Page 19 of Collide (The Rhapsody of Heartbeats #1)

“If I win,” he murmurs, “I want something from you.”

The way he says it sends a prickle of heat down my spine.

“What is it?” I draw in a shaky breath.

He nudges me with his elbow, laughing. “You’ll find out after the game. I wouldn’t want you throwing it just to find out early.”

His brows wag playfully, but my brain short-circuits, anyway.

Oh, my god.

What if he wants sex?

Surely not.

I mean, he wouldn’t expect that on the first date. Would he?

Touching myself to him, fine. That’s just thoughts.

But actual sex? Too fast.

Riley sleeps with guys all the time, like it’s no big deal.

It is a big deal. I’d say no.

Obviously.

Unless I panic. Shit. What if he assumes ?

What’s the worst it could be?

“Relax,” Alex adds finally, clearly reading every chaotic thought flashing across my face. His smile softens. “It’s not sex. Unless you want it to be, of course.” He winks, nudging me playfully.

I exhale, mortified.

Cool. Amazing. I am officially the most obvious person alive. I shake off the ridiculous panic, reminding myself to fucking chill out and have fun.

“Okay, I’m game. Hold this.”

I let out a breath, handing Alex my gun as I gather my raven waves into a ponytail, tying it up and out of my face. Careful not to aggravate the small wound on my head.

When I glance back at him, his mouth is slightly parted, eyes locked on me like I was doing something scandalous.

His gaze lingers. Then…

“Hmm.” It’s more a sound than a word. Low. Appreciative.

Heat pulses between my thighs.

I arch a brow. “Eyes on the prize.”

Alex’s smirk deepens. “They are.”

My stomach flutters traitorously.

Before I can overthink it, he hands me back my gun and opens the door, and we step inside.

The second the door clicks shut, we’re swallowed by total darkness.

For a moment, there’s only silence—the kind that prickles with anticipation, thick with the unknown.

Then I feel it.

A cool hand grazing down my back.

Slow. Deliberate.

A shiver courses through me. I freeze. Not in fear, but in the thrilling awareness of him.

His palm rests lightly against the small of my back. Not possessive. Not forceful. Just…there. Reassuring. A touch that shouldn’t feel like a spark catching fire, but somehow, it does.

Instinctively, I reach out, my fingers brushing fabric—his shirt soft beneath my fingertips.

Then UV lights flood the room, neon streaks flaring to life along the walls.

I blink, taking in our surroundings—half-destroyed barricades and stacked bins, creating obstacles in the dimly lit maze.

Alex steps back, and that’s when I see it.

His white shirt, glowing electric blue under the lamps.

A painfully easy target.

Our eyes meet. A single beat of silence, then we both burst into laughter.

Belly-aching, breathless laughter.

“I hate to break it to you,” I manage between giggles, “but you’re basically a human glow stick right now.”

Alex tilts his head, amusement flickering across his face. “I could take it off?”

My mouth goes dry.

His smirk turns wicked. “All you have to do is ask.”

There’s something about the way he says it—not just teasing, but a dare.

My cheeks burn, hot and shameless. I realize I’m holding my breath, gripping onto my gun for dear life.

Alex chuckles, shaking his head. “If flirting is all it takes to disarm you, I’m afraid you’re in for an ass-whooping.”

I huff, shoving his arm playfully. “Game on.”

An idea hatches in my mind: Operation Distract and Destroy. Two can play this game.

His stormy eyes flash dark, exhilarated.

And just like that, the war begins.

A familiar beat pulses through the air. ‘Animal’ by Neon Trees.

How apt.

The countdown flashes red on the wall.

10! 9! 8!

I grin, my pulse pounding in sync with the music. “Yes.”

Before Alex can react, I lift the hem of his shirt with one hand, my fingers grazing over firm muscle. Warm. Taut. Just as I imagined.

“Maybe you should take it off,” I whisper, emboldened, enacting step one of my plan.

His breath stops for a second. I’ve caught him off guard.

His gun hangs forgotten at his side, just as mine does. I press my other hand against his neck, tilting his face toward mine.

His pulse thrums beneath my fingertips.

His eyes darken, and he lets out a low sound of satisfaction.

Oh. That’s nice. Really nice.

Focus, Elena.

7! 6! 5!

I rise on my toes, closing the space between us.

4! 3!

His gun clatters to the floor. His arms coil around my back, pulling me in, heat meeting heat.

BINGO.

2!

His breath fans over my lips. His eyes flicker closed.

Everything slows.

The neon lights. The pounding music. The countdown, now a distant hum.

He leans in?—

So close.

So deliciously close.

1!

HONK!

The moment shatters.

Before he can react, I knock his gun away, seize my own, and bolt like my life depends on it.

Alex stumbles and curses, his balance thrown.

I cackle like a maniac, breathless and victorious, as I sprint into the dark maze.

“You’re gonna get it!” his voice booms behind me, reverberating against the walls.

Adrenaline floods my veins.

Weaving through the dimly lit corridors, neon graffiti blurs past me, and the bass of the song pulses in my chest. Operation Distract and Destroy is off to a successful start.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” His voice echoes through the maze, deep and taunting.

I bite my lip, cheeks flushing.

Damn him.

“Come and get me, big guy!” I shout back, my voice shaking with excitement.

I hover in place, torn between staying hidden and making a run for it. It’s too dark. My eyes are still adjusting to the shifting neon glow. If he catches me here, I’ll be cornered.

Not happening.

I risk a peek through the tall window, my pulse slamming against my ribs.

