Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
“Hey,” I said, my heart beating uncontrollably at his heated green eyes.
“You’re great at that.” He nodded behind me and lowered his mouth to my ear, nipping it quickly and sending a jolt through my body. “How the fuck am I supposed to keep my hands off you?”
When he pulled away, I tried to set enough distance between us — the way I did with Pres and Drew and Banks — but I felt that we could be on different planets, and the tension between us would still be palpable.
“Hey, Lach,” some girl said as she walked by.
She wasn’t flirting, just saying hello, but he ignored her and kept his eyes on mine. I smiled at him, which made his eyes darken even more. I loved knowing I was the only one who got this reaction from him. I loved the way he looked at me like nothing else in the world mattered. Maybe I should have been a little wary of his intensity and how he could easily take over my thoughts and emotions, but I knew the feeling was mutual. Going from someone who got used to not feeling anything to feeling everything when I was with him should have scared me, but for some inexplicable reason, it didn’t. Conversations were happening all around us.
People weren’t paying attention to the way we’d been locked in this all-consuming staring contest, and I really wanted to kiss him. I could lead him away from everyone and take him to the bathroom or Pres’ room, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to see what he’d do if I gave him the green light not to hide whatever this was. I knew his reputation. I’d heard it all already — the way he didn’t kiss anyone, the way every puck bunny was obsessed with him, the way he only slept with the same girl twice because he felt like a third time would make them get attached. He’d given me that morsel of information on our fifth night together. We’d spent every night together, either at his place or mine.
This was a new experience for both of us in so many ways, and it felt nice to be on the same playing field. I glanced away for a moment, taking in the room. There were more people here now, but they’d all been carefully picked by Pres. I thought about it. I looked at him again and licked my lips. His eyes caught the movement, and I watched as he shut them and took a breath. Okay, I was doing this. I tugged his shirt, bringing him close so I could speak in his ear.
“We’re almost out of here. This is a small party, so fuck it, who cares?” I said. “These people have been vetted by Pres anyway, so they have to be trust—”
He didn’t even give me a chance to finish my damn sentence before his lips were on mine. It was so unexpected that it took me a second to kiss him back. Without breaking the kiss, he crouched down and lifted me. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, and my arms around his neck as he cupped my ass to hold me steady. Our tongues danced along with the upbeat music playing. When I pulled away, I felt eyes on me. The kitchen was so quiet that you could probably actually hear a pin drop. We still hadn’t looked away from each other, so my eyes widened at his.
I buried my face in his neck. “It feels like we’re in a 90s rom-com.”
“Is this a nightmare for you?” he asked, his voice low and husky in my ear.
I pulled back and smiled at him. “It never is when I’m with you.”
He growled as he kissed me again, one hand gripping my ass tight and the other holding me by the nape of my neck, pulling me as close as possible to him. I think someone cheered, but mostly, they were still silent. When we pulled away again, I forced him to set my feet on the ground. He did, but as soon as I was standing beside him, he grabbed my hand and linked our fingers together as we turned around to get a drink. Everyone around us was staring. Prescott and Marissa laughed and shook their heads at everyone’s stunned silence.
“It makes sense,” Drew said after he picked his jaw up off the ground. “You’re both unattainable,” he brought up a finger like he was counting. “You’re both the best at your sport, even though you don’t play anymore,” he added quickly, looking at me.
“And you’re both hot as fuck,” one of the girls there added — the one that said hi to him earlier. I looked at her and laughed.
“Still, man,” Drew said, eyes wide on Lach. “How?”