Page 54 of The Play Maker

I squint, shaking my head. “No.”

“No?” she echoes, a little laugh slipping out.

“I’m your only student.”

Her laugh spills out again, and my god, I want to bottle that sound forever.

“You’re acting ridiculous,” she says, shaking her head.

She’s right. Dunno what the hell is going on with me, or what the fuck I’m feeling.

“Come on,” I say, slipping my arm back around her waist. “I wanna introduce you to some people.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Are you always this touchy?”

“Only with you, Freckles.” I grin and shoot her a wink.

Her mouth opens like she’s about to argue, then closes again as she looks away, her cheeks flaring pink.

I don’t miss it.

God, she’s fucking gorgeous when she’s flustered.

We weave through the crowd, and I keep my hand low on her waist, partly to guide her, mostly because I don’t want to let go.

I lead her to the corner of the living room where the guys are clustered, half-drunk and arguing about whatever the fuck else.

“Hey,” I call out. “Play nice. I brought someone.”

They all look up.

Maisie hesitates beside me, a flicker of tension in her.

“This is Maisie,” I say. “She’s my tutor.”

Her face flushes a deeper shade of pink as she tucks a loose strand behind her ear. Shy isn’t a word I’d ever used to describe her before, not like this. Sure, she’s quiet at times, but she’s always been cutthroat and stubborn and had no problem calling me out on my shit.

“She’s the one trying to keep me from failing out,” I add.

Nathan nods. “Thanks for your service.”

Maisie laughs, glancing up at me. “It’s an uphill battle.”

I grin. That’s my girl.

“She’s cute,” Aurora says, sliding in from the side, a drink in her hand. “Why haven’t you brought her around before?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Felt like keeping her to myself.”

Maisie goes quiet. Her eyes flick to mine, and I feel that spark in my chest again, something I don’t quite get, but Ireallyfucking like.

Aurora eyes her for a beat, then nods toward the butterfly clip nestled in Maisie’s dark hair. “Cute hair clip.”

Maisie fingers it self-consciously. “Oh, um… thank you.”

I glance down, catching that soft pop of pink against her hair, and my lips curl into a stupid smile.

Before anyone can say more, some random dude strolls over, eyeballing Aurora like she’s the only girl in the room—which, to him, maybe she is.