Chapter 39 - Because You Like Them #4
I looked toward the dance floor.
Then back at him.
"You said no to Emma."
Something changed in his face.
"Yes."
"Are you going to say no to me too?"
Adrian went quiet.
Oh.
I hadn't meant for that to sound quite so-
Personal.
But I didn't take it back.
His eyes stayed on mine.
"Are you asking?"
"Maybe."
"That's not an answer."
I smiled slightly.
"It's enough of one."
His eyes narrowed.
Good.
I stepped backward toward the dance floor.
Then held out my hand.
Adrian took it immediately.
No hesitation.
His fingers closed around mine like the answer had already been there.
I looked down at our hands.
Then back at him.
"Apparently you changed your mind again."
Adrian stepped toward me.
"No."
I frowned.
"No?"
"I didn't."
And then he walked with me onto the dance floor.
The first time Adrian Vale and I danced, everything had felt dangerous.
Every place his hand touched me.
Every second I looked at him.
Every inch between us.
We'd spent a week avoiding each other before that dance.
Pretending nothing had happened.
Pretending nothing was happening.
This time-
His hand settled at my waist.
Mine rested on his shoulder.
Our other hands stayed together.
And somehow, that was the strangest part.
It wasn't terrifying anymore.
It wasn't even particularly awkward.
I knew what his hand felt like in mine now.
I knew what his arms felt like around me.
I knew what his chest felt like against my face.
I knew what it felt like when his fingers moved through my hair.
When his hand rested against my back.
When he held on because he'd been afraid.
Somewhere along the way, touching Adrian had stopped feeling impossible.
I looked up at him.
"You know everyone is staring at you."
"I assumed."
"Ben looks like he's witnessing a religious event."
"I'm not looking."
"Smart."
His hand shifted slightly at my waist.
My body noticed.
Traitor.
I looked at his face.
The vampire thing really was unfair.
"You look ridiculous."
"No, I don't."
"No. Unfortunately, you don't."
His eyebrow moved.
I sighed.
"Maya has a theory."
"That sounds dangerous."
"It usually is."
"What theory?"
I hesitated.
Then-
"She thinks you dressed like this because I like vampires."
Nothing.
Not even a blink.
God, I hated him.
I waited.
Adrian kept dancing.
"That's the part where you respond."
"I know."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Is she right?"
His eyes stayed on mine.
For a second, I thought he was going to avoid it.
Then-
"You like vampires."
My heart did something stupid.
"That's not an answer."
His mouth moved slightly.
"It's enough of one."
I stared at him.
Oh, asshole.
He'd stolen my answer.
He knew exactly what he'd just admitted.
Maybe not with words.
But enough.
"You said no to a costume approximately four hundred times."
"Fourteen."
"You counted?"
"No."
"You absolutely counted."
"No."
"Addiction."
His mouth moved.
I smiled.
Then I remembered something else.
"Wait."
"What?"
"You knew I was dressing as a witch?"
"No."
I stared at him.
"You didn't?"
"No."
I looked down at myself.
Black dress.
Then at him.
Black vampire.
I looked around the room.
Then back at him.
"Oh, God."
"What?"
"We look coordinated."
Adrian glanced down at me.
Then at himself.
"We're both wearing black."
"I'm a witch. You're a vampire."
"I noticed."
"People are going to think we planned this."
"I don't care."
Of course he didn't.
I did.
Probably.
Maybe.
Not enough.
I looked over his shoulder.
Maya was watching us.
Obviously.
Ben was also watching us.
Less subtly.
Nicole had noticed.
Daniel definitely had.
Ethan was standing with them now.
He wasn't staring the way Ben was.
But he'd noticed.
Of course he had.
And Emma-
Emma was standing near Claire.
Watching too.
Our eyes met.
For a second, neither of us looked away.
Then Emma's gaze dropped.
To Adrian's hand at my waist.
Then to our joined hands.
And something in her face tightened.
I felt it again.
That uncomfortable little pull of guilt.
Because I knew she'd asked him.
I knew he'd said no.
And then I'd walked across the room, held out my hand-
And he'd taken it without hesitation.
But underneath the guilt was something else.
Something warmer.
Something selfish.
Something I didn't particularly like about myself.
I looked back at Adrian.
His attention hadn't moved.
He wasn't looking at Emma.
He wasn't looking at Maya.
Or Ben.
Or Ethan.
Or anyone else.
He was looking at me.
And the selfish little feeling got worse.
Emma liked him.
I knew that.
She was starting to do something about it.
I knew that too.
And technically-
There was nothing wrong with that.
Adrian was single.
Emma was single.
She could talk to him.
She could compliment him.
She could ask him to dance.
She could-
My fingers tightened slightly around his.
Adrian looked down at our hands.
Then at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
His eyes narrowed.
"That's rarely true."
"Dance."
"We are dancing."
"Then do it quietly."
He almost smiled.
I looked over his shoulder again.
Emma had turned away.
And there it was again.
That thought.
Small.
Petty.
Completely unreasonable.
Why is she trying to steal my man?
Oh, God.
There it was again.
My man.
Adrian Vale was not my man.
I had never called him my man.
I couldn't even admit to him what he was to me.
And yet apparently some deeply irrational part of my brain had already filed paperwork.
I looked up at the insanely handsome vampire currently holding me against him.
This was going to be a problem.