Page 19

KATERINA

I hear Maddie’s voice, high-pitched with excitement, as she says how amazing I would look with my hair down for tonight’s party. It was supposed to be just drinks until Roman had the idea to throw a house party. Maddie has been at it for the last twenty minutes, trying to convince me to ditch my bun and let my hair fall loose, but my decision is final.

“I hear you, Maddie. I want to party, too, but my hair stays up,”

I sigh, crossing my arms, “It’ll get so hot, and I’ll probably get a heat stroke if I leave it down.”

Maddie bursts out laughing, shaking her head.

She’s relentless.

“Come on, Kat. Picture this, red corset with black low-rise jeans and high heels. All the guys will drool when they see you.”

I snort, covering my mouth, trying to stifle the laugh.

The mental image is too ridiculous. “I love you, but I’m not wearing heels,”

I say, my gaze drifting to Alina, who’s glaring at me with mock annoyance.

“What? It’s a house party.”

She raises an eyebrow, not buying my excuse. “Exactly! It’s a house party at your house. If your feet start hurting, hurt here, and put on your sneakers. Easy.”

I groan, grabbing a pillow and slamming my face into it, hoping the pillow can block out the noise of their arguments.

“Fine, give me the damn clothes,”

I huff annoyed, grabbing the clothes and shoes from Maddie.

“Finally! Two hours later.”

Alexei says with exaggerated

surrender, standing up and clapping his hands. I glare at him as I grab a pillow and throw it toward his head, but he ducks, and it hits my door instead.

“I’m doing your hair and makeup,”

Alina announces excitedly, clapping her hands.

“Sure,”

I say, walking toward my vanity and sitting down. There’s no point arguing now. They’ve worn me down.

An hour and a half later, I’m staring at my reflection, not recognising the person in the mirror. Alina worked her magic, and my makeup was simple but striking—a smoky eye, red lipstick that matches my outfit, and my hair cascading in loose curls down my back. The corset pulls my waist in, making me feel like I’m suffocating, but it looks damn good. I take in the final details, scanning myself in the full-length mirror. “Oh, shit.”

My voice is barely a whisper, stunned by the transformation. “You look beautiful, Kat,”

Alina says, her voice filled with approval as she steps back to survey the finished product. I turn sideways and gaze at my exposed skin, a couple of inches between the jeans and my corset. I grin, but that grin disappears when my eyes land on my ass.

“No. I’m changing my pants,”

I say, walking towards my closet. Alina grabs my shoulders, spinning me around to face her. “No, you’re not. Yes, your ass looks big, but that’s because you’ve got hips and an ass to die for. Stop being insecure. You look terrific, Kat. We will dance, we’ll get drunk, and we’re going to have fun tonight, okay?”

Her voice is insistent, and the firm shake of my shoulders reminds me that I’m not backing out now. I gulp, nerves creeping up on me. I’m used to jeans and a T-shirt, not… this.

“Okay, one more shot and let’s go,”

I say, my voice shaky but determined. A night of fun is what I need, after all. I pour us another shot, and we take it in unison. The warm burn of tequila traveling down my throat, fuelling my boldness.

“Let’s go get laid!”

Alexei yells, making us all laugh.

We walk out of my room, and I can smell the alcohol and smoke thick in the air. The music is loud, the energy electric. The party has already escalated, the living room is packed with strangers. I scan the crowd, instantly noticing Will. He’s talking to a group of people, but his eyes light up when they land on me. He grins and walks over, giving me a hug.

“Will, where’s the bar?”

I ask, crossing my arms leaning on my right hip. “I need to get fucked up if I’m going to be in these clothes all night.”

Will doesn’t answer at first. His gaze flickers behind me, and I know exactly who he is looking at. I snap my fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

“Shit, sorry, roomie. She looks gorgeous,”

he mutters, almost to himself, before blinking and focusing on me. I roll my eyes and grin at his comment.

“Yeah, so stop being a little bitch, who’s scared of Roman, and go talk to Maddie,”

I tease, nudging him in the ribs.

“The bar is in the kitchen,”

Will chuckles, his voice trailing as he eyes my friends, “Greysen will give you drinks from an untouched bottle.”

