Page 8 of All Hallows' Haunt
“You were looking for me?” I asked, shocked with what I heard and completely convinced the fall knocked me unconscious and this was all a dream.
“I wouldn’t say that.” She blushed, ducking her gaze and moving her hand to cover her mouth. The crowd quieted as they moved on and went back to their business.
“What would you say then?” I cocked a grin and tilted my head as I watched her. Studied her. She dropped her sleeved arm and placed a hand against my abdomen. She trapped the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth as I waited for her reply.
“I just wanted to see you, but mostly to prove something to myself.”
“What’s that?”
“That you wanted to see me, too.” She picked at the already chipped black nail polish on her nails and averted her gaze.
“I wanted to see you.” I paused. “Sienna.”
When I said her name, she twisted her head and locked eyes with me. Where mine were doe-like and completely smitten, hers were the opposite. Her crystal look relayed an untrusting fear and shock at my admission. It was what she wanted, and it felt like kismet that I wanted it, too.
“Do we know each other?”
“If I knew you before tonight, I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to let you go,” I confessed. Her head fell back, and that beautiful laugh I’d craved to hear finally spilled out. The act caused her to shift against my waist. It was loud, choppy, and funny itself. I wanted it to play on a loop for the rest of my days. “I overheard your friends say it. That’syourname, right?”
“Yeah, Sienna Rhodes.” She straightened herself more and looked back at her friends. I didn’t move to follow her gaze; I waited for her attention to settle on me again. “What’s your name?” she asked as her eyes moved from my painted face and across my messy, unbuttoned shirt.
“Everett,” I forced out. “St. Claire.” Reality pressed in as I realized the gravity of our little incident.
“I like that; it’s unique.”
“I could say the same for Sienna.” Her smile stretched wide, and it was my favorite thing about tonight. I wanted to make her smile every chance I got. “I really hate to ask you this, but could we stand up?”
Her face fell, and she looked around us before using me as support to right herself. After she brushed off her sweatshirt, she extended her hand. I hesitated for a brief moment before sliding mine into hers.
Avoiding looking like a degenerate, I swallowed the moan stuck in my throat and gripped her tight. I didn’t use her to pull myself up—I accepted the majority of that effort and relished the feel of her small hand in mine. As I shifted in the grass, I kept our connection and found her friends gawking. The darker blond guy looked disgusted. Or pissed?
Loser.
“Si,” the guy called. His tone was flat, bored even. His agitation leaked out as his head cocked and he cracked his fingers. Her hand tightened around mine, and when I looked her over again, she squinted at the prick with a scrunched nose. I turned to face her, blocking her line of vision with the brick-headed dumbass.
“Hi,” I teased. Her lashes fanned when she tilted her back to look at me. They brushed just under her eyebrows and added to the list of everything beautiful that was Sienna.
“Hi,” she flirted.
“I don’t want to walk away—”
“Don’t,” she countered.
“But I have to go back to work.” I dropped my voice and leaned in before adding, “I’m definitely not allowed to make out with guests, and if I don’t get inside to work, then I’m gonna be fucked six ways to Sunday.”
“Oh.”
“Are you going in?” I asked, nodding toward the line that was dwindling. Her teeth chewed the corner of her bottom lip again. I brushed my thumb along the rosy pout and tugged it free. White and red smeared across her mouth and chin from our kiss.
“Yeah, that was the plan at least.” Her eyes shifted behind my shoulder, and her brow furrowed.
I don’t like that look. Concern? Doubt? Worry?
I kept a gentle hold on her jaw as I leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss against her lips. “I’ll see you inside then.”
“Inside?”
“Absolutely,” I said, leaning in close. “I’ll be waiting for you,” I whispered. “Will you make me a loser or a lover tonight?” I asked, tapping her nose where the words were scrawled across in black and red eyeliner.
