Callum
“All right, everyone, let’s go!” Stella announces as I see the limo pull up in front of the building.
I hang back as everyone but Becca starts walking to the exit. She notices my waiting, and not the smallest reaction crosses her flawless face.
God, she looks absolutely stunning.
Her hair is wavy and bouncing as she starts walking. With her sexy red lips, I want to know what the color would look like smeared on my own.
I turn and fall in step right beside her, doing my best to keep my hand from sliding down her wrist and locking my fingers with hers.
I fail a little bit as my pinkie skims across her arm, and I definitely make note that she doesn’t immediately put ten feet between us. This is progress.
I push the boundaries even more. “You look beautiful, by the way, Becca.”
Even she can’t stop her cheeks from flushing. “Thank you. Nice outfit.”
Stella insisted that I let Brooke pick my outfit out for tonight. I think it’s a little much for me. But if I can always get the same reaction from Becca that I did when she first saw me, I will hire Brooke as my full-time stylist. If I could actually afford her.
“Thanks.” I open the door for her, and we walk up to the limo, where Sophie and Rose are getting in right behind Cade and Stella. “So, no plus-one tonight?”
She side-eyes me. “He’s sick. Next time.”
“Mmhmm.” I gesture for her to get in first.
But she shakes her head. “Nope.Boysfirst.”
With the blush still lighting up her cheeks, I decide to push her even further. I step closer to her, and with my right hand, I reach up and brush a strand of honey-blonde hair around her ear, letting those gorgeous blue-gray eyes lock right with mine.
“Oh, love, I’m a man. One who will stop at nothing until you’re mine again. But since you insist,menfirst.”
I turn, leaving her to gather herself before she follows me into the limo.
I sit beside Cade, and Becca sits across the limo from me, next to Sophie. Once she’s settled in, my gaze homes in on hers, and I don’t look away. Neither does she. Not when the limo takes off, not when we’re pulling into the parking lot of Temple, and not when the driver opens the door.
Cade nudges me with his elbow. “Go.”
I look away first, exiting the limo, but not before her damn red lips smile. Like she’s won. But she has no idea what she even did. I’ve won. I’ve won so much.
She showed meeverythingin the last fifteen minutes.
She showed me that when I made the tiniest move, she didn’t run. She showed me that she enjoyed that moment as much as me when she held my stare the whole ride here. She showed me that I might have a chance after all, that we will.
Walking into Temple is like getting your eardrums blown. The music attacks you, completely overwhelming you. But within a minute or two, you somehow adapt to it, and it subsides.
But I’ll never adapt to the way Becca glows. The way she is a beam of sunlight in a dark room.
Stella leads us over to the VIP section. The waiter pulls the velvet rope aside for us to file in.
Cade says, “I don’t know about you guys, but I say we start this with a dance.” He grabs Stella’s hand and spins her under his arm. “At least,we’ll be starting with a dance.”
Stella giggles and lets Cade pull her to the dance floor. Sophie and Rose follow close behind.
Leaving Brooke, Becca, and me alone.
My palms start sweating, and I hate that I’m getting butterflies and nerves at what I’m about to do.
But I know damn well she is not going to make the first move. Standing up, I walk across the small VIP corner and stop in front of Becca, stretching out my hand.
