Page 33 of Just Another Meet Cute

Still crouched on the floor, I crept over to peek out of the bottom of the window. He was half-standing behind a short wall now. His head whipped back and forth as he searched the room for his enemy. He didn’t think to look up though.

When his vest glowed again to let him back into the game, I knelt by the window and took aim before he could go anywhere. This time it only took one shot. His chest plate flashed three times and shut off again.

“God, seriously?!”

This time I did laugh. I couldn’t help it. Only for a second or two, but I saw Ian’s head snap up at the sound. With a sharp gasp, I ducked beneath the window before he could catch sight of me. There was a minute or two of silence.

Not sure if I was tempting luck, I debated between shooting him one more time as I peeked out the window again. He wasn’t in the same spot though. In fact, I didn’t see him anywhere at all.

Where did he go?

Grasping the ledge with both hands, I leaned farther out the window and looked around, but I didn’t see Ian anymore. Maybe he left in case he got shot again. I’m sure he didn’t hear me though or he would have run up the ramp.

I checked my watch. Five minutes left. Jeez, fifteen minutes sure went by quickly in this game. Maybe I should keep moving.

I had reached the bottom of the ramp when my foot got caught on a low barrel.

With a squeal, I pitched straight toward the floor as someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to the left.

My weight must have knocked them off-balance, too, because I ended up sprawled on top of them.

The top of my head knocked against something hard and immediately started throbbing.

“Damn it!” A voice muttered over my head.

Lifting myself slightly upright, I peered up into Ian’s grimacing face.

He kept one arm around my shoulders and rubbed the bottom of his chin with his other hand.

Surprised at how close our faces were, I froze.

I could see the faint dark stubble under his chin.

It would have been barely noticeable if I weren’t so close.

“I think your hard head gave me a bruise,” Ian complained. “I guess I should be lucky that you didn’t give me a concussion.”

And just like that, I unfroze. “Well, it’s not my fault that your pointy chin broke my fall.”

“That’s not exactly a thank-you.”

“That’s because it wasn’t supposed to be one.”

He tried to look annoyed, but his dimple flashed, betraying him. “You know, we’re breaking the rules of the game.”

“What rules?”

“No physical contact. They said it at the beginning of the game. Weren’t you listening?”

His arm was around me and his hand was stroking my back. So gently that I almost wouldn’t have noticed it if it weren’t for the heat from his fingers. I could feel it through the thin fabric of my shirt. How did he manage to find the one spot on my back that wasn’t covered by the giant vest?

“You’re the one still holding me.” I poked at his arm around my shoulder.

His grin was wide now. “Because you’re still laying on top of me.”

Realizing that not only was he right, but my hands were tightly clenching his shoulders, with a deep flush I scrambled to get off him.

I might have accidentally kicked him, too, because he groaned out loud.

Since I wasn’t sure, I didn’t apologize.

I had just rolled to my side when Ian towered over me.

How the heck did he get up so quickly? Was he a cat in his last life?

Reaching down, he brushed my bangs out of my eyes.

It was so quick that if I blinked, I would have missed it.

He held out his hand to help me up. I hesitated for a few seconds before I took it.

His tight grasp pulled me upright until I was back on my feet.

But he still didn’t let go. And he didn’t stop smiling at me either.

It momentarily distracted me, and I almost forgot what we were doing.

“Sorry.”

“What for—”

Then he shot me on my left arm plate with his other hand. My vest glowed blue a few times and my laser gun shut off.

I immediately dropped his hand and shoved him. “What the hell?!”

“That’s payback for following me around and shooting me this entire time.”

“How did you know it was me?”

“I didn’t.” He wiggled his dark eyebrows. “But you just admitted to me that it was.”

My mouth snapped closed. Damn, he caught me.

“So now that I know it was you , I think I’m allowed to get another free shot.” He dramatically cocked the laser gun upward.

“Excuse me, the first one was not free .” I grabbed his arm so he couldn’t aim at me again.

“Again with the physical contact.” Ian let out a low whistle and shook his head disappointedly. “You have to learn how to play by the rules if you want this to be fair.”

“I don’t play fair.”

“I’ve noticed.” His eyes sparkled happily.

Suddenly he leaned down until his lips were right by my ear.

My breath got caught in my throat as I could feel rather than hear his words now.

I tried to ignore the shivers that were dancing up and down my spine.

“Well, now that I know that … neither will I.”

Pulling back a tiny bit, he stared straight into my eyes and gave me a slow wink … before he shot me again—on the chest plate this time—just as the lights came back on to signal the end of the game.

I let out a loud gasp and he bumped his forehead against mine with a snort of amusement. “There. We’re even now.”

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten in my head to calm myself down so I wouldn’t give him a kick where it would really hurt. Luckily for him, I glared at him instead. “You could try to be less of an ass.”

“I could try, but it probably won’t work.”

God, it wasn’t even possible to insult him.

I tried to sweep past him to leave, deliberately digging my elbow into his side.

“By the way, you’re supposed to wait a minute or two after my stuff turns on again before shooting at me.

That’s very unsportsmanlike of you.” I knew I was being a hypocrite, since I had done the same thing to him a few minutes ago, but I was too annoyed to think clearly.

He stepped to the right to block my way. “Ah, so you DO know the rules. Or at least how to break them. This should make the next game a lot more interesting now. Are you ready?” Ian asked innocently, already walking away before I could answer.

Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of following him, I stayed right where I was. My jaw was clenched so tight that the sides of my neck were sore. I wanted to stomp up and down in frustration, like a little kid. He was so arrogant and irritating and … and …

I was so mad that I couldn’t even think of the words, and that never happened to me. And I had thought Ian was getting a tiny bit nicer. I should have known that it was just a fluke.

There was no time to throw a tantrum though. Not when I had a game to win.

Now that the lights were on again, my eyes scanned the room and tried to memorize all the hiding places and paths between the boulders like my life depended on it. Which it did if I let Ian beat me again.

Okay, if he wants to play again, then we’ll play again.

Game on.