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Her gaze flickers in my direction before returning to the couple. “Fantastic. It went off without a hitch.”
“Good,” he says with a nod. “Did you just finish up?”
“Yup. Someone was having another cast party, but I wanted to come here and celebrate with you guys. Congrats again on the win. It was a great game.”
“Thanks. It might have been by the skin of our teeth, but we’ll take it.”
“You were great, Bray.” Warmth gathers in my chest when her gaze settles on me. “You, too.”
“Thanks.”
Knowing she was in the stands this afternoon was all the incentive I needed to make sure I was playing to the best of my ability. I was everywhere on that field. Creating holes in the defense and protecting my QB during passing plays.
Do you really think I was going to allow the other team to show me up in front of my girl?
No fucking way.
The four of us spend a few minutes shooting the shit before Elle takes off to use the bathroom. With one last look thrown over her shoulder, she disappears through the crowd. It takes every ounce of self-restraint to keep my ass firmly in place and not shadow her every movement. I hate the idea of her being off on her own at a party. Most of the guys here are football players and know to stay away from her unless they want to feel the wrath of Brayden come down on them.
And trust me, no one wants that. Especially if he decides to take it out on your ass on the field.
When my attention returns to the couple, I find Sydney watching me with a speculative look in her eyes.
Fuck.
I clear my throat and bring up the bowl game we’ll be playing in. Once enough time has ticked by, I drain my bottle of water and make up an excuse about the need to stay hydrated.
Before either of them can respond, I take off, searching the thick sea of people for Elle’s dark head. Need spikes through my veins, spurring me on. The more time that passes, the antsier I get to find her. This need rampaging through my system feels more like a living, breathing entity. Every day that passes has it growing stronger as it continues to multiply.
As soon as I catch sight of her, relief washes over me and I change direction, beelining for her. There’s a smile on her face as she chats with Easton, Sasha, Rowan, Demi, and Asher. The guys in this house have always looked out for Elle as if she were their own sister. I’d trust her with any of them.
As I pass by, I tug on her fingers to get her attention. There’s a moment of eye contact as I make my way to Asher’s bedroom. More often than not, the guy leaves it unlocked. A simple twist of the handle has the door springing open. I step inside and wait for her to show up. When the door creaks, I tug her inside before slamming it shut and jerking her to me. Her eyes widen as she lands against my chest with a gasp.
“Missed you,” I growl seconds before my lips crash into hers.
That’s all it takes for her to open and my tongue to delve inside her mouth. Her arms twine around my neck to hold me close. It’s the sweet taste of her that calms the beast rampaging dangerously beneath my skin. I adjust my stance and angle my head a different way in order to claim more. The whimper that escapes from her only ratchets up my own desire. It feels like I’m on fire and nothing will ever douse the flames.
It's as frightening as it is exhilarating.
All of the emotion swirling inside me has been lying dormant beneath the surface, just waiting for the opportunity to flare to life. And now that it has, there’s no tamping it down or pretending it doesn’t exist.
It’s only after we surface for air that we break apart.
“I missed you, too,” she whispers.
“The play went well? You had a good night?”
Even in the shadowy darkness of the room, it would be impossible not to notice how her face lights up or the excitement that threads its way through her voice. “It was one of the best performances we’ve given. Everyone hit their marks and it went off without a hitch.”
Just listening to her talk brings a smile to my face. “I’m glad.”
“Me, too. I’ll be sad when it’s over. We’ve had such a great time. All the rehearsals, running lines late into the night, and the shows...” Her voice trails off.
Wanting to take her mind off the production and its inevitable end, I angle my head and press my lips against hers. Elle’s parents got her into a community acting class when she was in third grade, and she fell instantly in love with it. There’s never been another sport or activity that she’s felt this passionate about. When we were younger, I secretly enjoyed helping her run lines and watching her slip effortlessly into character.
