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Wilder leans casually against the elevator wall, grinning at some private joke. His eyes spark with mischief as he waggles his brows at Kat. She bites her lip, fighting back a smile. The sight stokes the flames burning within me.
I want her smiles to be only for me.
The elevator doors ding open. Taking a deep breath, I follow the others out, focusing on each slow inhale and exhale. I can't let my rage override strategy. Not when there's so much at stake.
We join the massive gathering of Sharpes mingling noisily in the grand reception hall. Kat stands tensely between Wyatt, Wilder and I while her father takes the small stage, microphone in hand.
"Welcome, Sharpes!" Roger bellows enthusiastically. The crowd quiets in anticipation. "Today's family competition is...fort building!"
Cheers erupt around us. Tables are wheeled in covered in piles of cardboard, tape, rope, blankets, pillows, poles, art supplies, and so much more. My competitive drive ignites, muscles tensing in readiness.
"You'll have three hours to construct your fort with your team. Then we tour and judge each creation," Roger explains. "Winning team gets a weekend stay at the Sharpe family cabin! All expenses paid, of course."
I glance around at my reluctant teammates, determination steeling my features. We will win this, no matter what it takes. When Kat seeks sanctuary in our winning fort, away from the others' eyes, I'll finally make her mine again.
Wyatt's hand grips Kathryn's shoulder as he leans to murmur in her ear. She blushes prettily and my fingers curl into fists, nails biting crescents into my palms.
Not if I can help it.
Roger blows an airhorn signaling the start. I spring into action, hefting piles of cardboard towards our designated build space. When I pass by Wyatt, I accidentally turn too fast, smacking the pile into his face.
"Oh, pardon me, didn't see you there, mate," I quip insincerely. Wyatt glares but says nothing as I continue on, satisfaction burning in my veins.
Petty? Yes. But I don’t give a fuck.
Kathryn strides past us to a corner of the room, studying the supplies. She’s already got a plan in mind and I can’t help but admire her sharpness. Her intelligence is as attractive as her beauty.
Wilder joins her and my hackles rise in warning again, further stoked by the fact that he's laughing and she's smiling at whatever ridiculous joke he just told. Jealousy courses through me like an electrical current.
Without glancing back, Wilder turns and saunters over to me, his gaze heavy on Kat’s retreating figure. I glare at him until he finally meets my eyes and I arch an eyebrow expectantly.
His lips curl into a smirk as though he knows exactly what I'm thinking. “She's absolutely delectable today, isn't she?” He drawls in that annoyingly cocky way of his. “Maybe I'll-"
I step forward, cutting him off with a glare. “We build the fort first, then you can make your moves. Kat likes to win,” I growl. Wilder laughs and shakes his head, holding up his hands in surrender before turning and heading back to her.
My jaw clenches as I watch them from across the room, her smile brightening as they discuss plans for the fort. Jealousy grips my throat like a vice, but I know I have to stay focused on winning this competition.
Wyatt joins in as well and starts pitching in ideas for the fort's design. She wants it to look like a fantasy castle. He jokingly mentions building a moat and Kathryn giggles. My heart twists painfully in my chest at the sight of her eyes crinkling with laughter.
I flex my fingers, seething silently as they all flirt shamelessly and build themselves up around her like walls of their own accord. But I won't let them have her. I march across the room and push the table directly between them and her, drawing all eyes to me.
"We'll build the moat, but it'll be filled with cotton balls instead of water," I declare. "Much easier to build, yet it will still make a statement."
Kathryn's eyes light up as she looks up at me.
"That's a great idea, Emrys!" She exclaims then turns back to her plans with a small smile on her face that only I can see.
My heart swells slightly in my chest, and I can't help but grin back at her before we all set to work on our castle. Kat takes charge, directing us with clear instructions on what she needs for each section. Despite the chaotic energy of the competition, a comfortable silence lapses between us as we work side by side constructing her vision piece by piece.
She has a way of bringing out the best in people, inspiring them to work harder and better than they thought possible. Even the three of us. If only for a short time, and only for her.
The walls climb steadily higher, the moat is dug, and the cotton balls are fluffed and piled in like fluffy clouds. My eyes never leave Kathryn the entire time, watching her delicate fingers deftly handle each piece of cardboard, tape, and rope with surprising strength and precision. I can't wait to get her alone in our finished fort.
At one point, I catch a glimpse of Kat out of the corner of my eye. Her hair falls in loose waves around her face as she concentrates on the fort's design, her tongue poking out slightly in concentration. I have to physically turn away to reign in the desire she unleashes in me so effortlessly.
Instead, I channel my energy into building the best damn fort this competition has ever seen. I pile cardboard on top of cardboard, shaping and bending them to create turrets and towers until it's standing tall and proud.
I'm inside the admittedly, and surprisingly, massive interior of our fort, tucking a string of fairy lights into place in one of the sectioned makeshift rooms when Kat makes her way in with a stack of pillows and other supplies.
