Page 23

I S IT CHILDISH to feel excited over a carnival ride?

If it is, I don’t care.

The rotating wheel calls me like a beacon through the sea of students laughing and playing games. The smell of popcorn is long gone, replaced by the addicting scent of Aiden. Though that may just be my own hallucination.

The concession stands require re-stocking, the game operators need breaks, and there’s a serious booze problem that I’m willing to overlook as long as no one keels over and wrecks the expensive equipment.

The ring toss attendant, Kenna, looks minutes from falling apart, so I tap her out. The couples approaching the booth showcase an uncomfortable amount of PDA, but it doesn’t irritate me nearly as much as it usually does. My gaze drifts to the Ferris wheel again.

As I’m cleaning up after the last game, Kian leans against my booth while his date admires a large stuffed animal. “Think you can rig this to make me look good?”

I take his tickets and collect a few rings. “What’s in it for me?”

“The joy of seeing your best friend in the embrace of a woman?”

My laugh escapes me without warning, causing his date to look over. I wave. “She’s pretty.”

“Is that a yes?”

I shrug then hand him the wider rings meant for children.

“You’re awfully nice today,” he notes.

“I’m feeling charitable.”

His eyes widen like he's uncovered a big secret. “You’re getting laid.”

My face scrunches in disgust. “Why is that your first guess?”

“It’s not a guess. Either you’re getting laid, or there’s potential for it.”

I don’t want to dwell on whether he’s right or not. “You’re the last person who should know anything about my sex life.”

“You mean the non-existent one?”

I glare. “You’re one to talk.” That only has him sticking his tongue out. “If you must know, I’m just happy.”

Kian’s expression softens. “Good. I like seeing you happy.” Then he steps back, boasting to his date that he’s winning her the largest prize.

For once in my life, it looked like everything was going well. The carnival is a hit, my application only needs minor tweaks, and my poisonous feelings toward hockey are temporarily remedied by a certain captain.

A tap on my shoulder pulls me from my thoughts, and Kenna takes the key from me. “Shoo! You’ve been working all day. Go have some fun.”

“I can stay if you need a longer break.”

She pushes me out of her booth. “Go find your hockey hunk.” She shuts the wooden door.

I guess our hug was on display for the entire carnival.

I make my way through the crowd of drunk students. For the first time in months, I feel light. That night out at the bar with Aiden felt like the beginning of a new me.

“Great event, Summer.” Connor Atwood’s voice is close enough that I startle. His blond hair flows in the wind as he matches my quick strides.

“Thanks for coming, Connor.”

“I wouldn't have missed it.” He continues walking with me as I’m nearing the Ferris wheel. “What are you doing now? Maybe we can hang out for a bit.”

I’m completely ignoring Connor, but I can’t find it in me to care. With a giddy rush of excitement, I slow to search for one tall hockey captain.

“What do you say?” he asks.

“Look Connor, w—”

My heart sinks into the acid of my stomach when I finally spot Aiden, getting on the Ferris wheel. With Crystal Yang. A Beta Phi sorority girl.

Spikes lodge in my throat. Connor's muffled voice mixes in with the noise of the carnival.

Aiden’s eyes lock with mine before he sits in one of the Ferris wheel cars. Crystal throws an arm around his shoulders, smacking a kiss on his cheek as she takes a selfie.

In the heat of betrayal—one I definitely shouldn’t be feeling—I turn to Connor.

“Hey, Connor?” I cut him off mid-ramble.

“Yeah?”

“Kiss me.”

He’s clearly not the idiot I thought, because without another word he lowers his head and seals his lips to mine.

—————————

T HE SCALDING HOT shower leaves my skin hot to touch.

My feet ache from standing for hours, and even the peach-scented lotion I slather over my body doesn’t do much to alleviate the soreness.

As I finish running a comb through my damp hair, there’s a loud knock at the door.

I throw on a long T-shirt and head to the front door, assuming it’s Amara.

When I open the door, it’s Aiden. A very pissed off Aiden.

“What was that?” he asks.

I lean against the door trying to appear as if my heart hasn’t just lit on fire. “Hello to you too, Crawford.”

“You left.”

“Because the event ended.” I turn to glance at the clock on the kitchen stove. “It’s midnight.”

“I know what time it is.” He steps closer, and I instinctively try to close the door on him, but he holds it open. “Why did you leave?”

“Do you have short-term memory loss? I just told you,” I wince at the irritation seasoning my words.

