Page 54 of The Sweet Spot

Oh, God.

Desire washes over me like a warm wave, leaving goosebumps in its wake. I slide my hands up his chest and around his neck, clasping them there. After a moment, one of his hands drops to my waist, and he holds me close.

It feels like I’m telling him how I feel without ever having to say a word. Maybe he’s letting me know, too. We turn in slow circles, my cheek pressed to his chest, until the song fades.

I’m getting ready to ask him for the next dance when the DJ comes on, clearing his throat.

“All right, ladies and gents—it’s about that time. We have ten minutes until the New Year, so we’re going to take a break and let you find your way outside for the countdown…” He continues talking, but the spell is broken. Why do I always feel like I’m being hurried away from this man before I’m ready?

Luca’s eyes burn into mine as he takes a step back. “Come on, I’ll take you back.”

I grab my purse and slip my arm through his as we follow the crowd out onto the deck. Waiters stationed at the French doors are serving champagne, so Luca takes one for each of us.

“Thanks,” I say. My buzz from earlier is gone, but I’m still high from spending the past hour with Luca.

Dallas, Kellan, and the rest of their friends intercept us as we cross the deck. “There she is,” says Dallas, winking at me. “Have fun?”

“Yeah.” I smile, hoping my warm cheeks aren’t too obvious. “We tried the photo booth and the dance floor…”

“Oh, Sweet Spot loves photo booths.” Matt chortles, waggling his eyebrows like an imp.

I stick my tongue out at him and turn around, hoping Dallas ignores him.

“You do?” asks Dallas, cocking his head. “We should hit it up later, then.” He clinks his glass to mine and points to the sky. “Ready for a show?”

“A show? You mean something even more elaborate than all of this?” I tease. “Sure.” I look at Luca, but he’s already drifted back to Kellan and Matt.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” says Dallas, leading me back down the steps and onto the grass. The entire party has moved to the backyard, so it’s more crowded now than it has been all evening.

We’ve only just gotten situated when someone yells, “Ten!”

We quickly catch up, the collective voice of the crowd growing in urgency and intensity as we count down. “…two! One! Happy New Year!”

Dallas takes me by the shoulders, planting a sweet, chaste kiss on my lips as the first fireworks explode in the sable sky. The crowd gasps and cheers at the explosion of color. “Happy New Year!” Dallas yells, beaming. He downs his champagne in one go, pumping his fist into the air.

“Happy New Year!” I laugh, following suit. It’s been a crazy, unpredictable night, but every bit of it has been fantastic. I’m so glad Dallas invited me. I gaze up at the fireworks, lost in the giddy euphoria of the crowd.

When I finally can’t take it anymore, I look around, finding Luca and his friends a few feet away, laughing and shouting. Maybe he senses the weight of my stare, because suddenly he looks over, eyes shining with happiness and fireworks. “Happy New Year,” he mouths.

I feel it down to my very core. “Happy New Year,” I mouth back.

* **

At five minutes past two, Dallas pulls up to my dorm. Cutting the engine, he jogs around to my side of the car and escorts me out, keeping his hand on the small of my back as we walk.

“So chivalrous,” I say around a yawn. My shoes, which became unbearable about an hour ago, dangle from my fingertips.

“It’s the dress,” he jokes.

We pause outside my door while I search for my keys. “I had the best time tonight, Dallas. Seriously. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Thanks for coming,” he says, slipping his hands into his pockets. His hair is still slicked back like a greaser’s, but the bowtie is gone, and he left his jacket in the car. “I’m glad you had fun.”

Finding my keys, I slide them into the lock and open the door. I turn to give Dallas a hug, gently kissing his cheek. “Talk tomorrow?”

In one swift move, he slides his arms around my waist and angles his face to kiss me. It feels good, like always, but it feels wrong, too. Turning my face, I break away and hug him again instead.

“Hey, how do you know Luca Cardoso?” he asks quietly, running his hands over my bare arms.

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