“I thought you weren’t going to say anything?” I tried to seem irritated and failed as I caught sight of myself in one of the mirrored hotel walls and shuddered. “So much glitter.”
“What happened? And how did you get glitter in your hair like that?”
“It’s hair tinsel. I’ve been told it will wash out eventually.”
“Probably not.” Ethan chuckled. “Glitter is Satan’s favorite device. You’ll be wearing it forever.”
“Would you like a hug?” I held my arms wide. “Join me in glitter hell, Ethan. The weather here is much warmer.”
Ethan shook his head and took a step back. “Tempting, but I’ll pass.”
“Fine, but you are missing out. I give great hugs. The glitter is a bonus.”
“Rain check, then.” Ethan grinned, looking me over. His expression shifted as he took in my outfit, as if he’d realized that there was more happening on my body than sparkles. Before, he’d been playful, but now there was an intensity to his gaze. Almost hungry. As if there wasn’t enough of me to take in.
Tingles ran across my skin. My breathing felt shallow, like my whole body had forgotten how to work while he was looking at me. The small shred of reason I had left kept me rooted to where I stood. The rest of me imagined what it would be like to do something about that look. To feel his hands on my skin. The warmth of his body close to me. His lips on mine. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I let my arms fall to my sides, a buzzy feeling filling my head.
My movement must have jarred something, because Ethan blinked twice, his gaze jumping back to my face before he anchored it firmly to the floor between us. Clearing his throat, he mumbled, “Nice dress.”
“BamBam…we…I wanted to dress nice, not for any reason but then also…” I tripped over my words and desperately wished that I could make my brain work the way it had before he’d looked at me like that. I took a deep breath, then tried again. “Gabby picked it out. For tonight.”
Too late, it dawned on me that sayingfor tonightmade it sound like I thought it was a date. Which I clearly knew it wasn’t. And I didn’t need him thinking I was desperate. The adrenaline in my system was slowly working its way out of my nerves and doing me exactly zero favors on the way.Good god, get it together, Jamie.Gesturing toward the pool, I added, “For the DJ party. So we’d blend in. But we won’t blend in anymore, and I kind of can’t see anything, so I was trying to text you not to meet me right now. I don’t even know how to remove all this.”
Ethan’s face lit up as if he was finally connecting the dots around what I was trying to say, which was great, because Icertainly didn’t know where I was going anymore. “I think I know how to get that off you.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, his hair falling into his eyes. Using one hand to push it away from his face, he added, “I think my grandma should have what we need, and she shouldn’t be back in the room yet.”
“Okay.” I nodded. As we started walking toward the elevator bank, I could feel Ethan’s eyes on me. Glancing up at him through my eyelashes, I asked, “What?”
“Nothing,” Ethan said, guilt crossing his face as he suddenly became very interested in all the pinging noises the slot machines around us were making.
“And yet, your face says it’s not nothing,” I prodded as we reached the elevators. “Tell me.”
“I was trying to figure out how I was going to avoid getting glitter all over my grandma’s room.” Ethan smirked and hit the button to call the elevator.
“Oh.” I glanced down at my arms, which had also been dusted in Sterling’s signature body glitter and laughed. “I’m not sure that is gonna be possible.”
“That was my conclusion, too,” Ethan said, gesturing for me to step into an elevator as it opened up. Someone wearing a TrendCon lanyard got in with us. Giving me a once-over, they stepped as far to the opposite side of the elevator as they couldget.
As soon as we got out of the elevator, we both doubled over laughing.
“That amount of glitter is repellent to everyone other than me.” Ethan grinned, steering us down a hallway that was so long it made me dizzy. “I’ll have you stand in the bathroom and hope for the best.”
“Really?” I said, trying to make my words sound innocent. “You don’t want me to sit on your bed and rub my face all over your pillows?”
“Not like that I don’t,” Ethan said under his breath as he unlocked the door.
“Because you’d want me there otherwise?” I deadpanned.
“I…” Ethan’s jaw dropped, and his cheeks turned bright red as he realized what it sounded like he was implying. “That isn’t what…I don’t…”
“Sure. Sure,” I teased. “Tell me you think I’m a bridge troll without telling me you think I’m a bridge troll.”
“No. You’re not—” Ethan sputtered.
“Don’t make it worse.” I arched an eyebrow and folded my arms.
