┏━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┓

Dance

┗━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┛

Chapter 36: Dance (Aaron's POV)

I was done getting ready for tonight but not Vanessa. 

Davidson had told us before we came to this trip to carry one formal outfit because he wanted the last dinner we have in Hawaii to be the best. To follow his orders, I put on black trousers with a black button-up and a black blazer. I forgot the tie though, so that's missing. 

I have no idea what Vanessa brought with her but I'll find out in a minute when she comes out of the bathroom. Vanessa went to Daisy's room earlier and came back with a hair straightener, which I'm sure is exactly what she's using right now. 

I was standing on the balcony. It was already dark out, the stars were glittering, scattered across the sky. From the looks of it, it was a full moon, and the moonlight even lit up the waves, I could faintly see them but the crashes were all I could hear. 

After checking the time, I figured I should give her a time check otherwise we'd be late. Locking the balcony door behind me, I headed towards the bathroom, knocking on the door. 

"It's open!" she called out. 

I pushed it open and leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, watching her in the mirror. 

"Hi," she smiled, "I'm almost done." 

I nodded, still not moving. 

"Oh, wait, before I forget. Could you please zip up the dress? I can't reach it." She flashed me a smile through the mirror. 

"Sure," I mumbled, walking over. I gathered her hair which had been pin-straight for the night and draped it over one shoulder. I looked away from her in the mirror and down at the zipper, a breath getting caught in my throat. I swallowed before clearing my throat and glancing at her in the mirror again. 

She raised her brows at me, grabbing a lipstick. 

I glanced down at the zipper again, pinching the dress right under it before I started tugging it up. 

Her dress had a low v-cut in the back with the zipper undone, it ended at her tailbone. The dress was silk and red, the perfect color for her. The straps of the dress that held it up on her shoulders were diamonds. The dress stopped an inch below her knees and made me weak in mine. Especially the slit up her right thigh. 

My knuckles grazed her spine as I moved up and I watched goosebumps erupt on her skin. I glanced at her in the mirror again, a smile tugging at my lips. My fingers moved past the hook of her bra and I closed up the zipper right there, my eyes holding hers through the mirror. 

"Don't you dare smirk at me, Aaron," she said, holding back a chuckle. 

"Fine. I won't." I moved forward, resting my hands on the counter right by her waist while my front pressed into her back. 

She zipped her makeup bag and then turned to me. She glanced at my clothes and then smiled, meeting my eyes again. "No tie?" 

"No. They're always crooked anyway, apparently." 

She laughed softly, loosely resting her arms around my neck. "I'm thinking we should go if we don't want to be late," she said, glancing at my lips. 

"I'm thinking we shouldn't go at all," I replied, taking in a breath. 

She watched me in amusement. "Should we stay back?" she teased. 

"As much as I want to, there's something else that's very important to me." I tucked her hair behind her ear. 

"And what's that?" 

"Not rushing into this." 

She lifted a brow. 

"As much as the thought of finally having you and touching you has been killing me, I promise you, I'll be patient. I promise I'll wait for you if you think it's too soon or if you want to slow down." 

She brought a hand down to my cheek, her thumb stroking softly. "I think we're doing just fine, Aaron. After five years? I think we're moving at the right pace. And it's right as long as it feels right, don't you think?" 

I nodded softly. 

She smiled and then came up on her toes to kiss me. She didn't kiss me for too long and then we both pulled away. "Let me put on my heels, then we can go?" 

"Yeah," I replied. We left the bathroom and she grabbed her heels, sitting at the foot of the bed. "Do you want me to—" 

"No," she cut me off, glancing at me. "I don't want you to put them on for me. But later when my feet hurt or I get a little tipsy, if I do, you can take them off of me," she grinned before standing up. She grabbed her phone and took one look around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. "Let's go." 

I opened the door for her and we made our way downstairs to the lobby. 

Since the cars we rented were already given back to the hotel, I knew we had to get a cab for tonight. We found one and I got the door for her before climbing in myself. "Where to?" the driver asked, glancing at us in the rearview mirror. 

"Nova." 

"Ah, the restaurant?" 

"Yeah," I nodded. 

He started driving and I turned to stare at Vanessa. She was looking out the window at a few other hotels and restaurants we drove past, taking everything in. I grabbed her hand and I saw her smile a little wider but she didn't turn to look at me, she kept her focus out the window. 

She couldn't keep pretending like she didn't like it when I started moving my thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. She chuckled softly and turned to me. She shook her head softly while gleaming and then looked back away. 

I bit back a smile and turned to look out the window as well. The drive wasn't too long, no more than twenty minutes anyway. When we got there, most of the people were still missing, so at the table, it was only Davidson, Judith, Vanessa, Mom, Dad, Nick, and me. The others joined in eventually and took their seats, dinner was ordered, and then the chaotic chatter began. 

