Page 34 of Taking Care of You
I nod and swipe under my eye to catch the tears that escaped. Ethan reaches over and gently wipes the last one away, his hand lingering on my cheek. I lean into it and wrap my hand around his. In a move that’s so unlike me, I turn and kiss the palm of his hand. It means more to me than he’ll ever know that I have his friendship.
After I pull my lips from his palm, I hear a sharp gasp from Ethan. My eyes flick quickly to his, and he’s staring at his palm that I have blanketed between my hands.
Dropping it, I scoot as close to the door as I can. “I’m sorry. I…sorry.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds, just staring at me. Fuck, I probably ruined things tonight, blurring that friendship line more than it already is.
Thankfully, Ethan starts the car again, and we drive the rest of the way in silence. It’s not a long drive, so I don’t have long to dwell on how fucking stupid it was for me to kiss him like that. No one was around to see it, so I can’t blame it on playing it up for people at school to buy our charade.
There are a few people standing outside when Ethan and I pull up, and of course, they stare. I’m getting more used to it, so I don’t pay them much attention. I do feel the flush on my face, but I beat it back. Ethan grabs my hand, threading our fingers together, and leads me inside.
The gymnasium where the dance is held is packed. It’s like a wall of heat hits us when we walk a few paces inside. People are pressed together, dancing to the beat and having a good time.
I spot Crystal and Elle over on the fringes with a few guys trying to get their attention. Crystal has on a beautiful off-the-shoulder knee-length dress that flows down from the bust loosely in a very flattering way. Elle’s dress is pink, almost the same pink as Ethan’s tie. The top is bedazzled and the bottom looks like a tutu. On anyone else it would have looked childish, but Elle really pulls it off.
We head over to them and say hello. Elle about has a heart attack when she sees us. “Oh, my God! You two look amazing. I love that you have matching suits. I love it so much!” She’s practically vibrating.
Ethan laughs and bends to my ear. “Want something to drink?” I nod and he kisses my cheek before he heads off. I touch my face and follow him with my eyes. I don’t know why that kiss felt different. Almost like he was lingering there, his lips making an impression on me.
Crystal bumps me and gives me a knowing smile. I roll my eyes at her and give them both hugs. “Did you two come together?”
Elle nods. “Neither of us had a date, so it made sense to ride together.”
“Having fun?”
Elle looks around and I have a feeling she’s searching for Mitch. I really hope those two get together. “Umm, yeah,” she answers distractedly. She finds who she’s looking for standingalmost directly behind her. She turns around with red cheeks and peers at me shyly. “It’s fun. The DJ is pretty good.”
I hum absently, not really caring what song is playing. I’m currently just moving my feet from side to side, but at least I’m on beat. Guess Ethan’s lessons paid off.
Speaking of Ethan, he walks up behind me and puts an arm around my shoulder, bringing the juice around to my front. When I take it, he pulls my body back against his and starts to move to the beat. I grow rigid as he rocks me gently, so I don’t spill all down my front.
I drink some of the juice, then Crystal takes the cup from me to drink the rest. Ethan wraps both his arms around me and, slowly, I put my hands on top of his. He moves us to the beat and before long, I relax with his arms around me, letting him hold me as I enjoy the feeling of him being mine for the night.
A few songs pass like this, with the four of us dancing and me pretty much melting in Ethan’s arms. My body relaxes and I’m having a good time…
…until a slow jam comes on. It’s like Crystal and Elle slink off and I’m left with Ethan. He turns me in his arms and pulls me close. I do what he told me to do and move from side to side, my hands on his waist.
Initially.
Like they have a mind of their own, they slowly start to inch up higher and higher on his back, until I’m gripping his shoulders.
Ethan drops his hands from my waist and adjusts mine, wrapping them around his neck. He pulls me back to him, one hand on the small of my back, the other coming up to rest on the back of my neck.
With a sigh, I drop my head to his chest, enjoying the feel of being wrapped in his arms. His warmth, his hard, thick body,the smell of him. I inhale deeply, taking the spicy scent into my lungs.
Being this close has my dick chubbing up—as it’s been doing a lot lately—and I try to shuffle back, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.
Ethan puts more pressure on the small of my back when I try to pull away. I look up at him to find him gazing intently at me, a look of what I think is want in his eyes. I can’t tear my gaze away from his.
I maintain eye contact and I watch with wide eyes as he slowly leans towards me. My eyes flutter closed and I feel the soft puffs of his breath on my lips. One more inch, just one more and I can feel his lips on mine.
“Ethan!” someone shouts in my ear. I jerk away from him like I was burned. I turn to see Dawn and she doesn’t look happy.
Straightening to his full height, but not letting me go, Ethan glares at her. “What do you want?” The song is still playing, but we stop dancing. She really fucked up the vibe.
“It’s almost time for our homecoming king and queen dance,” she whines.
Ethan looks down at me and rubs a hand over my cheek. “Duty calls, creep.” I give him a small smile as he kisses my forehead and walks past Dawn. She gives me a withering look, then rushes to catch up with him. She tries to grab his arm, but he dodges it effortlessly.