I hug him goodbye before making my way back to my girls.

“Let’s dance first,”

Alexei declares, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me into the living room, which has now transformed into a makeshift dance floor. The guys moved the couches to the side, clearing out space.

A loud thrum of Beyoncé’s “Partition”

blares from the speakers and Alexei

squeals as if he’s just been handed the best Christmas present. I’m not much of a dancer, but tonight feels different. Tequila has already loosened me up, and the music is calling me. My hips move with the beat, my body loosening up as I feel the rhythm. Alina and Maddie join us, and the four of us grind to the music. It feels freeing. I let go of everything—the nerves, the awkwardness—and just lose myself in the movement.

I try not to. I really do. But I can’t help myself. My eyes look for him, searching the room while I dance until they land on his honey-colored eyes. Aiden is across the room, surrounded by his teammates, his usual cocky smirk in place. His hair is still slightly damp from his post-game shower, and his jaw is bruised from the fight, making him look more infuriatingly attractive. I should look away. I should. But I don’t. Because the second I glance back at him, his gaze locks onto mine, dark and unreadable. The tension from earlier still lingers between us, heavy and charged.

Before I can process it, a hand touches my waist, and I turn to see Logan grinning down at me.

“There she is,”

he says, leaning in slightly. “Didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier, but you looked damn good in Knight’s jersey tonight.”

I roll my eyes. “I did not wear it by choice.”

He chuckles, his grip on my waist tightening just a little. “Could’ve fooled me. Looked natural on you.” I open my

mouth to fire back a response, but someone's chest makes contact with my back. My heart starts racing. Aiden.

The energy shifts, the air in the room growing thick as his eyes lock on Logan’s hand on my waist.

Oh.

Oh.

“Matthews,”

Aiden drawls, stepping into our space like he

owns it. “Didn’t realise you were still hanging around,”

Logan smirks at Aiden. “What can I say? Hart’s good company.”

A muscle in Aiden’s jaw ticks.

“Yeah? Funny, I don’t remember her needing your company.”

Logan lifts his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, man. Didn’t know she was claimed.”

“She’s not,”

Aiden snaps. “But she’s also not interested.”

I narrow my eyes. “Excuse you?”

Aiden doesn’t even glance at me. His focus is entirely on Logan, his body tense, his stance firm, like he’s daring him to push further. Logan looks between us, realisation dawning in on his expression. Then he smirks. “Got it.”

He pats my arm. “See you around, Kat.”

And then he’s gone, leaving behind a very pissed-off Aiden and an even more pissed-off me.

I whirl on him. “What the hell was that?”

Aiden just shrugs, completely unapologetic. “You looked uncomfortable. I handled it.”

I scoff. “Handled it? You scared him off like some territorial caveman.”

“Maybe if he had better instincts, he would’ve left on his own.”

My fingers twitch around my drink, tempted to throw it at him. “I don’t need you to fight my battles, Knight.”

His gaze sharpens, something dark flashing in his eyes. “Yeah? Then why didn’t you push him off sooner?”

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. Because I don’t have an answer. Because the truth is, I wanted a reaction.

Aiden steps closer, the heat from his body radiating into mine.

“Go ahead, Goldie,”

he murmurs, his voice low and dangerous. “Tell me you didn’t want me to step in.”

“Tell me you weren’t waiting for it.”

I don’t like how well he knows me. I hate that he’s right.

“Alina, let’s go play Drinking Jenga,”

I yell, trying to escape the conversation. Aiden scoffs walking away.,

Alina and I quickly stop at the restroom before we start playing. As we make our way toward the group, my stomach twists. I spot Roman and then Aiden as he sits next to his best friend, who looks more annoyed than interested in the game. But it’s too late to back out now. Alina claims her spot next to Roman, and I reluctantly sit beside Aiden. His presence is suffocating. The smell of his cologne fills my nostrils, and I can feel the tension between us simmering. I clench my hands on my lap, trying to ignore the way my heart skips a beat at every accidental brush of our bodies. The game begins, and of course, Alina picks first. She smirks at me, pulling a Jenga piece and flipping it over.

