Page 86 of Ruthless Court

He wins that battle.

The look on his face says he knows it.

I pull my laptop closer and spend the rest of the lecture taking notes with my keyboard.

Kane doesn’t open his computer again.

The second Aldridge dismisses us, I’m out of my chair.

I zip my laptop into my bag and head for the side door.

“Sandy.”

I keep moving.

“Sandy.”

His chair scrapes behind me.

Rain blows beneath the stone archway outside. I pull up my hood and cross the courtyard.

Kane catches the door before it shuts.

“Stop.”

“I have somewhere to be.”

“You’re going to explain what you saw.”

“I already did.”

“You gave me half an answer.”

“That was generous.”

His footsteps close the distance.

I turn beneath the covered walkway.

He stops inches away.

Even in boots, I have to tilt my head to meet his eyes. Rain dots the shoulders of his quarter-zip. His breathing is controlled, but the muscle near his jaw has started working.

“You’ve been watching me,” he says.

“I’ve seen you play.”

“How many times?”

“Enough to recognize a pattern.”

“Why?”

The single word carries more suspicion than curiosity.

He thinks I’m another girl tracking his games, his future, or whatever contract people expect him to sign.

“I like patterns.”