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By their ninth round, Theon and Luka had managed to score one point, while she and Axel had scored the other seven. She was racing down the field, preparing to receive the ball Axel had just kicked her way, when an arm looped around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

“Theon! You’re cheating!” she cried through a bark of laughter as he intercepted the ball and kicked it to Luka.

“I am,” he agreed, spinning her around and setting her back on her feet, blocking her path to go after the ball. “I’m becoming a touch insecure with myself after being out maneuvered every round, beautiful.”

“You almost scored a point that one time.”

“And now you are teasing me,” he admonished.

She bit her lip as she stared up at him.

“Let’s go, guys,” Axel hollered. “We have one round left!”

With a small smile at Theon, she turned and jogged to the center of the field for the final round.

“We ready?” Luka asked her.

“Don’t look at me,” she said. “Theon’s the one who needs all the help he can get.”

Axel snickered as Luka set the ball in the center of the field. Axel managed to gain control of it, and Tessa whooped in triumph as she took off down the field. Luka leapt to tackle Axel, and he sent the ball in the air to Tessa, but as she jumped to catch it, darkness swarmed above her head. Shadows caught the ball as though they were hands, and Tessa landed on the ground, turning to face Theon with a disbelieving look on her face.

“That’s not fair!” she protested, her hands on her hips.

“It has already been established that I do not play fair,” he conceded, his shadows flinging the ball to Luka, who took off in the other direction, Axel chasing after him.

“You’re being a sore loser,” Tessa chided as Theon came to a stop in front of her.

“I am,” he agreed, grabbing her hand and tugging her into him. His other hand reached around and wrapped around her ponytail, pulling gently and tilting her head back. “You never cease to surprise me.”

“Because I can play Chaosphere?” she breathed, his heated eyes holding hers.

“Because you are…just not what I expected.”

“It’s not that hard to play Chaosphere, Theon.” When he just stared back at her, she asked hesitantly, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you are smiling, and I rarely see such a thing.”

Her breathing had been evening out after the exertion of the game, but now her breath hitched again. She didn’t know what to say to that, but as he continued to hold her gaze, the rest of the world slowly faded around her. She got lost in emerald irises and black hair that brushed his brow. In that dimple that appeared when a slow grin began to fill his face. At some point, she’d reached up and gently curled her fingers into his shirt. She had no idea when she’d done that.

“I am going to kiss you, Tessa,” Theon said, his voice low in a way that had heat pooling low in her belly.

“Okay,” she whispered.

He wasted no time bringing his mouth to hers, as if he thought she would change her mind at any moment. But as soon as his lips touched hers, pulling away from him was the last thing she wanted, and in that moment, she wasn’t sure if it was all the bond.

Theon had kissed her plenty of times over the last few weeks. Heated kisses. Punishing ones. Desperate kisses and claiming ones, but none had been like this. This kiss was slow and languid, his tongue gently rolling against hers. His hand was still wrapped in her hair, but he used it to tip her head back a little more as he deepened the kiss. She found herself pushing up on her toes, trying to get closer to him as his other hand cupped her cheek.

She couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed when he broke the kiss first, his breathing as ragged as her own. He rested his brow against hers, his eyes falling closed. Is this what it would be like if she gave in? If she let herself find... Well, not happiness, but some type of contentment with them? With him?

“I am beginning to think you plan these things, little storm.”

“Plan what?” she asked, too distracted by the way his lashes fanned across his cheekbones with his eyes closed.

“You only let me get this close to you when we are in public or have some place to be,” he replied, his eyes opening and connecting with hers. His palm still held her cheek, and his thumb brushed along her bottom lip. “I would ask you to remember this moment, to remember how you are feeling right now so we can revisit it when we are at the townhouse, but I know that request would be futile…right?”

“Right,” she whispered, unable to break his stare.

“Can I ask something else of you then?”