Clear.

I exhale sharply, forcing my legs to move. I push off the wall, slipping from cover, checking both sides before sprinting through the next opening.

The second I stop behind another barrier, I hear it.

“Elena.”

His voice is closer now. Too close .

There’s something thrilling about being chased—the way it sends pure, hot adrenaline surging through your veins.

Dropping into a low crouch, I press my back against a half wall. My breath is ragged with the danger of being caught, my fingers twitching around the trigger.

Then I spot him.

His damn white shirt, still glowing under the UV lights like a beacon, giving him away.

Rookie mistake.

He’s behind a barrier, only the edge of his shoulder peeking out.

I grin, positioning my gun, lining up my shot.

And then, I fire.

Again. And again.

His vest lights up in flashing red, signaling a kill.

“Ha!” I laugh, a raw rush of victory bursting in my chest.

Alex lets out a low, sharp curse as his vest powers down.

Five seconds.

That’s all I have before he’s back in the game.

I scramble away, crawling behind a shattered corner, my hands shaking from the rush. Even though I won this round, I know one thing for sure.

Alex isn’t done hunting me yet.

I manage to kill him twice, I think. But take a few hits of my own. My vest powers down, but I don’t stop to check, narrowly escaping him on multiple occasions.

My heart slams against my ribs as I maneuver through the maze, weaving between barricades, trying to create distance.

I spot him.

Backed against a column a few meters away.

The space between us crackles, my palms slick with adrenaline, my breaths coming in short, excited bursts.

I line up my shot, aiming for his vest.

I fire.

Bullseye.

Alex sees me as soon as I pull the trigger, and in a split second, he moves.

Fast.

Too fast.

I try to stumble back, but I barely get a step in before?—

Strong hands grab my waist.

A yelp rips from my throat as he lifts me clean off the ground, my body weightless.

“Gotcha,” he growls.

I squeal, legs kicking in the air. My fingers dig into his shoulders, gripping onto him as he spins me around, pinning me against a solid wall.

I barely have time to react before he grabs my gun and tosses it aside.

I’m defenseless.

Breathless.

Pinned.

“You’re in quite the predicament, Elena,” he drawls, like he’s relishing his time with the kill.

His chest presses against mine, and his arms cage me in. His scent wraps around me—citrusy, intoxicating.

I feel his breath against my cheek, slow and measured, like he’s enjoying watching me squirm.

The tension tightens between us, my pulse skipping erratically, my skin alive where he touches me.

His fingers skim up my arm, slow, deliberate, his touch featherlight, but it scorches.

I inhale deeply, drowning in his scent. Fully aware that my body is betraying me completely.

The music thumping in the background fades into a low hum.

His arm tightens around my waist, pulling me impossibly close.

My hands grip his arms, my fingers sliding over the hard muscle, feeling the heat of his skin through his shirt.

I should push him away.

But instead?—

I wrap my arms around his neck, my body melting into his like I belong there. Pulling him into me even closer.

His eyes darken, his gaze dropping to my mouth.

My heart free-falls, lost in the moment.

“Kiss me,” I whisper, barely audible over the pounding against my rib cage.

Our breaths are ragged.

Alex doesn’t hesitate.

His lips crash into mine. His hunger is palpable as he presses our bodies harder up against the wall, trapping us in a heat so dizzying, so consuming , I forget where we are.

A sound escapes me, something soft and wanting, as my fingers tangle into his sweaty hair.

When my nails scratch against his scalp, he moans into my mouth.

He tilts his head and deepens the kiss. Alex’s tongue slides against mine, teasing and pulling me under his spell.

Strong hands tighten around me—one gripping my thigh, the other cupping my ass. A thumb brushes beneath the hem of my shorts, a barely-there touch that makes me shudder. Teeth graze my bottom lip, playful and teasing.

I melt, losing myself to him.

HONK!

The timer blares, the lights flicker back on, and the moment shatters like glass.

Alex lets out a low breath, his grip on me loosening.

My legs wobble, my body still thrumming with heat, but I somehow manage to stay upright.

We stare at each other.

Breathless.

Caught.

Like we just did something we shouldn’t have.

What. A. Kiss .

My mind is a mess of thoughts.

Alex runs a hand through his messy blond hair, exhaling a soft laugh, his gaze still heated.

“That was fun,” he murmurs.

I take a second to find my voice. “Yeah.”

I can still feel him—the heat of his lips, the way he stole my breath like it belonged to him.

I’ve been kissed before, but not like that.

It was electrifying and all-consuming.

We walk to the exit hand in hand, peeling off our vests and returning our guns.

Nick prints out a score sheet, handing it to me. I scan the numbers, my jaw dropping.

“No way.” I protest.

Alex smirks. “What?”

I gape at the paper, shaking my head. “This must be wrong. I was sure I won!”

Alex laughs, his hair still in delicious disarray. “Doesn’t look like it.”

I cross my arms, pouting. “Alright, what do you want?”

He pretends to think, rubbing his jaw. “Hmm…Well, I have some demands.”

I narrow my eyes. “Don’t push it.”

His eyes crinkle as he flashes a wicked grin, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous tone that makes my insides giddy.

“I win,” he announces. “That means I get what I want.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh, really? And what if I don’t agree?”

Alex catches the hem of my shirt, pulling me into him smoothly, his lips brushing just against my hairline.

“I can be very persuasive,” he whispers.

His breath skates down my neck, and my thighs clench without meaning to.

I swallow hard.

Suddenly, I feel like I lost a lot more than just a game.