Page 29

Aiden doesn’t look away and neither do I. His muscular arm sears my waist, and his gaze warms my face. Shawn lets out a frantic apology, and I detangle myself from Aiden.

“I lost my balance, and I couldn’t hold on. I’m so sorry, Summer."

Aiden’s jaw tenses as he lands a scathing glare at Shawn.

“It’s okay, it was an accident.” This is a stupid game anyway, and the only one I’m mad at right now is the guy unaware of anything but Cassie in his arms.

The host makes sure I’m not going to sue the place for injuries before he thanks us for playing. “We have our winners! Everyone gives a round of applause to Kian and Cassie!”

I realize Aiden must have left Amelia, so I made them lose too.

The partial victory doesn’t feel good, but only because of the bruise forming on my back.

When the crowd cheers, I’m off the stage and barreling through the lounge before Kian can rope me into something else.

Metal doors screech when I exit through the back, and the February air cools my hot skin.

I’m calling an Uber when the door screeches again, and Aiden steps out. “You really wanted that date, huh?”

***

Aiden

B ROWN EYES SHOOT me a glare that tells me I’m not on her good side tonight. Not that I ever am, but I thought helping her off her ass might have given me a few brownie points.

“No?” I smother a laugh. “It looked like you were falling for him.”

Her glare doesn’t go anywhere. “Funny.”

“No comeback? Are you feeling all right?” I bring the back of my hand to touch her forehead, but she bats it away. “If it helps, he feels pretty bad about dropping you.”

“I don’t blame him. I’m probably heavier than he expected,” she says. “But dropping me in front of all those people? Great for a girl’s ego.”

“That says more about his lifting capabilities than your weight. We both know how easily I can lift you.”

The reminder of how I held her body in my palms dances in the air between us.

Her gaze flickers before she drops it. “You left your date?”

“Amelia’s a beautiful girl, but it’s better if we part ways,” I say dramatically.

“Why? You were flirting with her the entire time.”

Summer’s magnetic pull brings me an unconscious step closer. “Focused on me, were you?”

“Hard to ignore that blinding douchebag smirk.”

“You’re really feeding my ego here.”

“My life’s purpose.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be nice? You’re giving a bad rep to Canadians.” With another step, I’m treading on thin ice.

Her back hits the wall this time. “Right, we have to be the nice ones so you can have free rein to be assholes.”

“I’m not an asshole.”

“I specifically recall ‘ Fine, I was an asshole’ coming out of your mouth,” she says pointedly.

“That was to get on your good side.”

“You’re not on my good side.”

“Really? Because I think eating you out for so long my jaw was sore should bump me up on your list.”

I bask in the way her breath hitches. “You’re…vulgar.”

I assess the conflicting reactions she gives me. “You know, I don’t think you hate hockey players as much as you say you do.”

She raises a brow, cheeks pink with heat. “And why’s that?”

I still haven’t touched her, and it’s beginning to feel impossible to keep my hands off her.

She only has to appear in front of me for my fingertips to inevitably find her skin.

What puzzles me is that she’s always accepting my touch, and leaning into it as if she wants this as bad as I do, but she does everything not to come to me, not to let herself touch me like she did that night in her dorm.

I allow my hand to hover over the material by her thigh.

“Because I have a feeling if I slipped my hand under this tiny dress, I’d find you wet. For me.”

“What makes you think your hand will get the privilege of going there?” Her voice shakes, the confident words not acting as the facade she hoped.

“The last time I touched you, you begged me not to stop. I’d say I have a pretty solid chance.”

“That was you? Huh, I totally forgot about that.”

Yeah, right. There's no way she forgot. I’ve been going mad thinking about how she moaned my name.

“Is that right? So, I wouldn't find anything that says otherwise?” Everything in me needs an agreeable answer. I’m not sure how much clearer I can be about wanting her.

“You’d find me dryer than this conversation.”

My knuckles beg me to skim the soft skin of her thigh, but I only allow myself to hover over the warm center that’s calling my name. Despite her nonchalance, I know what I would find. I’ve tasted what I would find, and there is no denying that she’s attracted to me, no matter how she spins it.

The pounding of the pulse point on her neck becomes prominent as a shiver dances along her skin. “Cold?” I tease.

Blazing eyes pierce mine, but no words leave her mouth.

“Ask me to touch you, Summer.”

I hope to God the next thing that pushes past those beautiful lips is a moan, and not an insult. Though it turns out anything this girl says turns me on.

“T—”

An annoying screech breaks through the lavender haze, and Summer instinctively pushes me away.

Kian finds us standing there like culprits in a major crime.

“What are you two doing out here?” He shakes his head when he doesn’t get an answer.

“Second and third place get a prize too. Come on, we’re waiting for you. ”

“I wouldn’t step foot on that stage again even if they were giving away college degrees,” snaps Summer. “Besides, my Uber’s here.”

“You’re leaving? We came together. I would have taken you.”

“You also tricked me into playing that stupid game. Forgive me if I’m not your biggest fan right now.”

“Sunny,” he says, defeated.

“Keep that I owe you ready, Ishida. You’re going to be working overtime to make it up to me.”

Kian runs a frustrated hand through his hair and looks at me for assistance. I shrug. I’m annoyed that he interrupted us, so watching him struggle is pure entertainment.

“Let me at least take you home,” he tries again.

She rips her focus away from her phone. “It’s in your best interest not to be alone in a car with me right now.”

Not being the subject of Summer’s rage for once is a welcome change. A white Tesla lights up the road.

“I’m sorry, okay?” Kian says. “But even you know this was my only shot at a date with her.”

The gravel crunches under her heels when she pivots. “I never said I didn’t get it, Kian, and I’m happy you won. But you could have just told me the truth.”

“You wouldn’t have come.”

“And I wouldn’t have wanted to strangle you either. You decide what’s worse.” She ducks into the Uber, leaving us in the dark alley.

Kian runs a frustrated hand over his face. “How forgiving is she?”

My pointed look must convey my answer.

“I guess I have my work cut out for me then.”