Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Your ass better be in the stands.
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips.
Maybe. Maybe not.
Looks like someone wants to be spanked.
Go ahead and try it, buddy. See where it gets you.
Tell me you’re here to watch me and we’ll take that off the table.
My fingers hover over the keys. It’s so damn tempting to tell him what he wants to hear.
I decided to work on choreography instead. Sorry. Not sorry.
Three little bubbles appear on the screen and my insides clench with anticipation, waiting for a response.
Why do I love pushing Ford’s buttons so much?
Then again, the same could be said for him.
We’re like two powder kegs, intent on setting one another off.
“What are you smiling about?” Juliette asks, breaking into my thoughts.
I’ve been so intent on the phone that I forgot she was beside me.
I almost groan at that private admittance.
She leans closer, attempting to catch a glimpse of the screen before I press it against my chest.
Her brows skyrocket into her hairline as she searches my eyes. “It’s like that, huh?”
Dull heat creeps into my cheeks.
Why am I making such a big deal about this?
I should just admit that Ford and I knocked boots, and it meant absolutely nothing. It was a hookup. A frenemies-with-benefits situation.
But not a single sound leaves my mouth.
“It’s nothing,” I finally mutter.
Her eyes widen. “Oh my god, if you’re actually trying to convince me that it’s nothing then it has to be something.” She points to the phone. “I don’t think I could pry that thing out of your cold, dead fingers.”
Unfortunately, she’s not wrong.
“It’s, ah, just someone from dance.”
“Wow.” She shakes her as if in wonder. “Now you’re lying to me?”
I huff out an embarrassed breath and break eye contact. My gaze slides over the sheet of pristine ice before landing on Ford, who loiters near the player benches. That’s all it takes for my heartbeat to hitch before thrashing against my ribcage. His eyes pin mine in place as he jerks a brow. A knowing smile lifts the edges of his lips. A second later, he swings away, disappearing into the locker room.
“Oh my god. You slept with him, didn’t you?”
I wince and force out the truth. “Yeah. In hindsight, I’m pretty sure it was a mistake.”
A long stretch of silence follows that admittance. Any moment, my nerves are going to snap.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
I blink, thrown off by her response. “Trust me, it is,” I reiterate. “He’s my stepbrother.”
“Haven’t your parents been divorced for a while?”
“Well, yeah. But Crawford is like a father to me.” Then I blurt, “I don’t want to do anything that would damage our relationship. It’s not worth it. You know what Pamela is like. She’s a non-existent presence in my life.”
A sympathetic expression flashes across her face. “That’s not true. She cares about you. In her own way.”
“That woman is too damn busy jetting around the world to worry about me.” Bitterness creeps into my tone. I’ve spent years trying to brush it off and pretend it doesn’t exist. It’s like revealing a weakness and I hate it. Even to my best friend.
She wraps her arm around my shoulders and tugs me close. “I love you and so does Crawford.”
Thick emotion swells inside me. “I know.”
“Ford cares too.”
I snort.
“He does. I see the way he watches you.”
“I have no idea what’s happening between us. It was probably just a one-time deal.”
“Or it could be something amazing.”
A groan works its way up my throat. I’ve never felt more confused in my life. We’ve only slept together once and already the lines have become blurred.
Before I can share any other details, my phone dings with another message. I don’t bother glancing at the screen.
I know who it’s from.
“Can I assume it’s Ford?”
I jerk my head into a tight nod.
When a second, then another ticks by, she clears her throat. “So…are you going to read the message?”
“Nope.”
But I want to.
So bad.
“Not at all curious about what it says?”
“Nah.”
Actually, I’m dying inside.
When Juliette’s mother catches her attention and she swivels away, I peek at the screen.
Looks like someone won’t be getting their ass spanked tonight. What a shame.
Air gets trapped in my lungs as disappointment settles like a heavy stone in the pit of my belly.
Oh god. Am I seriously disappointed at the prospect of not being spanked?
Please tell me that’s not the case.
Looks like you owe me.
Is this guy seriously off his rocker?
Owe you? For what? Showing up to your game? Because I can always rectify the situation. Just say the word.
I’m about to pop to my feet and stalk out of the arena when another text rolls in.
How about we make things interesting?
Interesting? How?
A wager. If I score a hat trick, you blow me.
Air leaks from my lungs as I turn the prospect over in my head.