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Winter’s eyes flashed with annoyance at the jibe. She looked stumped for a split second, a rare moment of vulnerability. Then her pretty pink lips curled into a cruel smile. “At least I have a daddy, Asher. Leave your sister alone and stop trying to be her dad. Maybe you should look for a non-blood relation you can get to call you Daddy.”
“What, like you?” Asher’s face was hard now; cold amusement and glittering malice lighting up his eyes.
I didn’t know how the hell Winter was holding that terrifying glower. She was made of tougher stuff than I was, that was for sure.
“You wish, Martino. I don’t slum it. I have vibrators worth more than you.” With that last scathing remark, Winter pushed herself to her feet and tossed her hair back over her shoulder, once again the picture of nonchalant nihilism.
She made to step past Asher just as he extended a long leg to block her path. A muscle ticked in his stubbled jaw. “You’ll pay for that, you spoiled little brat.”
Winter’s creamy cheeks heated, a rare sight. She folded her arms across her chest and stared Asher down. “Whatever. Are you done? Selena, I’m going. This party sucks.” She smiled at Asher. “There isn’t a single person here worth staying for.”
“Ouch!” Marcus shouted at Winter’s retreating back, once Asher finally lifted his leg and allowed her past. “What crawled up her ass…except your wishful thinking, Ash.” He laughed at his own joke.
I tore my eyes from Eve’s brother, who stewed silently, taking long pulls from his open bottle. Josh appeared at my side. The player who loved my dad a little too much.
“Hey, Lily. How’s it going?”
“Fine. You? Congratulations on the game, by the way.”
Josh grinned, his light-brown hair flopping over his eyes. “Yeah, it was a great one. I mean, I didn’t really do much but—”
“It’s a team effort, my dad always says. The team is only as strong as its weakest player and all that.”
Cayden snorted loudly from his seat, making us both turn to look at him. He stood and stretched his arms over his head, and his black T-shirt rode up his flat, muscle-packed abdomen. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from that tantalizing sliver of skin, and worst of all, Cayden caught me looking and only grinned harder. He sauntered toward us, like he had all the time in the world, somehow managing to stand next to me so that Josh had to take a step back.
“I know you aren’t up on sports, Freckles, but it isn’t very nice to call someone the weakest player to their face.”
My mouth dropped open, and I spun to Josh, sticking my hand out to grab his arm. “Oh my God, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just saying random stuff. I really didn’t,” I rambled.
Josh laughed, and I couldn’t tell if he was upset or not.
“It’s cool. I know what you meant. Anyway, the star of the game is undisputed.” He turned to Cayden, the light of hero worship shining in his eyes. He held out his hand to slap Cayden’s. “You were awesome, man.”
Cayden ignored the outstretched hand, his gaze fixed on the place where Josh’s arm brushed mine. After a long, tense moment, Josh dropped his hand and cleared his throat.
“This is boring, you guys! Let’s play a game,” Selena proclaimed loudly from the couch.
Josh turned to the attention-starved queen bee. “Like what?”
“Like…truth or dare,” Selena said, a wicked smile coating her red lips.
“Pass,” I said immediately and searched for Eve.
She was deep in conversation with a couple of puck bunnies I recognized from her diner job.
“To everyone’s relief, I’m sure,” Selena jabbed at me. She laughed. “No offense, but have you even ever had a first kiss, Bug? No one wants to kiss someone that clueless.”
At her words, my eyes skittered to Cayden’s. The kiss in the bathroom played over and over in my mind, an endless loop I couldn’t escape. It was the most shocking, sexy and terrifying thing that had ever happened to me.
I took a step back from the group, and my back came up against an unmovable object. It was Cayden’s arm. He’d braced it on the counter behind me when I wasn’t looking. Now, I was trapped between him and Josh.
“What’s wrong, Lily? Running away again?” His low murmur was for me and me alone.
My eyes drifted to Selena’s. She watched me carefully, waiting for an opening to pounce. She didn’t like how close Cayden was standing to me, that was for sure. Something twisted inside me enjoyed the way her eyes narrowed when I stepped closer to him. Sure, maybe I couldn’t blow holes in her self-esteem like she managed to do to me, but I could still make her hurt, even just a little bit.
Cayden had tilted his face down to watch me. The smell of him filled my nose as I got closer.
“If I am?” I hummed.
