Page 82 of Sliding Into Love
She wasstunning. The light-blue dress she wore wrapped around her upper body before flowing down from her waist, stopping halfway down her thighs. The v-shaped neckline crossed over itself and shifted when she moved, and Ethan had to grit his teeth to keep his jaw from going slack when he realized a ribbon tied in a bow around her waist was theonlything holding the dress together.
Lily gave him a knowing smirk.
“Like what you see, Squatch?”
Derek elbowed him in the ribs, and all he got out was “Ow. I mean—wow.”
Ivy laughed at him, and her dimples grew deeper, the sunlight bringing out the gold in her hazel eyes as she stared up at him.
“Gross. Get a room, you two,” Lily called, then laughed at her joke. “I guess that’s the plan, right?”
“Shut up, Lily,” Ivy hissed before kneeling to hug Janna. The blue dress split over her thigh, and Ethan had to remind himself how to breathe. Somehow, though he’d seen every inch of her, this new glimpse of skin had his blood boiling like a Victorian man having seen his first bare ankle.
They said their goodbyes, and Janna wouldn’t let him go until he promised to cook for them the next time he stayed over. Lily made them take awkwardly staged photos on the way out, and as they drove away, Ethan commented that it felt like they had been sent to prom by their parents.
“I have a feeling you hated prom,” she said.
“I didn’t even go to prom.”
“Why not?” she asked, peering up at him after sliding on large sunglasses.
Ethan shrugged.
“Never had time to. Not that I would have been brave enough to ask anyone anyway.”
She put her hand over his where it rested on the gear shifter.
“Too bad. I would have loved to see pictures of baby Ethan in a tux.”
He snorted at her but grinned.
“I had theworsthaircut at eighteen, and I was too skinny and all ears.” He scowled at the memory.
“Ilikeyour ears.” She pouted at him. “So, what would I have to do to get you in a tuxnow?”
“Aren’t you a little old for prom?”
“I meant, aren’t there other reasons to wear a tux? Some kind of formal baseball event? Baseball prom?”
Ethan scoffed.
“Yes, but I’ve never been.”
Ivy gaped.
“There’s a baseball prom?”
He laughed, flipping his hand over on the shifter to thread her fingers through his.
“It’s a formal party after the season’s over, given by some of the League’s sponsors.” He paused, thinking. “There are various hosts every year, one of the largest of which is my mother’s agency. So basically, my mother is throwing a party for my teammates.” He groaned.
“So, you don’t want to go?” Did she sound disappointed?
“Doyouwant to go to a party like that?” he asked.
“Well, Iwouldlike to see you in a tux,” she simpered at him.
“If I just wear a tux, can we skip the party?” He tried to keep his tone light.
