“I thought you might want to create some mood lighting,” Gray whispered.
I leaned up on my tiptoes so that my face hovered close to his. “What kind of mood?” I asked suggestively.
“Prom,” he answered. “We don’t get to go,” his hand traced lightly over my hip. “And the Unnatural Ball wasn’t a true date. Besides, I’ve always had a little fantasy about the prom queen.”
“Mmmm,” I responded, loving the feel of his hand, which curved gently around to my ass. I very much wanted to help his fantasy come to life. “How about this for our light and decorations?” I opened my hand and let a bright burst of green fly from it, exploding just below the ceiling and then hovering in midair like a frozen firework. I threw a blue one to the other side of the room, then a gold one toward the guys, who I could finally see sat on the couch and loveseat against the far wall.
Once they could see me, Z immediately called out, “Hayley, that dress—”
But I ignored him, because I’d promised Gray this was our night. “Is that good?”
Gray’s smile was the widest I’d ever seen it. “It’ll do,” he said and lifted a hand. A jet of wind shot across the room. He must have used it to press a button somewhere because music started up.
After a bar or two, I realized that the song was “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman.”
My eyes widened and Gray pulled me into his arms and spun me gently before setting me down and grabbing my hand on one side and waist on the other. In the darkness, he started to dance, leading me in a gentle circle, one hand at my waist, the other hand wrapped around mine, his thumb gently stroking the back side of my hand.
After a minute, he whispered in my ear, “You’re so beautiful.”
I smiled softly and slightly separated our interlaced hands, just enough to unleash tiny gold and orange stripes that danced and curled around Gray’s fingers, up his arms, and then swirled around the two of us, pulsing with the music like tiny sparklers and sending shimmering little flecks of light spiraling through the air around us. They spiraled through the dark air, following the gentle beat just as we did.
When the song ended, Grayson leaned down.
My breath caught and I licked my lips in expectation. But he didn’t kiss me. He said, “Will you dance with me?”
Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” blasted through the speakers and he impressed me by being just as good a club dancer as he was at ballroom. He led me and made it so fun that I really did forget about everyone else, alternating between being silly and having fun and dancing with his thigh pressed between my legs.
I was breathless by the time that song ended. But Gray’s prom fantasy wasn’t over.
“Will you dance for me now?” Gray’s eyes flashed with heat underneath his beautiful lashes. And then he put on Marian Hill’s “One Time.”
I took a step back and swiveled my hips in a figure eight. Then I lifted my arms and swung them overhead like a double lasso, turning and winking at the guys behind me as I moved to the beat. I was a little surprised to see every single damn one of them had their phone out, filming me.
But I tried to ignore them, instead moving closer to Gray and grinding against him. I could feel how turned on he was as he swayed in tandem with me and slid his hand up and down my back, clutching my ass and making my dress ride up.
“Can you drop?” he whispered, voice strained as he was incredibly turned on.
I took a step away, staring at him, building up the sexual tension and waiting for the right part of the song. Then I dropped, letting my hair fall and sweep the floor as I arched my back.
That’s when I realized, the back of my dress was completely transparent.
45
“Grayson Mars!” I popped up and screeched.
Behind us, chuckles erupted from the couch, along with a long moan from Zavier. “That dance was just getting good.”
I ran at my prankster, my fists balled up, but he anticipated my move. He bent and swept me up over his shoulder, smacking my ass and saying, “Later guys. Time for me to fuck my prom queen.”
“You ass,” I seethed but I was already giggling.
“Your ass,” he retorted. “And what a fine ass it is. The guys really enjoyed that show,” he said as he tromped up the stairs. “And I’m about to. Aren’t you going to compliment my pranking skills? Setting that delay activation to a specific song took a lot of work.”
I laughed as I perched on his shoulder, but that only made his shoulder dig into me. “No. No compliments. I’m gonna get revenge.”
“I know. But not tonight.”
Definitely not tonight. I had far more important things to do tonight. Like him.
Gray strode down the hallway and kicked open the door to his room. I glanced sideways to see the bedside lamp had a red scarf thrown over it to set the mood, lighting the space a sensuous red. An Anti-Conception Amulet glowed on the dresser. Gray’s bed was made and the white comforter was pristine. I couldn’t wait to mess it up. He threw me onto the bed so hard I bounced. A second later he was on top of me, leaning over me, the hard length in his pants pressed against my thigh.
Yes. This was what I needed.
His lips dove down to my neck and he kissed me as he shoved my hands above my head and held them there. He didn’t let me touch him as he planted soft kisses along my forehead and down the bridge of my nose. He pecked at my lips and then pulled back to study my face for a moment.
“Can you pretend for me?” he whispered.
“Pretend what?”
“This is your first time. That you and I went to prom and this is just after.” Gray pulled back and kissed me gently. “You’re so beautiful.”
I batted my eyes up at him, at first playing along in a silly way, not really getting into it. But Gray kept up his innocent kisses, at first making me feel adored but soon needy. He made out with me on the bedspread until I was throbbing with need and rubbing myself up against him, begging him for friction.
“Please,” I whimpered.
“I don’t think you’re ready,” Gray whispered.
“I’m ready, I’m ready,” I told him, clawing at the dress shirt he wore. “Please.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, baby,” Gray licked the shell of my ear and I arched up into his chest. I felt like a cat in heat.
Was there such a thing as too much foreplay? I felt like I might spontaneously combust and he hadn’t even touched me.
“Gray, please.” I decided begging was my best bet. “I want you to be my first. I want to remember you forever.” As if I could ever forget him. But this was what he wanted. Gray’s prom night, loss of virginity fantasy was probably the sweet incarnation of everything a rich boy had never had. With girls always throwing themselves at his money, he’d probably never been able to stare down at a girl he loved as he melded his soul with hers.
That thought changed everything. It cracked my chest open and filled my eyes with tears because I felt like Gray had missed out on something he not only wished for, but something he deserved. He was such an amazing individual—so smart and dedicated and so silly. He deserved to be cried over and admired for who he was, not what he had. I reached up and traced my hand down his stubbled jaw.