“Make out with the hottest person in the room,”

she reads, her eyes immediately flicking toward Roman. But I know her better than that. She walks past him, right toward me, and without warning, she grabs my face in her hands and pulls me in for a kiss.

The room explodes in groans and cheers as our lips meet, a quick but intense kiss. We both pull away, laughing at the shock on Roman’s face. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,”

Roman says, his eyes wide with surprise. I sit back down, my pulse still racing. Aiden shifts and his thigh grazes mine. I let out a small gasp at the contact, and my eyes widen.

Fuck. He did not hear that.

“Your turn, Cap,”

Roman says, nodding at Aiden as the latter sighs. Aiden reaches over and pulls a wood piece, flipping it over to read.

“I’ll just drink,”

he says nonchalantly, grabbing his cup, but Roman doesn’t let him off the hook that easily as he grabs his wood piece and reads it.

“Get a lap dance from the person on your left,”

Roman announces, eyes glinting with mischief. My heart stops, and for a moment, I think I’m going to choke on my own breath. I glance at Aiden, trying to gauge his reaction.

“What? Are you scared of a lap dance?”

I ask, a teasing smile forming on my lips, even though inside, I’m shaking. “No, I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,”

Aiden replies, his tone defensive, though there’s a flicker of something darker in his eyes. I stand up, my pulse pounding, fighting the rush of nerves. “Grab a chair,”

I order, my voice much bolder than I feel. Aiden hesitates but eventually gets to his feet and grabs a chair from the corner. He sits down, and the room goes silent, all eyes on me. Roman queues up “Partition,” and the beat drops.

I strut over to Aiden, my hips swaying to the rhythm. His eyes widen, and I can see the shock in them as I move closer. The crowd’s energy grows louder, but it feels like it’s just the two of us now. My hands move over my body slowly, teasingly. I stand between his legs and Aiden gulps. Without thinking, I lower myself, my hips grinding down and back up in time with the music. Aiden’s hands grip the chair, and his knuckles are white as he tries to control his reaction.

Feeling bold, I straddle Aiden’s lap and run my hands through his hair as i move my body against his. I could feel my heart racing with excitement, but I also felt something else right under my core poking at me enough to know he wants me. Aiden wraps his hands around my ass to bring me closer, and I swear my heart gives out. As I lean down, my lips near his ear, I whisper in French, knowing it’ll drive him insane.

As the song ends, a smirk tugs at my lips as the music fades. Aiden’s hand slips from my waist, and I take a slow step back, my fingers instinctively running through my hair to smooth it out. The room around us feels dizzying with the crowd's buzz. Everything else fades when I glance at Alina, whose jaw is practically on the floor, her eyes wide with shock. Aiden's hand shoots out before I can take another step, wrapping around my wrist and halting me in place.

“Come with me,”

he murmurs, his voice low. His grip slides from my wrist to my hand, intertwining our fingers and without a word, he begins pulling me away from our friends.

I follow, albeit with hesitation, as we weave through the crowd, moving past the haze of flashing lights and pulsing music. His hand in mine feels like a tether, something I can’t entirely break free from, not that i’m trying to. I’m both drawn to him and repelled by him in equal measure. We make our way up the stairs, the air thick with tension, until we reach his room. Aiden slams the door behind us, locks it, and then turns to face me, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. He steps closer, a glint of fury in his eyes mixed with something darker—something that makes my pulse race. He takes several steps towards me until he is inches away; his presence feels suffocating yet intoxicating.

“What the hell was that?”

His voice is tight, barely containing the storm inside of him. I swallow hard, my heart hammering in my chest. I tilt my head slightly, eyes lowering to his lips before flicking back to his gaze.

“I just did my dare,”

I reply, my voice softer than I want it to be, betraying the nervousness I’m trying to hide. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Aiden’s expression darkens, his gaze unwavering as he watches me. Without warning, his thumb slid over my bottom lip, pulling it gently from where my teeth had been resting. My breath catches in my throat, and I find myself unable to look away. His eyes are locked on mine, and I can feel the pull between us. The way my body responds to him, betraying every ounce of resistance I’m trying to maintain.

