“I haven’t seen him since the ball,” I say. “Yes, he was a bad choice, and yes, I kept making it over and over, but I can assure you, he’s a mistake I won’t ever make again.”
She grins. “You sound like a woman who’s moved on to greener pastures,” she teases.
If by “greener pastures” she means my ex’s hotter, more experience father, then yes, I have moved on, and the grass really is more vibrant.
I bite back a smile, and as I shake my head, my phone buzzes in my hand, the vibration startling me out of my thoughts. Without checking the screen, I know who it is.
“Hey. You know the rules,” Shelby scolds playfully, pointing to the basket.
I scrunch my nose and give her an apologetic smile. “Actually, something’s come up. It’s a message from my boss’s boss.” Technically not a lie. “I hate to ditch early, but I think I have to go.”
CHAPTER 30
EVANGELINE
Ipulled an Irish exit on the Even Better Eleven, only saying a proper goodbye to Shelby. Luckily, Kenj challenged Saint to an arm-wrestling rematch and the whole group was distracted, so it was easy to sneak out.
I didn’t allow myself to look at Alaric’s second message until I was in the elevator, already on my way to him.
Good thing.
The man sent me a shirtless mirror selfie, his torso glistening with sweat. The text read:
I miss you, too. Blew off some steam in the gym. Heading to bed soon.
I nearly dropped my phone while gawking at the image.
Sure, he was shirtless last night, and I definitely studied him this morning before he left for work, but my god, his body is a sight to behold.
His shoulders are chiseled to perfection with little bonus muscles I’ve never seen on an actual human before. His abs are sharply defined and supremely lickable. The way his waist narrows has me zooming in over and over again.
My room is dark and quiet when I let myself in. Frantic and anxious, I scan the empty space and flick on the overhead light, considering my next move.
Do I respond to his text? Do I change? Do I skip out into the hallway and knock on his door?
I shake my head, forcing my mind to slow down. We have connecting doors. That’s where I’ll start.
I drift to that side of the room and unlatch the dead bolt on my end, then turn the handle and pull open the door.
What I find is something I’m not prepared for. I was ready to knock, but Alaric’s door cracked open.
Excitement zaps through me.
The only reason he’d leave the door ajar is if he wanted me to come in, right?
I dart across the room to confirm that the hallway door is closed and locked. Then I scurry over to my bag, dig around to find my favorite lip gloss, and reapply it.
My body is buzzing with nerves as I circle back to our connected doors.
Afraid I’ll chicken out if I give myself time to overthink it, I quickly step into his room.
“Alaric?”
I’m met with silence.
“Are you here? It’s me. Evangeline.” I cringe at myself.Seriously, Evan?As if anyone else might waltz into his hotel room this late at night.
Speaking of…
