My heart soars and drops all at the same time. “So you don’t want me naked?”
He slowly blinks his eyes. When he opens them, the hunger I saw briefly in his room when he had me pinned against his wall is back. And, once again, it is so. Fucking. Sexy.
“I definitely want you naked. Just not yet. We should take things slow. Be friends.”
I sit here. Not sure what to say to that. Part of me wants to fight him on it. Part of me thinks he’s right. Part of me just wants to see him naked.
“So, back to this weekend,” he says. “We will also be required to kiss and hold hands.”
“You’re trying to create a Greek atmosphere by kissing?”
“Oh, no. That will be because you want to.”
“I want to? No. You’ll want to.”
“What makes you think that?”
My response is interrupted by the waiter bring our entrée. It smells heavenly. He went a little cheesy romantic on the entrée, ordering chateaubriand for two. It’s served with a Béarnaise sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes, and asparagus. He cuts into it and feeds me the first rich morsel.
“Because I’m starting to think that you’re wooing me,” I tell him after I finish chewing.
“Me? Naw.” He grins. “What was your first clue?”
“Honestly, the way things have gone between us, so up and down. Like, one minute you pulled the she-loves-me petal off and the next the she-loves-me-not petal. But today, I was telling your sister about wooing and I realized all that you’ve done.”
“And?”
“I like it.”
We finish dinner, talk over dessert, then head out to his car. Again, he opens the door for me as I slide in.
He gets in the other side, puts the keys in the ignition, but doesn’t start the car.
He leans toward me and pushes my hair behind my ear. “I want this feather. Can I take it off?”
I’m sort of puzzled by this request, but I say, “Uh, sure.”
He glides the hook out of my ear then runs his thumb across it. “It’s a soft as it looks.” He runs the feather lightly down my arm.
“Mhmm,” I groan softly.
He pushes my hair from one side of my neck to the other, so my neck is fully exposed on the side closest to him. Then he runs the feather up the side of my neck.
Which may be the sexiest thing anyone has ever done to me.
My dress has a plunging neckline and when he runs the feather down into my cleavage, I decide it
is indeed
the sexiest thing anyone has ever done to me.
How does he come up with this shit?
His mother is Aphrodite, that’s how. Durrr.
I lean back into the headrest and close my eyes. Just feel the feather gliding across my skin, leaving me with goosebumps everywhere. He glides it up on my face and slowly across my eyelids.
I swear, I’m taking this feather home and having it bronzed.
He runs it across my lips.
Although having it dipped in gold would probably be more godlike.
I feel his chest touch mine as his lips replace the feather.
I run my fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck, and finally he kisses me more deeply.
Still no freaking tongue, but the kiss is deeper. His lips are pressed tighter to mine. His mouth more forceful. Who was it that said we needed to come up with another word besides amazing?
Oh, I forget.
His hands tangle in my hair then slide down my shoulders. My eyes are shut tightly, taking in every touch. He kisses gently down my neck and then I feel one single finger follow the outline of my dress.
On. My. Naked. Skin.
The finger starts on my collarbone, making a slow descent down the side of one boob, pausing briefly in my cleavage, and then back up the other side.
My back is pressed tightly against the seat, and even though my eyes are closed, I can’t stop smiling.
And making little contented sighs.
He grabs my chin and turns my head toward him.
I half open my eyes.
Did I mention that I am in love with this boy? One hundred percent completely, stupidly in love with him?
But I am an idiot who clearly has no clue what real love is.
But I don’t care right now.
I gaze into his eyes and then kiss him back.
Eventually, sadly, the kissing stops and he drives us back to school. He parks his car in the lot and holds my hand as we wander slowly toward my dorm.
I’m still in a bit of a daze. Must be an aftereffect of kissing a god.
I’m thinking about what’s sure to come next—an amazing goodnight kiss—when I hear a voice say, “Keatie?”
Oh, shit.
It’s Dawson, sitting on the steps in front of my dorm, obviously waiting for me.
I freeze. “Uh, hey, Dawson. What’s up?”
Aiden squeezes my hand, turns me around to face him, and completely ignores the fact that Dawson is here. “I had a great time tonight.” He leans in, kisses me on the cheek, and says quietly, “And I’m keeping the feather.”
Then he turns and walks away.
Dawson says, “You’re really dressed up. So, you got French food?”
“Yes, we did. Aiden was able to read most of the menu. How was your night? What’d you do?”
He grabs my waist like he always does and pulls me in toward him.
I give him a little hug.
But I can’t kiss him.
I just can’t.
“I complained to Bryce the entire time you were gone. He finally told me to shut the fuck up, so I came out here to wait for you.”
I pull away from him. “Oh, I’m sorry, but I have to get in there. Sign in. I don’t want to get in trouble. Just text me or something.”
We’re both ah-mazing.
10:45pm
I’m lying in my bed, listening to Katie breathing deeply and knowing that she’s already asleep.
I close my eyes and rub my finger slowly across my lip, remembering the feel the feather.
It was so amazing.
No, wait. Hang on.
I sound like a group of 12-year-olds at the mall.
That skirt is ah-mazing. You look amazing, No, we are both ah-mazing.
Time for a new word. Amazing is so overused.
I pull up the thesaurus on my laptop and look for some new options.
Astonishing, awesome, fascinating, incredible, marvelous, prodigious, shocking, stunning, surprising, unbelievable, wonderful, extraordinary, rare, something hard to put into words, makes your heart beat faster.
