I don’t know if he presses into me or if I’m arching into him, but suddenly we’re as close as we can get, and I can feel exactly how far gone we are.
Panicking, I yelp and push him back as I jump down from the table.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, concern lacing his tone. “Are you okay?”
His blue eyes are darker than I’ve ever seen them, and his brows are pinched together. Even still, his gaze rakes over me, full of want.
I tug at the hem of my dress, which has inched up significantly. “Yes. I’m fine. I just realized I need to be somewhere.”
By his expression, he knows I’m full of crap, but he just nods. “Okay.”
“This was…” Amazing. Hot. Incredible. “Surprising.”
His lips fall into a hard line, and he doesn’t look at all happy with my summary of what just happened. Which is completely fair. That kiss deserves awards. There should be cash prizes and parades for that kiss.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks,” he says.
I open my mouth to respond but I have no idea what to say. Weeks? I mean, sure, the last couple of times we hungout I felt something there, but I had no idea he’s been thinking about it for so long.
“I better go,” I say finally, then reach for the door handle.
“Lacey,” he says, stopping me before I leave.
“Yeah?” My pulse is still racing.
“Definitely out of this world.”
“Excuse me?” It’s possible my brain has shut down because the words coming out of his mouth aren’t making any sense at all.
“Your costume.” His lips pull into a smile. “You’re the hottest alien I’ve ever seen.”
My cheeks heat. I’m torn between continuing to flee and turning around and throwing myself at him. I stick with my first instinct. I need to put some distance between us and figure out what the hell just happened.
Leaving Vaughn, I step back out into the hallway. The music of the party hits me hard, bringing reality crashing down on me.
Holy shit, I just kissed Vaughn Collins.
I screw my eyes shut tightly and force my feet to move. Claire. I need Claire. She’ll know what to do.
My head swims and images of Vaughn and that kiss continue to flash in my mind. His lips grazing over my neck and his hands in my hair and roaming down my back. Everything is hazy as I move down the stairs to the party.
I move from room to room looking for my best friend. When I don’t see her inside, I head outside. The cold air feels good against my flushed skin. Scanning the yard, I spot Austin’s “I heart NY” hat first. He’s dressed up as a tourist, complete with fanny pack. It’s quite adorable. I’m relieved when I see the Statue of Liberty next to him, a.k.a. Claire.
It’s less crowded out here than inside. Thank goodness.
When I reach her, I latch onto her arm and screech, “Help!”
She turns and looks me over. Her happy expression quickly shifts to concern. “What’s wrong?”
I can see the worry in her eyes, but I can’t seem to form any words.
“Lacey, what’s wrong?” she asks again.
“I need to borrow you.” It’s all I can manage to get out, but she doesn’t bat an eye.
“Okay.”
I tug her with me, avoiding the questioning looks from Austin and some other soccer guys.
