Steve maneuvers the sports car around the fountain in the courtyard. I throw open the door as soon as we pull up to the front steps, but the car is so darn low that it’s hard for me to get out, what with the hundred layers of chiffon.
Steve chuckles. “Hold on. I’ll come pull you out.”
He lifts me up and sets me on my four-inch stilettos.
“What do you think?” I ask, holding out my arms.
“You look beautiful.”
I find myself blushing at the compliment. It’s so surreal to think that this is actually my father staring at me with this awed kind of pride.
He takes my arm and helps me up the wide steps. The moment we walk inside, I see Reed descending the staircase. He looks so good in his black tuxedo that I have to stop myself from drooling.
“Hey, Reed. You look nice,” I say blandly, because Steve is standing right beside me.
“You look nice, too,” he answers in an equally indifferent voice. But his heated gaze says otherwise.
“I’ll be in Callum’s study,” Steve tells us. “Ella, come get me when your date arrives.”
He disappears down the hall, which surprises me since I know he doesn’t like it when I’m alone with Reed. And he has a reason not to like it. The moment he’s gone, Reed bends down and presses his mouth on my neck. He lays a searing kiss at my pulse point that has my knees buckling.
Then he backs me up against the wall and continues his exploration of all the skin conveniently exposed by the strapless sweetheart neckline. My hands fall onto the crisp cotton of his dress shirt. The idea of stripping him out of his clothes grows more appealing by the second. Unfortunately, the sound of an engine roaring outside pops that balloon.
At the honk of the horn, Reed lifts his head from my upper chest reluctantly. “Your date’s here.”
“No kiss on the lips?” I smile, trying to catch my breath.
His thumb presses at the corner of my mouth. “Didn’t want to mess up your lipstick.”
“Mess away,” I invite.
His lips curve up. “There’s so much more of your body I’d like to have my mouth on right now.” His hand falls to the top of my breast, still damp from his kisses. I gasp as one long finger slides under the tightly corseted bodice to swipe across my nipple.
“Hey man, are you mauling my date?” Wade demands as he bursts through the front doors without knocking.
Reed sighs, removes his hand and rocks back on his heels. “I’m expressing my appreciation for my girlfriend’s rocking bod.”
I take a deep, calming breath before turning to face Wade. Thankfully, the bodice of my dress is thick enough that my excited state doesn’t show through the silk. “If you’re my date, you better have brought me an awesome floral arrangement. Someone told me you can tell the size of a guy’s dick based on the amount of flowers he buys.”
Wade stops short, his eyes falling to the long white box in his hands. “Really? They say that?”
Reed and Wade exchange alarmed glances, and I nearly die laughing at them.
“You’re an evil woman.” Wade marches past me without even handing me the box.
We all turn at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Easton and the twins appear, each clad in his own tux.
Sawyer nods when he sees me and Wade. “Finally. Let’s get this show on the road. We need to pick up Lauren.”
Everyone marches out the door, with Easton and me taking up the rear. Smiling, he reaches out and flicks my skirt. “I thought you’d go for something slinky and sexy.”
“I’ve worn slutty clothes for a long time. I’ve never done princess.” I shake out the dress, which I fell in love with the moment I removed it from the box. The bare shoulders give me all the sexy I need, but even if it were high-necked and long-sleeved, I’d still be obsessed with the full skirt and the thousands of layers of chiffon that swish around my legs as I walk.
Easton grins. “You’re always doing the opposite of what anyone expects. The girls will be killing themselves.”
“I’m just doing what I want. They should, too.” I didn’t choose the dress because I wanted to tweak anyone’s noses at Astor. I picked this one because it looked like a dream—and if this is the only Winter Formal I’ll ever be attending with Reed, even though he isn’t technically my date, I wanted to wear the most beautiful gown on the earth.
“Doesn’t matter. If you wore a tight dress, they’d call you a slut, and now they’re going to call you something else, but I’m going to take care of you while Reed’s away.”
Easton’s declaration makes me feel warm inside. Not because I need watching over, but because I sense he’s growing up a little. In a burst of insight, I realize that Easton needs someone to watch over and take care of. I’m not going to be that person, but until he finds her, we can watch out for each other.
“And I’ll take care of you, too,” I promise.
“Deal.”
We shake on it.
Steve and Callum wander outside just as we reach the courtyard. “You kids taking off now?” Callum calls.