Page 120 of Break the Ice

“Why did you help me that night? You could’ve let me take the fall.”

“I was already obsessed with you before even realizing I was. Pretty much from the moment I saw you standing with Oates during the team sync.”

I snicker. “You were so obsessed you called me Sugar Tits.”

“I wanted your attention but I hated the judgment in your eyes.”

“You were the boy in class pulling on the pigtails of the girl you liked, weren’t you?”

“Actually, yeah,” he says with a short laugh. He drops a kiss on my lips and gives my supple, sore backside another squeeze. “But I was also the boy who would’ve knocked anybody who messed with you the fuck out.”

I can’t keep from smiling up at him. “You already did. Several times.”

“Morasca.”

“Blackman.”

“I did more than knock him out.”

“Was he your first time doing that?” I ask. We’ve rolled over onto our sides, facing each other. It’s my turn to touch him, my fingertips trailing the rough hair and thick veins I find on his arms. Including the healing scar from his brawl a few weeks ago. “Blackman in the limo. Was it your first time, you know?”

“The first person I’ve killed?” he asks and I nod. He counters me with a shake of his head. “It wasn’t my first time. There was an incident in college. My father and Mitch covered it up. That’s how Mitch first started working for me. My father thought it was a good idea to have somebody available to… take care of any incidents I had.”

“Mitch certainly earns his paycheck and more.”

“What about you?”

I knit my brows. “What about me what?”

“You took Gomez out. Was it your first?”

“I didn’t kill Hawk, Rafe. That was your brother, remember?”

“Maybe not,” he admits, then he grips me by the hips to bring my lips to his. “But you were never worried about anybody really thinking you killed Hawk.”

A chill trickles down my spine. I break apart for a confused look at him. “What are you talking about?”

Rafe’s grinning at me. His dimples have popped on. His golden gaze holds a shine that reads as pride. He’s staring at me like I’ve done something to please him. “Sugar, I know,” he says. “You were never worried about going down for Hawk. But you damn sure were worried about Abernathy.”

I’m struck speechless.

Mostly because… it’s true.

Having your worst fear spoken out loud will do that to you.

Rafe senses why I’ve gone silent. He picks up on the fear. The horror that paralyzes me the second my darkest secret has finally been exposed. He strokes my body and holds me as close as ever.

“What did I tell you, Sugar? He deserved it.”

“How did you…” I can’t even finish my sentence.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. You didn’t kill Hawk. But you were worried about something. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have played the game. Then there were other things.”

“I’m glad I was so obvious.”

“Obvious to the guy who’s obsessed with you. I’ve learned everything there is to know about you Marisse Jada March… or should I say Spears?”

“Like what?”