Page 15 of Their Little Ghost

Anything is worth a try. I take the shot and drain it. It tastes like an apple flavor Jolly Rancher with a sour edge.

Mia waits for my verdict. “Well?”

“It’s okay,” I say, reaching for another. A blue one this time.

“Are you sure?” Mia asks.

I pass her one and arch an eyebrow. “I thought you said you wanted to party?”

She laughs and accepts the drink. “I never expected you to be the bad influence.”

I hold up the shot in toast. “To Sarah.”

Commemorating her on my first night out feels right. If the stories I’ve heard are anything to go by, she’d be the first to drink the bar dry and dance on the tables. Sarah lit up every room she walked into. Having fun is what she lived for.

Mia clinks her glass against mine. “To Sarah!”

The night passes in a blur. It turns out Mia was right about alcohol taking the edge off. Without the countless shots, I’d never have let Mia persuade me to join her on the dance floor.

The room spins, and my hips writhe to the music. Mia takes my hand and spins me around, pulling me back to her, laughing. Instead of feeling claustrophobic in the crowd, the heat of the other dancers brings me a sense of safety. Nothing can happen to us while we’re here, together.

I stumble a little on the next move, almost twisting my ankle in my black heels. Damn them. A powerful arm around my waist stops me from falling, and I look to see Nate grinning down at me. My savior.

“Easy there,” he says. “You promised me a dance, remember?”

I look at Mia, but she’s conveniently vanished, leaving us alone.

“I… um…” Even though we’re neighbors, we’ve never had a proper conversation. “I guess so.”

Nate puts his hands on my hips. As if by magic, the previously bassy music switches to a sexy, slow song. Our bodies are pushed together, as more people join the floor, until my breasts press against his chest. All I can think about is the warmth of his fingers and the fluttery feeling between my legs.

Nate bends to whisper, “You look amazing tonight.”

“Thanks,” I reply, batting my eyelashes in a way I hope comes across as flirty and not like I’m trying to blink something out of my eye. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

“Every guy in the room is wishing they were me right now,” he says.

A cheesy, yet cute line.

“Oh, really?” My playful side comes to the surface. Usually, I’m shy and reserved, carefully picking every word before I say it, but the drinks have relaxed me. “And why is that?”

“Because they all wish they were dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room,” he says.

“Does that line usually work?”

“Yes,” he says with a lopsided grin, pulling me closer. “But I’m not just saying that with you. I mean it.”

His hands slide to rest on my lower back. My body acts of its own accord, swaying and wrapping my arms around his neck. We’re close enough for me to feel the growing hardness in hispants. Knowing I’m having this effect on Nate Holt, the captain of the football team who all the girls want, gives me a newfound sense of power.

“You’re a mystery, Erin Acacia,” he says. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to speak to you.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“Are you kidding?” He laughs. “You’re fucking gorgeous and at the top of our class. Don’t you realize how intimidating you are?”

“Intimidating? Me?” I snort in disbelief. “You’re the most popular guy in school. Every girl has a crush on you.”

His head dips closer. “Every girl?”

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