if you still wanted to go.” I warmed at his thoughtfulness but shook my head. He’d told me numerous times that I could go to the dance tonight, though I knew the idea of me spending any amount of time with Maximillian drove him mad. I appreciated that he reined in his jealous tendencies, but still didn’t want to attend. Time with Decker was precious, and I was determined to enjoy whatever I could.
“I was thinking,” he said with a grin. “We should have a dance of our own tonight.”
“Oh, really?” I replied while closing the textbook in front of me and grinning back up at him.
“Really. Go put on a pretty dress, though you don’t need it. I’ll get the music going.”
“None of that old school shit, Mr. Harris,” I chided before disappearing into my room. The dress I wanted to wear once belonged to Mama. It was deep blue and short. The fabric was soft, and anytime I put it on, I felt pretty. I loved how it lightly clung to my skin and draped along my torso. Mama got it from one of her boyfriends. She hated that the bust was too large for her and that it fit me perfectly; she was always self-conscious about her breasts. I cherished the satin dress. Not because of its origins or because it reminded me of her, but because it was one of the few precious things I owned that genuinely made me feel beautiful.
I slipped it on and found some nude heels Lance bought me to pair with it, then applied a little makeup. I stared in the mirror for a moment, trying to remember the last time there was such a sparkle in my eye. Moving to Memphis looked good on me. Decker Harris looked good on me.
When I made my way back into the living room, the lights had been dimmed, and soft music was playing through the speakers. Decker lit a single candle on the mantle, then turned around to face me once he could hear my heels clicking on the wood floors. As I’d hoped, his jaw classically dropped, making a blush hit my cheeks. “You look incredible. Breathtaking. I’m-I’m speechless here.”
“Come dance with me, Decker,” I said while holding my hand out. He didn’t need telling twice.
Decker sauntered over, then wrapped his arms around me. I nuzzled his neck, breathing in the deep scent of his cologne while swaying to the music. “This is just what I wanted,” I whispered as his hand drifted lower to cup my ass.
“I would have picked you up in a limo if this was our dance. I would’ve been nervous out of my goddamn mind, too, wondering how a nerd like me scored a date with you. You would have been way out of my league,” Decker replied before spinning me around and crushing me back to his chest.
“I doubt that. Have you seen yourself?”
“Have you seen yourself?” Decker asked. “You’re beautiful, Blakely. I can’t stop staring at you. And it’s not just these plush lips,” he kissed me for emphasis, a light peck that I wanted to drag out but he cut off too soon. “It’s not your delicious curves”—his hands ran down my sides—“or your long legs,” he added before lightly touching my thigh.
“It’s not?” I asked.
“No. It’s your selflessness. Your fire. Your intelligence. Your heart. Fuck, you have an amazing heart once you let people in.”
“You’re going to give me a big head, Mr. Harris,” I teased before running a hand through his dark hair. It was so soft. “I wish our timeline would have aligned better. I would have gladly fumbled through an awkward high school dance with you.”
“My younger self would have been fighting a boner all night,” he joked.
“Your older self seems to be having the same problem. Need some help with that, Mr. Harris?” I asked with a teasing grin before trailing my hand down his chest and past his waist until I was cupping his hard-on over his pants.
“Fuck, you kill me.” He groaned before taking a deep inhale of my hair. “I know you’re on the pill, but I’m going to grab a condom and bend you over the kitchen table,” he rushed out before backing away. “Give me five seconds.”
Decker disappeared down the hall, and I smiled after him, the thrill of the moment coursing through me. How did I get so lucky? How did something so disastrous and ugly turn into the best move of my