It turns out Adler is better at volleyball than I thought but not even close to being as good as me. The beads of sweat dripping down his carved torso do prove more than a little distracting, though. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a six-pack in such high definition before. And damn, seeing how his muscles pull and stretch when he strikes the ball almost makes me stumble. Luckily, despite his power moves and speed, he’s ridiculously easy to read. His darting eyes give him away, making it obvious where he’s aiming every time.
Our game has helped to keep my mind off my conversation with Drax earlier that I’m not ready to start unpacking yet. For a little longer, I want to forget about the reality that our friendship may be over.
“What’s wrong, Ace?” I tease as Adler pants over the net, pausing between sets. “Do you want to renegotiate the terms of our deal? I’m already imagining you dressed as a French maid.” I rub my chin. “Or maybe Tinker Bell? You could really rock the wings.”
I can totally imagine him waving a sparkly wand in a tutu. Kady would have a field day running a story inThe Valley Voiceabout the fairy puck-mother cheering me on, and I know Devon—one of her top reporters—would put an amazing spin on it.
Adler’s blue eyes flash with determination, giving me a glimpse of his inner competitiveness, which makes him even hotter. “I never back away from a deal.”
An alpha with drive who knows what he wants? A big tick in my book.
“This is your last chance to forfeit.” I pop a hand on my hip. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
My heart leaps at the sight of his cocky smile. “Oh, it’s on, Maverick.” He winks, the confidence exuding from his every pore sexy as hell. “You’re going to look cute in fluffy fox ears.”
“Don’t count on it,” I fire back.
When we return to our spots, I take the opportunity to warm up. While I don’t have Adler’s strength, I do have the power to throw him off guard. Judging by how he’s blatantly checking out my legs during my hamstring stretch, I’m sure to get a head start.
“You’ve got this, Sabs!” Nia calls.
I grin at her. “Hell yeah, I do!”
Corbin punches the air in agreement from the sidelines.
“Dude!” Adler glares at him. “What happened to bro code? You’re supposed to be supporting me.”
“She’s got skills.” Corbin shrugs as Nia beams at him in admiration. “It’s fun to see someone whip your ass for a change.”
With my reputation on the line, I ready myself, ignoring the heckles. Preparing to serve, I narrow my eyes, meeting Adler’s stare. I suppress a smile when a frisson of electricity cracks through the air between us. Neither of us are going down without a fight.
After intense rallying, I jump, hitting the ball with a wrist snap, resulting in a stellar spike. He lunges to return it, but he’s too slow. While he can probably slaughter me on ice, the sand ismy comfort zone. He falls to the ground, narrowly missing the ball as it lands a mere inch from his head.
Cheering erupts around me as I come out victorious, flicking my hair dramatically over my shoulder.
“You did well,” I declare smugly, striding over to him to gloat while he’s still lying on his back in defeat. “For a rookie.”
Corbin shakes his head in commiseration. “You didn’t stand a chance, dude.”
“Who’s up for another game?” Carmen is already picking up the ball as a few of Adler’s teammates take on the challenge. I laugh, knowing that my girls are going to kick their asses even harder than I did Adler’s. “You in, captain?”
“Count me out of this one,” I say, then turn to Adler, rolling my eyes as he groans. He’s obviously not used to losing. “Need a hand?” I offer him mine, then help him to his feet. “Better luck next time.”
His pout is adorable as he brushes the sand off him. I have to clamp my jaw shut to stop myself from drooling. Fuck, he smells like sunshine—zesty orange, lime, and a dash of something sweet that reminds me of sunscreen.
Adler chuckles, his confidence returning. “Like what you see?”
Oops. Apparently, I wasn’t subtle while checking him out. “Not as much as I liked seeing you dive and miss,” I quip in a flash.
“You’re something else, Sabrina Maverick. A real firecracker.”
“Firecracker,” I ponder the term. “I like that.”
Sexual tension simmers between us, igniting a warmth between my legs. We both stay standing in the center of the court until someone yells at us to move out of the way so the next game can begin.
I stifle a shiver as we leave the court. Now that the sun has set and we’re not moving, a cooler breeze has rolled in.
“Are you cold?” Adler notices. We reach a deck chair, where he scoops up his discarded hockey jersey. It’s bright orange with a fox head logo and emblazoned with the number one. “Here.”
