“Absolutely,” I agree, just to tease her. “I’ll take notes. That way I won’t forget anything.”
“You think you’re being funny, but I’m serious. Notes would be extremely helpful.”
I roll my eyes. “Goodbye, Macy.”
“Come on, Grace! Let a girl live vicariously through you, will ya?”
“Why don’t you go find Cam? Do a little non-vicarious living of your own?”
She considers it. “Maybe I will.”
“Good. And you should totally wear the red dress when you do. After all, guys love it when you’re obvious.”
She flips me off and throws a pillow at me that I only narrowly manage to dodge.
“Temper, temper,” I tease, then hightail it out the door before she decides to throw something at me that will really hurt. Or, you know, cast some kind of spell that makes all my hair fall out. There are perils to living with a witch, after all.
My palms are sweating and my heart is beating a little too fast as I make my way to the tower room. Maybe I should have come up right after classes, like I wanted to, because all the preparation—the hair, the makeup, the dress deliberation—has done is give me more time to think.
And more time to get nervous.
Which is ridiculous. This is Jaxon. He’s seen me falling out of a tree and nearly bleeding to death. He’s saved my life several times since I got here. He’s seen me looking my worst—why am I suddenly so determined that he see me looking my best? It’s not like I actually think he cares if I straighten my hair and put on high heels.
I tell myself all of this on the way to his room—and I even believe it. But my hands are still trembling when I knock on his door. And so are my knees.
Jaxon opens the door with a sexy grin that turns to total blankness the second he sees me. Which is definitely not the reaction I was hoping for after spending the last two hours getting ready.
“Am I early?” I ask, discomfort suddenly racing through me. “If you want, I can come back later—”
I break off as he reaches for my wrist and gently tugs me into his room—and his arms. “You look gorgeous,” he murmurs against my ear as he hugs me tight. “Absolutely beautiful.”
The ball of tension in my stomach dissolves as soon as he wraps himself around me.
As soon as I smell the sexy orange and fresh water scent of him.
As soon as I feel the strength and power of his body against and around my own.
“You look pretty amazing yourself,” I tell him. And he does, with his ripped jeans and bright-blue cashmere sweater. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you wearing something other than black.”
“Yeah, well, let’s keep that between us.”
“Absolutely.” I keep my arms wrapped around his waist as I grin up at him. “Wouldn’t want to mess up that badass reputation of yours.”
He rolls his eyes. “What is it about my reputation you’re so obsessed with?”
“The fact that everybody feels like they need to warn me against being with you. Obviously. I’ve never dated anyone like you before.”
I’m teasing, but the second the words leave my mouth, I want to take them back. After all, it was only this morning he was telling me how worried he is about hurting me. Just because that fear seems ridiculous to me, considering he’s never been anything but gentle with me, doesn’t mean he doesn’t take it very, very seriously.
Sure enough, Jaxon pulls away. I try to grab on, but there’s no holding him if he wants to go.
“I hurt you once, Grace,” he says after a second, eyes and voice deadly serious. “It’s not going to happen again.”
“First of all, let’s be clear. You didn’t hurt me. A piece of flying glass hurt me. And secondly, I know I’m safe with you. I already told you. I wouldn’t be here if I thought otherwise.”
He studies me for a second, like he’s trying to decide if I’m telling the truth. He must decide I am, because eventually he nods, reaches for me again. And this time when he pulls me against him, he lowers his head and presses his lips to mine.
It’s different than the kiss we shared earlier, softer, gentler. But it reaches inside me all the same. Lights me up. Turns me inside out with everything I feel for him and everything I hope he’ll let himself feel for me.
But tonight isn’t about wishing for what might be. It’s for celebrating what is, so I lock that thought down deep inside me and hold on to Jaxon with everything I have. And everything I am.