Page 46 of Stealing Summer

“Seeing that dress on you makes me want to take it off you,” he whispered, reaching for my hand and placing a gentle kiss on my knuckles. His touch sent shivers down my spine.

“I know what you mean, that suit is doing something to me too,” I grinned, a little shocked I said that out loud. Who am I?

“But too bad we have to get going,” I said, eager to leave for the ball and finally get to see for myself if this event was going to live up to all the hype.

“Hey if you wanna get out of there and fog up some car windows—you just say the word,” Reese said, winking flirtatiously.

I let out a laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He grinned, offering me his arm. “After you.”

The past few weeks with Reese had been exhilarating. We had spent a lot of time on his boat, talking and laughing until sunset. We pulled pranks on his neighborhood watch—a sight that still made me laugh myself to sleep when I thought about it. Every day was a new adventure, drawing me deeper into his thrilling world.

At the same time, Boston and I had never felt further apart. I didn’t know if that childhood crush would ever die but I still found myself wondering about him, and the things he opened up to me about. Lately, he was always busy, Probably with Caroline. It left an ache in my chest that I couldn’t explain.

I knew he still had my friendship bracelet tied inside his glove that he took to every baseball game. But lately, it seemed like the only thing still tying us together was the past. We’d been like two ships passing in the night.

I was pulled from my thoughts as Parker suddenly appeared again, slightly out of breath.

“Hey, I put my flowers in the car and I’m about to take off,” he said. “I know I convinced Coach to let me take Willow to the ball, but he wasn’t too happy about it, and he’ll kill me if I’m late.”

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Still not sure how you did it.”

Parker gave a shrug. “I managed to persuade him after promising I’d organize the equipment.”

“Nice,” I smirked. “I’ll see you there!”

Parker gave Reese a quick fist bump.

“See you at the ball, bro. Take good care of her,” Parker said.

“You got it,” Reese laughed, giving him a playful smile.

Parker grinned as he walked around to the driver’s side of his truck. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he called out.

“That doesn’t leave much.” Reese shot back.

Parker just shook his head, chuckling as he turned the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered to life.

“Shall we?”

I took his hand, soaking in the feeling of his palm against mine. He led me down the steps to his shiny black truck, opening the door for me like a true gentleman.

The moment we stepped into the grand ballroom, I was in awe. Chandeliers glittered above us, illuminating the space in a warm, golden glow. White linen-draped tables were adorned with blue and white floral centerpieces.

But it wasn’t just the lavish decor that surprised me. As we entered, all eyes turned our way. I felt my cheeks flush, unaccustomed to this kind of attention. Reese, however, was unfazed. He guided me forward with a reassuring hand on the small of my back, his charming smile easing my nerves.

“Don’t worry about them, just focus on me,” he said, low and calm. His eyes locked onto mine and I forgot about all the noise, getting lost in his mesmerizing green gaze. I wondered how he was hardly ever phased, even in the most intimidating surroundings.

We were interrupted by a voice calling Reese’s name. A slender, youthful-looking blonde woman hurried over, throwing her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug.

“Reese! There you are! I’ve been calling you.” she exclaimed.

He returned the hug warmly. “Sorry, I had it on silent. Mom, I’d like you to meet Chandler.”

So this was Reese’s stepmom. I had imagined someone older but her energy was infectious. She gave me the same warm, welcoming embrace that she gave Reese.

“It’s so wonderful to finally meet you, Chandler! You can call me Britt,” she said warmly. “Reese has told us all about you.”

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