Okay, so tonight with Aiden was extraordinarily, unbelievably, stunningly wonderful.
And totally ah-mazing.
My phone buzzes.
Hottie God: Hey :)
Me: Hey :) Tonight was wonderful. I enjoyed it.
Hottie God: Didn’t quite end the way I hoped it would.
Me: I was shocked to see Dawson sitting there. Sorry about that.
Hottie God: Just tell me.
Me: Tell you what?
Hottie God: Did you kiss him?
Me: I did not.
Hottie God: So you’re okay with me keeping the feather?
Me: Actually, I need it back.
Hottie God: Why?
Me: I’m thinking of having it bronzed.
Hottie God: Does that mean you liked it?
Me: Did I look like I liked it?
Hottie God: You looked like you loved it.
Me: You use a feather on all the girls?
Hottie God: Only you.
Me: I did love it.
Hottie God: Good :) Night, Boots.
I shut off my lamp and wait for the glow-in-the-dark stars to start glimmering.
Dawson: Keatie . . .
Me: Dawson . . .
Dawson: You’re killing me.
Me: You killed me first.
Dawson: Do you like him? Did you kiss him? Did you have sex with him?
Me: I don’t know. I did. I did not. And I can’t believe you would think I did!
Dawson: I’m feeling uncontrollably jealous.
Me: Why were you waiting for me? What did you want?
Dawson: To talk.
Me: So talk.
Dawson: This sucks.
Me: Yeah, it does.
Dawson: Do you want wood from me?
Me: Wood? Seriously, Dawson? Is sex ALL you think about? No. Right now, I do not want your wood.
Dawson: That’s not what I meant. I meant woo-ed or however the hell you spell it.
Me: Oh, sorry. What I want is a boyfriend that thinks I am worth some effort. I want a boyfriend who isn’t going to ditch me the second his ex sends him a text. That’s what I want.
Dawson: I can do romantic.
Me: I’m going to sleep now. Night, Dawson.
Dawson: No heart?
Me:
I toss and turn, trying to get comfortable, when I realize something. Although I’ve seen him flirting with other girls, and although I know there is some dream girl he crushed on, I haven’t heard anything about Aiden hooking up with any girls this semester. But that can’t be right.
Maybe he’s a stealth player who hooks up with girls under the radar. Or he has a radar-jamming device. Or something. I guess I really don’t exactly know how a stealth player works
.
Me: Are you still awake?
My phone immediately buzzes, so I answer it. “I guess you’re still awake.”
“I am. Are the stars glowing?”
“Yes.”
“Do they make you think about me?”
“Maybe.”
“I want to see them sometime. You know, I never had that many on my ceiling. I got a bunch more. I wanted it to look like I was lighting up the sky for you.”
“Isn’t that a song?”
“I don’t know? Is it?”
“I think so. They’re really pretty, Aiden. Wanna hear a secret?”
“Of course.”
“I ordered a whole bunch of them for one of the ceilings in my loft.”
“Your bedroom?”
“No, there’s an upstairs TV room. Sometime soon, when the play is over, I want to go there and relax.”
“Aw, I’d love to come with you. Thanks for asking.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“And still, I knew that’s what you meant. Night, Boots.”
“Night, Aiden.”
Chivalry is officially dead.
1am
I’m still staring at the stars when Dallas calls me. Katie isn’t breathing as deeply and I don’t want to wake her, so I text him back.
Me: Tell me you and Riley are going to the Cave and I will love you both forever. I can’t sleep.
Dallas: I want to be adored forever. Riley just wants some sex. But then, he doesn’t. His indecision is driving me mad. I NEED to smoke. And I am requesting the pleasure of your company so that you can protect me when I make fun of his blue balls.
Me: I went on a date - sort of - with Aiden tonight. Dawson was waiting in front of my dorm when we got back. Awkward much? I NEED to smoke so that I will not go crazy.
Dallas: It’s chilly. Riley says you are not getting his sweatshirt tonight.
Me: Chivalry is officially dead.
I throw on some sweatpants, a big sweatshirt, and Uggs and sneak out of the window.
Dallas has a blanket spread out and he and Riley are already lounging across it.
“So how’d the big date go?” Riley asks.
“It was good. He’s so romantic; very much a gentleman.”
“Dawson’s not a gentleman?”
“He is. Aiden is just, like, chivalrous. And, Riley, regardless of how your balls are doing, I think it’s smart for you and Ariela to wait.”
Dallas rolls his eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Dallas. Sex is all fun and new for you. I get that. But at some point, you’re going to get tired of doing it with someone who you mean nothing to. Or you’re going to care about a girl. You’ll be in love with her. You’ll think because the sex is amazing that she loves you back. But then her ex will text her, or she’ll tell you that you’re getting too serious, or that she’s leaving for a year, and it will break your freaking heart. I’m talking break it in two. You’ll be on the ground sobbing.”
Dallas rolls his eyes at me again and passes me the joint he just lit and took a hit off.
“I’m seventeen. I don’t think I’m going to be looking for anything serious for quite some time. And I’m certainly not going to let myself get hurt.”
“Says the romantic who wanted to wait until it was special.”
“So it didn’t work out according to plan. I’m not going to get my panties all in a wad if something doesn’t go the way I expected it to.”
“You wearing panties now?” Riley asks, teasingly.