Chapter 19: Green Dress

I wore the green dress.

Delphine had told me to, and that was the reason, and I let it be the reason.

I stood in Declan's bedroom at six o'clock on Saturday with my back to him and my hair held up in one hand.

"The zipper's stuck," I said.

"Of course it is."

"It was stuck last time."

"Hold still."

He came up behind me, and his knuckles brushed the bare skin between my shoulder blades.

I felt it all the way down my legs.

The zipper caught on a thread near the small of my back.

He worked at it slowly with two fingers and his breath on my neck.

"I could leave it down," he said.

"You could."

"Emme."

"We have a car coming in fifteen minutes."

"I know exactly how long we have."

The zipper slid up one inch and stopped again.

His other hand settled flat on my waist and held me there.

"I'm going to say something," I said, "and you're not allowed to do anything about it until tonight."

"That's a cruel start."

"When this is over, I'm taking you home, and I'm taking that sweater off you, and I'm not letting you out of this bed until the sun is up."

He laughed against my shoulder, helplessly, low.

"Say that again."

"No."

"Please."

I turned my head, and his mouth was right there.

I kissed him once, slow, and it took everything I had to stop.