Page 39 of The Sound of Us

I gave Ethan an apologetic smile. “I’d better get back to work.”

“My frat is having a big party tonight,” he said. “You should come. Bring some friends.”

I sensed someone watching me only seconds before Dante appeared out of nowhere and dropped his arm over my shoulders. “Sounds fun. What time should we be there?”

Ethan’s smile faded. “I didn’t know you were with someone…”

“I’m not.” I pushed Dante’s arm away. I still hadn’t gotten over what happened in the storage room, and the feeling that the whole thing had just been a game to him. “We work together at the radio station. He does the late night show as DJ Dante.” I introduced them and Ethan held out a hand that Dante shook after a moment of hesitation.

“Skye and I know each other from basketball.” Ethan gave me a dazzling smile. “And we went out before her accident.”

Dante sucked in a sharp breath. I could almost hear the tension sizzle in the air.

“If you’re interested in checking out my show and you forget my name, it’s written on the front and back of Skye’s hoodie.” Dante spun me around to show the band name embroidered on my back and then spun me back to face Ethan.

“It’s the name of your band,” I said gritting my teeth. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? A show to prepare for? Homework to finish? A date to seduce in a dark basement?”

“Skye’s a natural on radio.” Dante flicked my ponytail back and forth. “You should have heard her do the news. She had a lot to say about the city’s relaxed stance on drunk driving.”

“I messed up,” I said to Ethan. “He’s just being nice.”

“That’s me.” Dante leaned an arm on my shoulder. “Nice. I’m a nice guy. That’s why I’m here. Selling hot dogs. Being part of the team.”

“What’s gotten into you?” I pushed his arm away. “If you’re really here to help then go and give Nick a hand.”

Dante reached behind me and pulled on the strap of my apron. “Your apron is untied. I’ll fix that for you first.”

“Four hot dogs.” Haley gave Ethan his plate. “I saved the biggest ones for you.”

Dante mumbled something behind me that sounded suspiciously like “cocktail size.”

“I’ll let you get back to work,” Ethan said. “Will I see you tonight?”

I opened my mouth and Dante yanked on my apron strings, pulling me back toward him.

“What are you doing?” I snapped. “Any tighter and I won’t be able to talk.”

“Good.”

“We’ll be there.” Haley shot me a worried look, waiting for my confirmation. I had a sudden flashback to the day Dante had brought two women to the station. Something wicked flared inside me and I gave Ethan a nod.

“Yes, definitely.”

“Oh. My. God,” Haley said as Dante muttered something unintelligible under his breath. “Why didn’t you tell me about him? Did he just fly here from Olympus? Did you see that body? And that jaw? I just looked him up on my phone, and he’s for sure going to the NBA…”

I tried to focus on what she was saying, but Dante was rightbehind me, his hands still holding my apron strings. I could feel the heat of his body and the delicious whisper of his breath against my neck.

“What’s got into you?” I looked back over my shoulder at his scowling face. “Let me go.”

He released me right away and I put my hands behind me to untie the straps. “What was that?” I demanded.

“What was what?” His scowl turned to a look of pure innocence. “Your apron needed to be tied.”

“Not like this.” I could feel multiple knots. “It’s going to take forever to untie.”

“You don’t want your apron falling off when you’re cooking hot dogs or making dates with Ethan.” There was an edge to his voice I hadn’t heard before. “It’s not safe.”

“I didn’t make a date with Ethan,” I said, acutely aware that Haley and Nick were listening to our conversation with interest. “I had one date with him a long time ago and things didn’t work out. I was honestly surprised he remembered me.”

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