"What do you think the stage is for?" Vanessa asked, leaning over, her arm against mine. 

"I don't think there's any performance. Maybe for the people here to dance." 

"Will you dance?" she smirked, watching me in amusement. 

"If it's with you," I replied, turning to face her. 

"How cute," she teased, not pulling away and staying barely inches away from me. 

"Aren't I?" I played along, leaning in. 

She pushed at my chest softly while laughing and faced forward. 

Everyone ate dinner happily but nobody got up to leave right after that. It was a given that since this was our last night in Hawaii, we were going to make it count. 

"Huh, I guess you were right," Vanessa said, nodding towards the stage. "It is for customers to dance." 

A few people had gone over with their friends and partners and begun dancing to the upbeat music. There were friends, girlfriends, and boyfriends, married couples, a group of girls, a group of boys. Everybody looked like they were having fun. 

"Is nobody from our gigantic table going to dance?" Judith laughed, looking at all of us. 

Nobody said a word, everybody just looked away to avoid eye contact with Judith. It was like she was a teacher waiting to call on someone. Then suddenly, Lyla shot up, startling everyone. She turned to Zach who was sitting beside her. "You want to come with me?" 

"To dance?" he mumbled. 

She nodded, holding her hand out, wiggling her fingers. 

"Sure," he chuckled, standing up and taking her hand. A minute after that, Daisy and Julian joined them, then Jade and Thomas. 

"Vanessa, can I steal you for a dance?" Nick asked, standing up. 

She stiffened for a minute and then cleared her throat, throwing her hair over her shoulders. "Um, I..." She glanced at me. 

I am well aware that I have no right to tell her what she can and can't do. So I won't even bother.

"Sure," she said hesitantly before standing up. Nick headed towards the stage first while she tucked her chair in. She moved behind my chair and bent down to my ear. "Come save me in three minutes, please," she whispered before catching up to him. 

I chuckled, watching her until she joined the crowd. 

"Pourquoi tu ne dansent pas avec elle?" Mom hissed at me from across the table. Why don't you dance with her? 

"Parce que je fais confiance elle," I replied, knowing that nobody else at the table understood us. Because I trust her. 

"Je sais que," she huffed. I know that. She demanded, "Danse avec elle. Aller." Dance with her. Go. 

I glanced over at her and saw that she maintained a distance. She wasn't dancing with her arms around his neck, nor was she letting him hold her. I stood up as he took a step closer to her and walked over and through the crowd. He was reaching for her hand to spin her around but I beat him to it, spinning her around and pulling her into me after one spin.

She steadied herself with her hands against my chest and grinned up at me. "Hi." 

"Hi, you," I chuckled, moving my hands to her waist. I saw Nick walk away in my peripheral view. 

"You saved me," she sang, resting her arms around my neck. 

"Of course." I bowed my head a bit, pushing her out and then rolling her back in, her back against my chest. 

She laughed softly as I spun her around to face me again. She rested one hand on my shoulder while I kept one on her waist. I moved my free and grabbed hers, locking our fingers together before lifting up our hands to shoulder level. "You didn't ask me to dance," she pointed out. 

"He beat me to it, Nessa. But I saved you as promised," I mumbled. 

"That doesn't change the fact that you didn't ask me to dance," she frowned slightly. 

I nodded slowly. "All right, I'll remember that. Next time I'll take your hand like this." I glanced at our hands. "And I'll bring you to dance. And then I'll spin you... like this." 

She let out a giggle as I spun her around before dipping her with an arm around her waist and then pulled her up slowly. She beamed up at me as we slowed down and I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Aaron," she said softly. 

"Yes?" 

She hesitated, her hand squeezing mine briefly. "Can we leave?" she whispered. 

I held her gaze while we both stopped moving. "Do you want to?" 

She hummed, nodding. 

"Then let's go." We slipped out of the restaurant without being noticed by the others. I got us a cab and we filed in quickly. The twenty minutes felt so much longer this time. 

"Thank you," we mumbled in sync before climbing out once I paid the driver and then heading inside. We got into the elevator after she pressed the button a dozen times impatiently. The doors closed with a ding and the elevator started ascending. I glanced at her, both of us leaning against the wall. 

She was staring down at her heels, shifting her weight from one foot to the other almost nervously. I grabbed her hand and tugged her forward so she stood in front of me. She stared at me, her eyes falling to my lips. 

I pulled her a bit closer before lifting my hands to cup her face as I leaned in, erasing the distance between us. She kissed me back just as quickly, one hand on the back of my neck, drawing me in closer. On our floor, we stumbled out of the elevator but parted in the hallway. She kept her hand in mine while leading the way until we reached our door that I unlocked, holding it open for her. 

She stepped in first but turned to face me instantly and kissed me, pulling me inside with a firm hold on my suit.

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 36

I'm updating really late today but I wasn't home y'all sorry

next chapter: promised

smut alert