Page 20 of All at Once

I’m too excited to worry about how I’ll manage to go to a club with him alone to question it for onesecond.

I’ve been to all of two clubs in my life, both of which were a huge letdown. All anyone wanted to do was either hook up, grind, or drink. When all I wanted to do was dance with my friends.

“I’ve heard that they’re better in Europe,” I add, “especially if you like to actually dance and not just grind.” Though why I said that last part is even beyond me, now worried that I might have implied that I don’t want to grind with him.

Enrique crosses his arms and smirks. At my clearly effortless charm? Or at the second-hand embarrassment from my remarks? I can’t quite tell.

“You’re not a fan of grinding then?” he asks, his lips still curved flirtatiously.

I quickly shake my head. “No. Ilovegrinding,” I lie, never having actually done it.

He starts laughing, and now I’m not only nervous at how to fix my previous statement, but also at how his dimples are peeking through again. Also trying to avoid the thunderous sound of my heartbeat, I clarify, “I didn’t mean to say that I love it. I also don’tnot love it.” Still grinning, Enrique tilts his head up at me at how progressively worse this is getting. And for whatever reason,I can’t shut up. “What I meant to say was that I don’t mind it, but that’s all people ever really do at the ones I’ve been to.”

“Actually, I’ve noticed that as well,” he admits. “I’ve been to a few in California, and they’re pretty different here.”

I unclench my hands in my lap, trying to ease some of the tension in my body. “Honestly, it’s more so the music for me. I want songs that I can really dance to.”

“Got it. So‘likes to grind but only to real music?’” he condenses my reasoningteasingly.

I chuckle awkwardly. “Right. That’sexactlywhat I said,” I reply, pressing my hand onto my forehead, feeling how noticeably warmer I am.

Enrique grins. “Maybe we can also get dinner tomorrow before we go?”

Wondering if this was our first date or if tomorrow will be it, I say, “Sure, that would be great.”

_________

My comment about grinding doesn’t leave my mind even when I’m back in my suite, questioning if it was smart of me to suggest going to a club this early on. Then again, it’sjustdancing. Though with the way my heart was beating an hour ago when Enrique leaned in like that, I can’t even imagine how I’m going to process his body pressing up against mine in less than 24 hours. Waiting these many years clearly wasn’t enough to prepare me foranything.

After anxiously staring at the room’s ceiling in the dark for the past three hours, wondering how tomorrow night will turn out, I decide to walk to the main pool to read. It’ll relax me and always helps make me more tired anyway.

This setting alone was worth the inconvenience of leaving my cozy room. The pool looks even more beautiful at night with the array of tiny lights emphasizing the diamond-like pattern of the tiles. I feel a breeze shortly after sitting down on a spacious lounge chair. As I try to move my seat, my Kindle drops. Shit.

“Jasmine?”

I recognize Luca’s voice from afar and look up to see him walking by the hallway while on his phone.

Cursing at my clumsiness for the thousandth time, I scowl to myself, then reply, “Yeah?”

As he gets closer, I notice he’s wearing workout apparel, and his hair looks a little damp. Yet hestilllooks good.Unfair.

Luca walks up to my chair, now making us a grand total of two people next to the pool in the middle of the night. “What are you doing?” he asks.

I look up to meet his mesmerizing eyes. I don’t understand how they sparkle this much even in the dark, the reflection of the moon over the water only adding to their allure.

“I’m reading,” I say. That’s hardly the truth considering how I’m still on page one.

He raises a brow at me, his mockery palpable before he’s even parted his lips. “In the dark, by the pool?”

“Yeah, you’ve never done it?” I say.

“I’d rather not be bitten by mosquitos.” Despite saying this, he takes a seat next to me and glances over at my Kindle. “What book are you reading?”

“Wuthering Heights,” I reply as my heart slowly begins to flicker. “Well, I was going to re-read it. I’ve already read it a handful of times. It’s my favorite book.”

His eyes widen slightly, still focused on the screen. “Good choice,” he says casually albeit with an impressed expression.

Feeling my eyes light up, I ask, “You’ve read it?”

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