The music is ready on my phone. I’ve practiced the moves in private, though Archer caught me once and hasn’t stopped mocking me since.
I can’t stop staring at Blue, and when I am not blatantly staring at her, I’m thinking about her… fantasizing about her.
She’s sitting on the porch of her lake cabin, legs dangling off the edge, watching the sunset reflect off the water. She doesn’t know I’m here yet. I’ve been keeping watch, making sure she’s safe, but today I’m standing in the tree line like some creeper, holding a portable speaker behind my back and trying to work up the courage to go through with this absolutely ridiculous plan.
This is what she’s reduced me to. I, Elias, the charming, overconfident one, the one who’s never had trouble with the ladies, am hiding in the trees with sweaty palms like a schoolboy.
“You going to stand there all night?” she calls without turning around.
Shit.
I step out from the trees, trying to look casual. “Just admiring the view.”
“Uh-huh.” She turns, and there’s that half-smile that drives me crazy. “What’s behind your back?”
“A-uh, a surprise.”
She narrows her eyes. “I don’t like surprises.”
“You liked the fireflies,” I counter.
Her cheeks flush at the memory, and I can’t help but grin now. We haven’t talked about that kiss since it happened, but I think about it constantly. The feel of her hands on my chest as she grabbed my shirt. The sweet berry taste of her lips on my tongue, and the small satisfied sound she made when I wrapped her in my arms, and our bodies pressed close.
“Come on,” I say. “All you need to do is sit there while I blow your mind.”
“With what exactly?”
“My superior dance moves.”
Before she can protest, I set the speaker down and get into position.
“What are you doing, Elias?”
“Hold on to your panties, Blue, because you’re about to be hit with Magic Elias.” I hit play. The opening beats of “Pony” by Ginuwine fill the air, and I give myself a mental pep talk.
Her eyes go wide. “Oh, my god. You’re not serious.”
I am absolutely serious.
I roll my hips, slow and deliberate, matching the beat. Her mouth drops open. I run my hands down my chest, then turn around, looking over my shoulder as I execute a body roll. When I face her again, I grab the hem of my shirt and lift it just enough to show a strip of skin above my jeans.
Her scent shifts to the sweetest berry pie.
“Stop it right now,” she says, but she’s laughing, her cheeks flushed pink.
I ignore her, moving closer, dropping to my knees, and crawling toward her with exaggerated sensuality. When I reach her, I place my hands on either side of her thighs and thrust my hips in a slow, deliberate motion.
“I’m going to murder you,” she says, but her eyes are glued to my body.
I stand up in one fluid movement and pull my shirt off completely, tossing it at her face. She catches it reflexively, and I can see her fingers tighten around the fabric.
“Like what you see?” I ask, flexing unnecessarily.
“I’ve seen better,” she says, but her scent betrays her.
I wink, running my hands down my bare chest. “Come on, Blueberry. You know you want a ride.”
Before I can process what’s happening, Blue has launched herself at me. Her small body collides with mine, and I let the momentum take us to the ground. She’s straddling me, thighs gripping my hips, face inches from mine, and the music is still playing, but I can barely hear it over the blood rushing in my ears.