“Don’t do that,”

he says, his voice strained, like he’s barely keeping his composure. I could laugh at his attempt to hold back, but the smouldering heat in his eyes is too much to ignore. My breath hitches, and before I can stop myself, I press my lips to his, the kiss raw, urgent, and filled with an energy that feels dangerously un-containable. It’s fire. It’s chaos. It’s everything I’ve been trying to fight against.

Aiden grabs my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I melt before I can even think to resist. His hands are everywhere—on my back, my hips, tangling in my hair as he kisses me like he’s starving for it, like he’s been waiting for this just as much as I have. I fist his shirt, pulling him closer, needing more, needing him. For a moment, everything else fades away. The world outside the room, the party downstairs—it’s all irrelevant. It’s just the two of us, and every second feels like it’s stretching into infinity. His touch is firm, possessive, and as he pulls me closer, I lose myself in the kiss.

“I still don’t like you,”

he murmurs against my lips, his words rough, like he’s trying to convince himself. I nod in response, my voice equally low.

“Feeling’s mutual, Aiden.”

But the words don’t mean anything. They’re just a mask, a way to hold onto whatever pretense we’ve been clinging to.

Aiden’s growl vibrates through me as he deepens the kiss, the heat between us escalating in ways I can’t ignore.

“It’s Knight to you,”

he says, pulling back briefly, his lips brushing over mine as he speaks. I smirk, biting his bottom lip in retaliation. Aiden’s breath catches, and he traces a trail of soft kisses down my jawline, sending shivers down my spine. The tension is unbearable, the way he touches me, the way his presence fills the space between us, and I can’t help but moan softly in response.

“It’s always going to be Aiden,”

I whisper back, my fingers grazing the side of his neck, my breath coming faster. His name slips from my lips like a confession, an acknowledgment of something that neither of us is ready to face.

His lips return to mine, urgent, possessive, as he wraps one of my legs around him, grinding his body into mine. The movement is slow and deliberate, the pressure against me is enough to make my body ache with want.

I’m losing control, but I can’t stop. Not now, not when he feels so good.

Aiden lifts me effortlessly, his hands strong beneath me, and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. He walks us toward his bed, each step pushing the boundaries of what I thought was possible. He throws me onto the bed and hovers above me, his forearms braced on either side of my head, keeping his weight from crushing me. For a moment, everything is still—until he grinds his body against mine, and I can feel his unmistakable hardness. I let out a breathless moan, my hands threading through his hair, pulling him closer.

“Fuck, Aiden,”

I gasp, the words escaping before I can stop them. Suddenly, a voice cuts through the tension, followed by banging on the door. “Aiden, Roman is fighting. We need you.”

Aiden freezes. The world shifts, and the intense heat between us dissipates, leaving only the lingering echo of desire in the air. He curses under his breath, pulling away reluctantly.

“Come on, man. It’s important,”

the voice calls again. Aiden groans in frustration, standing up and adjusting himself as if the interruption has pulled him from some haze he was trapped in.

“Don’t go anywhere,”

he says, his voice soft but firm. I nod, still trying to gather my bearings, watching as he walks toward the door. He opens it just enough to slip out, leaving me in his room, the air still heavy with unspoken tension.

Two seconds pass before panic begins creeping up my spine, and before I can stop myself, I run out of his room. My heart races as I rush to my room, locking the door behind me. I can feel my pulse pounding in my ears, the adrenaline of the moment still lingering. I walk to my bathroom, my hands trembling as I change into pyjamas. I text my friends, letting them know I’m heading to bed, though I’m far from ready to sleep. Why the hell would I make out with him? Yeah, he’s undeniably hot, but he’s a grump and annoying. He’s always been nothing but a pain in my side. God save me from this mess, and I promise to behave.

I slip my noise-cancelling headphones in, trying to block out the thoughts that are swirling in my mind. The buzzing in my ears fades into the background, and eventually, my body gives in to exhaustion. Sleep comes slowly, but when it finally takes me, it’s with the lingering taste of Aiden’s lips and the storm of emotions he’s stirred within me.