choices. And I told you, Blair isn’t my girlfriend.”

“We just can’t,” I said softly, barely a whisper. “We shouldn’t have even kissed before.”

Feeling overwhelmed, I leaned against the wall as I let out the breath I was holding. Reese followed, all six feet plus of him leaned in even closer—casting a shadow over me. He rested one arm above my head on the wall, his warm breath brushed across the side of my face.

“Okay,” he murmured, before slightly shifting his head to the side. “So you’re telling me you don’t want me to kiss you here?” His fingers lightly grazed my neck, tracing a path that sent an ache through my whole body. I bit my lip, struggling to keep my breathing under control. The desire coursing through me was undeniable, but I knew I couldn’t give in.

“No, I don’t,” I whispered, my voice shaking with the effort of keeping him at bay.

“Are you sure?” His voice was low and seductive. “You have no idea how much I want you right now.” His fingers trace a tantalizing path from my neck to my ear. With a gentle push, he brushed my hair back, exposing the sensitive skin beneath. “It seems like your body is saying something else.”

My body was betraying me. That’s what it was doing. “I’m sure,” I managed to choke out, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. My thoughts raced with conflicting emotions—I desperately wanted to kiss and touch him, but I knew I couldn’t surrender to temptation.

Reese’s voice was a low hum that vibrated through me, his breath still against my ear. “If you asked me nicely, I’d fuck you right here against this wall.”

I felt every muscle in my body stiffen at his words. The reckless edge in his tone, laced with a challenge, made my heart feel like it was going to explode, and I swallowed hard, trying to regain some semblance of control over the situation.

“Good thing I’m not asking you,” I said, somehow formulating the words.

“Alright,” he breathed into my ear, sending a shudder through me. “When you change your mind, come find me.” With a final lingering touch, he stepped back, leaving me leaning against the wall—my body was still tingling from his proximity.

As I watched him walk away, I fought the urge to call out to him, to give in to the passion that threatened to consume us both. Instead, I remained silent. My heart was feeling heavy with the weight of a decision I could only hope was the right one.

I took a seat in the nearest chair, needing a moment to catch my breath. Eventually, Willow's eager face pulled me out of the trance I was in. Her blue eyes were wide with urgency. “Chandler, you won’t believe what I just heard!”

“Slow down. What happened?” I asked, feeling a knot form in the pit of my stomach.

“Okay, so Caroline told me that she walked into the bathroom, right? And there’s Blair, mascara running down her cheeks, practically bawling her eyes out.” Willow’s features softened, betraying her sympathy. “She was telling her friends that Reese said he didn’t want her to stay the night tonight… or stay over at all anymore.”

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