Page 9 of All He Wants

In all honesty, the holidays were a bit of a non-event for me. I loved Christmas, the cold nights and hot drinks and sparkly lights everywhere, but I usually worked all the way up to Christmas Day and then spent the day itself alone watching cheesy movies and eating Chinese food. “Not much honestly. It’s nice to spend it with people this year.”

Harper smiled, the expression looking so much like Nick that for a second I stared. “Well, we’re happy to have you here. It’s nice having another girl around, Nick’s never brought anyone home for the holidays before.”

“Really?” That was interesting. We’d been together about a year now, and while we’d said the I-Love-Yous and spent most of our time together, I wasn’t sure how serious we were. Nick was a bit of a vault, slow to open up, and I was never quite sure what he was thinking.

“Yep. Seems like a big deal.” Harper’s grin turned sly and I laughed. “Sorry, just fishing for gossip.”

I held still as she got to work with the styling tong. “There’s not much to say, really. We’re exclusive. He’s met my friends and I’ve met you guys. We don’t live together, but it’s rare that we spend a night apart.”

“How come you haven’t moved in together?”

The question made me pause and think about it. “I don’t know. I guess he never asked.”

“And you never asked him,” Harper pointed out and I nodded.

“True.” Maybe it was because things with Nick seemed too good to be true. I’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop and it just… hadn’t. Sure, he could be a little closed off sometimes, but he showed his love in other ways. Like bringing me lunch or coffee while I was at work, or packing snacks for the drive to his parents’ place.

“There.” Harper placed the tool down and spritzed my hair with holding spray. “Very sleek.”

“Thank you.” My hair hung in a blonde sheet, a subtle wave running through the strands and transforming it into an elegant look rather than untouched. “You’re amazing at this.”

She shrugged. “Fashion and beauty is just a hobby.”

“Some hobby,” I mused. “Want to do my makeup, too?”

Her eyes lit up. “Yes! Oh, don’t worry,” she added when I made to stand up and retrieve my makeup bag. “I have disposables.” She rummaged in a large back and came back with sealed spoolies for brows and mascara. “This is going to be so much fun.”

By the time Harper was done with me, I barely recognized myself. The woman in the mirror was a bombshell. Elegant, expensive, untouchable. She’d painted my lips the same shade of red as my dress and given me a silvery smokey eye that I never would have attempted myself.

“You’re an artist.” I hugged her, careful not to mess up my hair or makeup. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” She’d done her own makeup in less than ten minutes, every line and stroke completed with a measured confidence and ease that showed her skill. “Let’s get downstairs, shall we?”

It spoke to the size of the estate when I’d first arrived that it hadn’t really phased me when the Hart’s had told me the ball was hosted on-site. Because of course they had a ballroom. Who would expect anything less?

The second we stepped out of Harper’s room, the sound of music trailed up the stairs. Strings and piano that made me suddenly nervous to go down there. Like I was playing dress up in a world I didn’t belong in.

As if she could sense my rising nerves, Harper slid her arm through mine and guided us down the hall where the music grew louder. I sucked in a shaky breath and Harper squeezed my arm lightly as we reached the bannister.

Waiting at the bottom of the staircase were Oakley and Nick in sharp dark suits, pressed to perfection, their shoulders broad and defined in their outfits. The air left me as our eyes locked and I had to look away to find the first step without stumbling. Their eyes were heavy on me as I walked, making my pulse race, and it wasn’t until I reached the bottom of the staircase that I realized I’d forgotten to breathe during the descent.

Nick’s smile melted me, the light in his eyes taking me in like it shone just for me as he lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. Tingles spread across my skin from the contact and I could feel a blush working its way across my face.

“You look absolutely stunning, Ember.”

“Thank you,” I murmured. “You look nice yourself.”

He tucked my arm into his and when we turned, Oakley’s eyes were watching us. His eyes darkened, tongue darting out to wet his lips before he swallowed hard and looked away.

“Let’s party,” Harper sang and the tension broke, leaving a warmth in its place.

Oakley

That red dress would be the fucking death of me.

Harper and I walked behind Ember and Nick, the music washing over us as we entered the ballroom to an instrumental cover of You Belong With Me and honestly it felt like the universe was fucking with me. Why else would it dangle this woman in front of me, looking like that, and not allow me to touch her?

Plus, I couldn’t get the way she’d moaned last night out of my head. She’d been thinking about me. But what was I supposed to do with that? Screw over my brother? I forced out a long breath, trying to ignore the way my chest ached as I watched them together.