Page 172 of When We Ignite

He nodded emphatically. “I thought you had it bad before, but it’s nothing compared to now. Did you give up on your time frame?”

I hesitated. “No…”

“That sounded convincing,” he quipped sarcastically. “Did something happen?”

“We had a bad fight.”

“So this is you trying to make it right? It was on you this time?” he asked, setting his phone down to look at me intently.

“Yes and no. The fight was my fault, but it’s not about that,” I explained, and he waited. “I really like him, Henny. This is the first time I’ve connected with someone like this,” I said softly, watching his eyes widen. My gaze drifted to Ethan, making his way back to the table. “I just want to make the most of it while I still have him.”

Ethan sat down, looking between us with a chuckle. “What?”

Henry was still staring at me, slack-jawed. I cleared my throat, and Henry shook his head, snapping out of it.

“I found the place. Let’s get another round, shall we? The night is young,” Henry said, downing his drink.

* * *

We went to a couple of bars before it was late enough to hit the clubs. Henry saved the biggest one for last, and as we walked inside, Ethan laced his fingers with mine. He had stayed close to me all night, but the moment we stepped into the pulsing, crowded space, I noticed a flicker of nervousness in his expression. His eyes darted around, then back to me, looking for reassurance.

It didn’t take long to realize what he was uneasy about—it wasn’t the possibility of anyone getting too aggressive with him. It was us. Being here, together, in a space where possibilities seemed endless. I caught the way he looked up at me as we walked, like he was making sure my eyes were still on him.

I tried to contain my smile, moving closer to him to leave no room for doubt. My arm brushed against his as I tilted my head down to murmur near his ear. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Henry worked his magic once again, securing us a table that gave us a little breathing room. Ethan sat close to me, his gaze darting around as he took it all in. I draped my arm over his shoulder and tilted his chin gently up to mine.

“Have I told you how great you look tonight?”

A playful smile stretched across his lips, his eyes bright as he leaned closer, his hand warm on my thigh. “Am I like your trophy in this crowd?”

“In every crowd, my darling,” I replied, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Yeah, but in here—” Ethan leaned in closer, his breath brushing my ear as he added with a wicked grin, “—you really are. My daddy.”

My head dropped back briefly as Ethan burst out laughing, thoroughly amused by his own antics.

“You need to stop with that,” I told him, my tone half warning, half exasperated.

“Not a chance,” he said, still laughing.

I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss, cutting off his laughter. Ethan melted into it, his lips parting against mine, his hand tightening on my leg.

“You’re going to cause an uproar if you keep that up,” Henry called out, his voice carrying over the music.

We broke apart, both of us turning toward him.

Henry set a bottle down on the table, pouring himself a drink as he leaned in toward me. “Careful with the attention, Ash.”

I gave him a nod, and the three of us settled into the rhythm of drinks and conversation. After a while, I noticed the faint flush creeping up Ethan’s cheeks and the way his smile lingered just a little longer. He was nearing the edge of tipsy, and I started spacing out his drinks.

Then he leaned in close, his hand tugging lightly at my collar. “Are you going to dance with me?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “I’m not a fan of dancing.”

Ethan pulled back, his expression shifting to one of mock disapproval. “I can’t do this right if I don’t dance.”

I leaned back in my seat and caught Henry’s attention. He looked over, eyebrows raised in curiosity, and I gestured toward Ethan.