Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 85453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
I snap my eyes back to Kamil when he says, “Because a nice guy knows you go cold before your girl.”
“I’m not a nice guy, Kam.”
He pats me on the shoulder before whispering, “Keep telling yourself that, Milo, then maybe one day it will come true.”
With that, he leaves me standing in the kitchen, looking like a fool.
Needing to keep my mind occupied, I clear the empty cups from the kitchen counter before tackling the mountain load of pizza boxes. It works until I spot a campus safety brochure stuffed under a used stack of cups. The first line is one I’ve said many times in the past year. “Never walk the campus grounds alone.” The second I should have remembered when McKayla accepted Gabriel’s offer. “Walk in numbers or with someone you trust.”
Trust. Such a tiny word but so undeserving for a man like Gabriel Sutton.
“I’ll keep the masses out of your room,” Kamil shouts when I sprint past him on my way out the door.
I run like I didn’t run five miles this morning, reaching McKayla’s dorm in just enough time. She’s standing on the stoop of the stairs, saying goodbye to Gabriel.
Just the fact he didn’t get an invite inside her building dampens my worry, not to mention McKayla’s obvious disinterest in Gabriel’s telltale signs that he’s sniffing around for a farewell kiss.
His stance is uneven since he’s counterbalancing his weight in preparation to lean in and kiss her. However, McKayla’s body is tilted back, and her arms are folded in front of her chest.
A clear fuck-off sign if I’ve ever seen one.
“Do it,” I whisper, encouraging Gabriel’s foolhardiness. “I want to watch you burn.”
I hate my inability not to seek revenge when Gabriel’s tilt forward doesn’t see McKayla immediately inching back. She remains motionless, completely still, her head only moving when Gabriel’s lips are a mere half an inch from her mouth.
Her neck crank has her busting my watch. Not only do her eyes bulge out of her head, but the vein in her neck I can assure you tastes delicious, also works overtime.
She stares at me long enough for Gabriel to follow the direction of her gawk. Mercifully, it occurs a second after I sink back behind a big old tree.
“Yeah, great. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Shuffling feet follow McKayla’s farewell, then not long later, a solemn Gabriel veers past me to return to his side of campus.
“Jesus Christ, McKayla,” I stammer out when she scares the shit out of me for the second time tonight. “I need to put a bell on you people.”
She grins as if appreciative of my near coronary before asking, “Just the net, right?”
“What?”
While barging me toward the closed stadium doors of the basketball court like she is double her height and weight, she repeats, “Just the net. You said all I need to do is hit the net.”
My brows hike high on my face when the side entrance door of the stadium pops open at McKayla’s unvoiced request. Coach leaves the doors unlocked for me to train during the day, but I didn’t know the option was available at this hour.
I shadow McKayla into the lit-up space while asking, “Are you talking about our bet?”
“Uh-huh.” She fetches a ball out of the wire basket they’re stored in after each training session, then moves toward the hoop. “If I hit the net, you’ll teach me how to kiss.” My cock reacts before my brain, and it gives McKayla time to fill in the gap. “I don’t want our first kiss to bomb. What if Gabriel judges our connection solely on that, and I’m too sloppy or too dry.” Her eyes bulge out of her head for the second time. “And how am I meant to know the right amount of tongue? Should it lead our kiss or be held back the first time around? I’m clueless.” She locks her eyes with the net dangling many feet above her head. “But I’ll have a better idea if I can just hit the net.”
“You want me to teach you how to kiss Gabriel?” I don’t give her the chance to answer me. “I’m not going to do that.”
She stops me from leaving by asking, “Why not?”
“Because he’s a fucking douche.”
She has me over a barrel when she spits out, “Which, according to you and half the school population, was a well-known fact when you agreed to help me gain his attention. So what’s changed, Milo?”
“Don’t call me that. Don’t call me Milo because you’ve got your panties in a twist about me saying no.” With our bet forgotten, she stuffs her hands under her arms. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it? Me turning you down?”
“Turning me down? You would have had to turn me up to turn me down.”
My laugh is selfish and full of condescending pride. “I know you were turned on, McKayla. I could feel the heat of your pussy, both tonight and earlier this week.”