“The truth.”

“Look, I have an early class tomorrow—”

“I waited for you,” he says, voice low and something vulnerable kissing the words. “She wasn’t supposed to be there. You asked me to save you a ride.”

“I shouldn’t have asked you to do that.”

Green eyes darken. “Why did you kiss him?”

I wasn’t sure he saw the kiss, but knowing he did makes something pop in my chest. So I do the only thing I can. I act clueless. “Who?”

His expression morphs into one of disbelief. “Is there more than one guy you’ve kissed tonight?”

I cross my arms to regain composure, and he takes the opportunity to step inside, closing the door behind him. It’s like he’s sealed off the last bit of oxygen I could suck into my lungs to stay lucid. The dorm rivals a cardboard box with every inch of space he steals.

His gaze turns molten. “If you’re trying to irritate me, you’re doing a good job at it.”

“You’re the one who barged in here,” I accuse.

“Fine. Why did you kiss Atwood? First name Connor, in case you’ve kissed a few Atwoods on your rampage tonight.”

I don’t want to answer him. Mostly because I’m not even sure why I did it in the first place. Well, I have an idea, but I’d rather not divulge that.

“Because I wanted to.”

He moves forward, making me take an instinctive step back. The dance continues, each step sending me further into the dorm. “Why did you kiss him?”

My chest heaves from the proximity and the hot tug of tension between us. “I just told you.”

“The truth, Summer.”

With another step, I bump into the couch. The lack of space is hindering any logical thought. “He’s a good kisser—”

He punctuates my sentence by pressing his hips to mine and driving me into the back of the couch. Searing, solid weight cages me in, and all my resistance to him goes up in flames when all six-foot-four inches of him hovers over me. His scent ignites a fire somewhere low in my stomach.

“That’s not what I asked. Try again,” he whispers the demand inches from my lips, and I stop myself from letting out an embarrassing whimper.

My body didn’t feel nearly as flammable when I kissed Connor, and Aiden’s lips haven’t even touched mine. The memory of Connor’s kiss has long since faded, probably because Aiden has a special power of making my thoughts dissolve into a murky soup.

“I don’t know what you expect me to say. It was just a kiss.”

“Just a kiss?” he drawls, our lips a hairbreadth apart. “And if I kissed you right now, would that be just a kiss, too?”

His words flush through me like hot water. He’s calling my bluff, and damn is he good at it. But he doesn’t know me if he thinks I’ll back away from a challenge. “Why don’t you find out?”

He looks stunned, but recovers quickly, with a smirk that could make me melt into a pathetic puddle at his feet. “Is that a yes?”

“Well, it’s not a no.” It’s actually a loud resounding yes. But I’m losing control over the situation. It’s obvious from the way my legs quiver. I’m not sure my flimsy guard can hold up for another second.

“I’m going to need you to do better than that. Can I kiss you, Summer? Yes or no?”

I’m not sure what possesses me to say it. Maybe it's the way his hard body presses into mine or the way he looks at me with a rawness I haven’t seen before. “Yes.”

When I’m so desperate for him to claim my lip, he sinks to his knees.

The surprised sound that leaves me might have been embarrassing if I could produce any thought, but Aiden Crawford is on his knees in front of me with his breath hitting my bare thighs, so thinking isn’t my number one priority right now.

“W-what are you doing?” I stutter.

“Kissing you.” His fingers skim along the back of my thighs, and I shudder. By the rumbling sound that leaves his throat, he knows he has me in the palm of his hand.

This is going south. Fast. “Do you need me to teach you what a kiss is?”

His slow smirk rattles my chest, sending a hot sensation to pool at my core. “I think I can manage.”

“You sure? Because Connor could give you some good tips.”

Why do I keep talking? And why do I love the way his eyes narrow at my words?

My taunt does the opposite of what I want, because Aiden stands.

But instead of leaving like any other guy with a fragile ego, he hooks his arm around my waist and lifts me effortlessly.

When my legs hook around him to accommodate his large body, I’m hyper-aware that I’m completely naked under my thin T-shirt. Aiden freezes.

It would have taken him just a small lift of my shirt to realize it when he was on his knees, but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut long enough for that to happen. Now, I desperately wanted him back down there, and I don’t know how he managed that.

“Is this the only thing keeping me from seeing you naked?” He fists the old graying shirt, his other hand lifting me. His strength doesn't surprise me, but it turns me on to a whole new degree. It even manages to snatch any witty remark I might make.