Page 49 of Sin

“Go, Ethan!” I shout. “Show them what you’ve got!”

His eyes are locked on mine as he starts dancing. He takes on a mock seductive look, placing one finger on his full lips. He moves around the pole with exaggerated hip swings and body rolls, making me laugh so hard that tears spring to my eyes.

“Is that Ethan Harrington?” someone behind me asks.

I turn around to see what looks like a college guy with tousled brown hair. “Yep,” I say. “He’s considering pole dancing as a career if he doesn’t get drafted.”

This guy must not be the only one who noticed Ethan on stage, because the erupting cheers around me are almost deafening.

The guy grins as his gaze shifts to the stage. “I think he might want to stick to football.”

“What are you talking about?” I gesture at Ethan. “He’s an expert dancer. Look at those hip thrusts.”

The guy moves closer to me, his breath brushing against my ear. “I’d like to see you up there.”

I roll my eyes and take a step forward. Ethan seems to notice our exchange, because his playful expression is gone, and his gaze is fixed on the guy behind me. His final dance move is a dramatic spin around the pole. He leaps off the stage and wraps his arm around my waist, yanking me against his hard chest. He shoots a dirty look over his shoulder that I have to assume is for the guy who flirted with me.

My tummy does a little turn. When did his overprotectiveness become so hot?

His dark-blue eyes are hooded. “Was that guy bothering you?”

“Not enough to ruin my enjoyment of your truly innovative performance. Did you end it just because of him?”

“Maybe.” Ethan’s lips twist into a half smile. “Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to touch you.”

A flutter of excitement dances in my chest. I shoot him a cheeky smile. “It was a mistake. You didn’t give the crowd enough time to heat up. You gave me an advantage.”

He lifts his hand and strokes a thumb over my cheekbone, sending electricity down my spine. “Let’s see what you’ve got, sassy girl.”

He guides me to the pole. When we make it to the steps, he grabs me by the waist and hoists me on the stage. Warmth fills my belly. He really is using any excuse to touch me.

I fucking love it.

Chapter Twenty

Ethan

Lily spins around the pole, her energy infectious. With a cocked brow, she blows kisses in my direction.

Fuck, I love her playfulness. I wish I could capture her sparkle like fireflies in a mason jar.

My body is as light as it’s been in years, and it isn’t because of the alcohol. Somehow, Lily has the power to unlock parts of me I didn’t even know were closed off. No one else in the world could have coaxed me up onto the stage, let alone make me feel so at ease while doing something as ridiculous as pole dancing in public.

Here I am, entranced by her vivacity, loving every second of it.

Noah would think I’ve lost my mind, taking his little sister out to get drunk and accepting her challenge to a pole dancing competition. He’d probably be more baffled than angry, thinking he never really knew me. The thought of breaking his trust should fill me with sick dread.

It doesn’t. Somehow, tonight, there’s only Lily and the strange quiet that settles in my heart whenever she’s around.

Lily arches her back, surprising me with a move that has her spinning upside down, her hair cascading toward the floor like a waterfall. Laughter lights her eyes, but there’s a sultry grace to her now, a deliberate teasing in the way she looks over at me before flipping upright once more.

Heat coils in my stomach, tight and urgent. I want this woman. In this moment, I want her so badly I could grab her from that stage and rush her back to my house, breaking my vow to save myself for my future wife.

It’s probably the alcohol thinking for me. I can’t allow myself to drink any more, or I’ll lose my head entirely.

The crowd erupts around me, drawing my attention to the guy making his way toward the stage. It’s the dude from earlier who was hovering over Lily and whispering into her ear. He walks up the steps and grabs the pole.

Oh. Fuck. No.

---