The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4 (Cursed #3-4) - Rebecca Donovan Page 0,96

more sincere smile.

“Use the door,” he instructs before I can even think of hopping the counter.

I glance at him guiltily and walk quickly to the side entrance. Not that I was going to. Learned that lesson.

“Love looks good on you,” Squirrel declares when I enter the kitchen. He glances down at my shirt. “So does hot fudge.”

When I reach the counter, Kaely is jumping, grabbing my hands and squealing. “That was so amazing! I totally cried.”

I glance at Ashton, not sure how to respond to Kaely’s glee.

“She did.” Ashton winks. “That was pretty epic, my pixie.”

And then she bursts out laughing. I grab a handful of popcorn and chuck it at her.

“Where’s my cheeseburger?” a kid cries, and I almost throw popcorn at him too.

“I have no idea what to wear tonight,” I declare, rifling through my closet.

Ashton and Arden make themselves comfortable on the couch, eating sushi and drinking sake.

“I don’t even know what we’re doing.” I eye the raw fish in disgust. “Hopefully not eating sushi.”

“I don’t think Kingston has a sushi restaurant,” Ashton muses.

“They do. Better hope you don’t go there,” Arden notes, using chopsticks to dip a piece of red fish in soy sauce. I shudder and look away before she puts it in her mouth. “Are you dressing to apologize or seduce?”

“Or seduce while apologizing?” Ashton asks, waggling her brows.

“That’s also an option,” Arden recognizes, raising her sake cup up for Ashton to tap.

“Um, I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I mean, I’m going to explain everything that happened. And if his note is any indication, he kind of already understands. But … seduce him? I don’t see Grant as a guy who can be seduced by a short skirt and a lacy bra. Besides, I’m not sure that’s what I really want from tonight.”

“Yes, you do,” they say in unison.

I roll my eyes and return to flipping through my options.

“Anyway, it’s not the clothes that should be doing the seducing,” Arden advises.

“Or you just aren’t dressing right.” Ashton sighs. “Get out of the way. Let me see what we have to work with.”

A half hour later, I walk into the foyer, wearing nothing from my closet. I’m in Ashton’s strapless turquoise dress that is a flow of chiffon over a fitted satin slip. It’s mini on her but hits below my knees. And a pair of strappy gold sandals that Arden must have conjured from a pumpkin because they’re much too small to be hers. I borrowed Ashton’s metallic-gold tote, which contains my bikini in case we go swimming. I’m also bringing a change of comfortable clothes if we end up on the couch, watching a movie, and my mother’s box because I’m afraid to explore its contents alone. Again, I have no idea what to expect from tonight.

Grant admires me with a broad smile when I enter the foyer of the administration building. “Wow. You look incredible.”

“Thanks,” I say in relief, happy to see him in khakis and a sky-blue button-down that matches his eyes.

I would’ve texted him, but I forgot to ask Dr. Kendall to add him and Ashton back to my Contacts. I sent the request in my frazzled state while the girls threw clothes at me to try on, and by the time she added him, he was already on his way to pick me up.

“You look good too.”

He bends to give me a kiss but stops halfway to my lips, sensing the glaring security guard at the entrance. “Uh, we should go.”

He takes my hand instead and leads me to the door where I scan my phone with Officer Kiss-Kill, so I can leave.

“Is it okay if the top’s down?” Grant asks, walking me to the passenger side.

“That’s fine,” I answer.

Before I can reach for the handle, Grant spins me around. With an arm around my waist, he pulls me against him and presses his lips to mine. I’m so enraptured by the heat of his mouth and pressure of his lips on mine that it only occurs to me to wrap my arms around him after he moves away. When he lets go, I’m left needing to steady myself with a hand on the car.

He opens the door for me to get in. “Sorry. I couldn’t wait. I’ve needed to do that all week.”

I clear my throat. “Uh, don’t apologize.” I collapse in the seat, my heart taking its time to recover.

As we pull onto the road, Grant says, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left