And if anything happened between us, there'd be a scandal. Whereas Adrian is the perfect safe choice, a great guy and someone who I know likes me.
Too bad he doesn't make me feel like Dom does.
"Guy number two?" Susie murmurs in my ear, seeing me looking at Adrian, and I nod weakly.
"Don't worry, I've got your back," Susie winks at me. Next, she links her arm through mine and we stroll over to our friends.
I'm offered a red cup filled with punch, which, upon being sniffed, is not as fruity as it is spiked. I take small sips, knowing someone will refill my cup as soon as it's empty. I don't want to get drunk tonight – I want to have all my senses on high alert when I see Dom.
If I even see him.
I spend the evening looking around, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. I was pretty sure he'd show up to the bonfire, since he texted me about it earlier. But so far, no such luck.
Unfortunately for me, Adrian seems to be trying to make eye-contact with me all night long. I catch his eye and smile, then look away as fast as I can. I guess that's all the encouragement he needs, because he comes to greet me in a matter of seconds.
"Hey, Cassidy," he smiles.
"Hello."
"Haven't seen you in a while, is everything okay?" he wonders out loud, and I can see genuine concern in his eyes. This guy is so goddamned sweet, and I'm sure I'd be all over him if it weren't for Dom.
"I had sunburn," I say lamely. "Had to stay inside until it faded."
"Oh, poor girl," he says with a sweet smile. "I would've come over to keep you company. And put lotion on your back." He accompanies the last sentence with a grin and a wink and I blush.
Thankfully, Susie strides over to us in the next second.
"I am so sorry, Adrian, but this one is needed for some gossip," she says matter-of-factly. Before Adrian can pipe up with an objection, she's already pulled me away. He just stares after us in confusion.
"Do I need to do some damage control?" Susie asks. "Like… you want Dom, you like Dom, did you forget about Dom?"
"I don't think I ever could," I sigh, shaking my head.
"Good." Susie sounds satisfied. "Will you be okay by yourself? I'm about to make out with an insanely hot surfer dude."
"I'll keep her company," an amused voice interrupts. I whirl around, almost bumping into Dom who seems to have appeared out of nowhere.
I just stare at him, not trusting myself to form coherent sentences.
Susie jams her elbow in my ribs, then returns to her makeout partner.
"You showed up," I say to Dom, hoping the dark night is hiding my flushed cheeks.
"Been waiting for me?" he teases, raising an eyebrow.
I shrug. "I've been keeping busy," I say, and I let my eyes float towards Adrian, hoping it might make Dom a bit jealous.
Dom steps a little closer until he's right in my face, staring at me hard. His hands shoot up and grab me by the shoulders, and I look back in shock.
"Don't. Don't go near him."
"Sheesh, okay," I say, pulling out of his hands, even though I regret it the moment I don't feel his skin on mine. "Jealous much?"
"I'm just looking out for you, Cassidy," Dom says tiredly, and he looks beat-up suddenly. I move a little closer to him, my hand shooting up of its own accord to move a strand of hair from his eyes. He looks at me, and I blush again.
"It was in your eyes," I say apologetically, giving him a shy smile. His face cracks a smile, slow and so sexy, it sends tingles to my tummy.
"Having fun?" he asks me, glancing around us at the party, which is in full force. I shrug.
"I wanna keep playing." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and it seems like Dom is just as surprised by them as I am. He stares at me, hard, and I'm intimidated by his presence.
"You sure?" he asks hesitantly, and I realize this is my chance to get out.
I could say no and leave right now, and we wouldn't have done anything too forbidden. I could kiss Adrian tonight, pretend there was never anything between Dom and me. I'm sure he would find a substitute for me in a second.
But the thing is, I don't want to.
So, I nod, my body swifter and more sure of what I'm doing than my heart.
Dom is staring at me, and his Adam's apple bobbles as he swallows. "Great," he says, and his smile reminds me of that of a predator. "Come with me."
He takes me by the hand and gently pulls me away. I follow in his footsteps as he leads me away from the light of the bonfire, walking across the beach.