I take a step toward him, just slow enough to make it look casual, but I know exactly what I’m doing. The guys are starting to file out for showers, but I’m not in a rush. I’m not in a rush because I want Leander tofeelmy presence as I close in on him.
“Cameron,” I say, my voice low, like I’m about to tell him a secret. But really, it’s just a way to test him. I want to see howhe reacts to me being close and how much space he will give up before he rushes to the showers.
He glances up at me, his eyes flashing briefly with something that looks like surprise, but it’s gone before I can name it. Then I see the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth. He’s got this quiet confidence, but I can tell he’s measuring me. And Iloveit.
“Yeah?” He leans against his locker, arms crossed, his body language still tight and controlled. It’s a challenge, but a subtle one. He’s trying to hold the line, but I can feel the tension in the air.
I take another step closer.
“Didn’t think you had it in you,” I say, voice dripping with mock admiration. “You moved pretty well out there. Maybe I underestimated you.”
The words are half teasing, half testing. I don’t give compliments unless they come with a bite, and I’m waiting for him to either smile it off or get defensive. But Leander’s not like the others. He’s not intimidated, and that’s what’s bugging me.
“I didn’t come here to impress you,” he replies, voice steady but with that little edge to it that says he’s not completely comfortable with my presence. And it’s that discomfort that makes the whole thing so much more exciting.
I can’t help the grin that tugs at my lips. “Nah, I think you came here to get under my skin. And it’s working.”
He raises an eyebrow, the smallest flicker of amusement in his eyes. “If I wanted to get under your skin, I would have gotten that goal before you could even blink. I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
I laugh, but it’s low, a little dark. He’s got a point, and something about the way he says it makes my stomach tighten. He’s not backing down. He’s not folding. And that’s what makes him sogoddamninteresting.
I step in a little closer, just enough to close the gap between us, but not enough to touch.
“You think you’re a challenge, huh?” I ask, the words carrying more weight than I intend.
Leander doesn’t back away. He doesn’t flinch. He just looks at me like I’m an equation he’s still trying to solve, a puzzle he’s not quite sure how to piece together. “I’m not the one with something to prove, Locke.”
It’s a challenge wrapped in a quiet confidence. It makes my pulse spike. I’m not used to this, not used to someone who doesn’t cower in my presence or try to match me shot for shot. He’s not playing by the rules, and that’s fucking dangerous.
I lean in, just a little too close for comfort, and I see his jaw tighten. I know I’ve pushed him just enough. “You’re ahardguy to figure out, you know that?” I murmur, my voice low, almost like a whisper meant for only him to hear.
“I’m not the one trying to read between lines that aren’t there,” he shoots back, but there’s something behind his words now. A tension. A spark. He’s not as calm as he’s pretending to be.
I take a breath and back off, just enough to give him space to breathe, but not enough for him to feel like he’s won. “You sure about that? You look like you’re just one push away from losing it.”
Leander meets my eyes then, no hesitation, no uncertainty. He’s not intimidated, and that pisses me off. “Maybe it’s you who’s about to lose it, Phoenix.”
My name on his mouth shoots a chill down my spine. I’m grinning now, a wide, dangerous smile. Maybe I have lost it.
The back-and-forth is electric, but it’s more than that. This—whatever this is—feels like a battle for control. He’s trying to keep his composure, trying to stay detached, but I can see it. The way his hands clench into fists. The way his eyes narrow ever so slightly. Leander Cameron isn’t as controlled as he wants me to think he is. And I need to know exactly how to push him.
But I want more. I want tomakehim crack. I want to pull him apart until there’s nothing left but the real him. The one behind the calm. The one who’ll finally give in.
“You’re not what I expected,” I say, letting the words linger, adding weight to them like I’m reading his soul. “Thought the quiet ones were always easy to break, but I’m not sure anymore.”
Leander shakes his head, blowing out an annoyed sigh. He’s more than just a challenge now. He’s a magnet, pulling me in.
I lean in a little closer, not quite touching, but close enough that he can feel the heat from my body. “You’ve got a lot of fight in you for someone who wants to stay invisible.”
“I’m not invisible,” he says, his voice low, almost a growl. “I just don’t feel the need to prove myself to anyone. Especially you.”
Something in that statement hits me harder than it should. It’s almost like he’s calling me out for hiding behind some mask of arrogance and control. He doesn’t care about proving anything. Why? Why won’t he bite? Take the bait. Lower himself to my level.
“Yeah, well, you’ve got meinterestednow,” I say, leaning in just a bit more. “And that’s not something I give away easily.”
He holds my gaze, that quiet intensity in his eyes making my stomach flip. “You’ve always got to be in control, don’t you?”
I can’t help but grin at that. “Breaking them down. What else is there?”
