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Out of my peripheral vision, I see her slack-jawed unable to think of a single smart-ass remark. I’m throwing her off her game. Would she have come if I invited her? I didn’t want to take the chance, so I made a deal with Logan that in exchange for him extending the invitation, I’m on dish duty on his chore days plus a roommate only trivia night at The Bearded Otter.
Adalee bumps her shoulder into my arm. “May I have some popcorn?” Her smile drifts from my hand to my face and it’s blinding. I try so hard to say, No, there’s some inside the suite, butbecause this asshole thing comes unnaturally to me, I freeze. I’m mesmerized by her gorgeous face.
Holding the bag of popcorn in her direction, her fingers crawl until she finds the perfect pieces before nibbling each buttered kernel—one at a time. My dick jumps thinking about her frisky fingers holding me—taking her time with me.
Shake that thought.
“Hey, isn’t that your roommate Mac coming in?”
I must look like a deer in headlights because Mac’s a freshman and never around. How would she know his number?
“Yep. Let’s go, Mac.”
The team lines up with forty-three seconds remaining in the game, and we’re down four points. A field goal isn’t an option. We need a touchdown to win. Mac settles in his stance on the edge closest to us. I watch his finger move back and forth in anticipation. The same thing I do when I’m stealing a base. The fans are on pins and needles. The stadium goes silent as we hear Logan’s cadence, and the ball is snapped. Mac streaks down the sideline and Logan throws a fade to the corner of the end zone.
Get there, Mac. You’ve got this.
It seems like the ball hangs there forever. Mac has grown two inches since the summer. He jumps and the ball is perfectly thrown to his back shoulder. Mac’s arms extend as he catches the ball for a touchdown. I jump, knocking over the popcorn by my feet. Adalee flies into my arms, hugging me in celebration.
Fuck the plan for a few seconds. This feels too good. The scent of her shampoo saturating my senses. Her body pressed against me but her breath on my neck is a jolt to my heart.
She looks so cute in her scarf and her brown hair spilling over her shoulders. Then our arms fall to our sides. I regain my composure, watching the festivities on the field. The fans swarm the field in victory, and I lose sight of my friends in a blanket of white dots.
Adalee shudders from the cold. She should have bundled up—that scarf isn’t warm enough. We ended up in the outside seats for the rest of the game.I don’t offer her my jacket and catch Archer’s sharp gaze as he shakes his head in disappointment. He doesn’t understand that I’m trying the opposite approach and it seems to be working.
We make our way inside with everyone chatting about the game and what it means for our football team. We’re likely to move to at least the number three spot, possibly higher.
Adalee sticks by me, I guess because I’m the only one she knows. Archer says, “We’re going to dinner with Nic and Kaylee. Do you need a ride to the party?”
“No, I drove.”
“Hagan, do you mind if I ride with you?” Adalee asks.
The hushed tone of her voice and her heart shaped upper lip almost makes me cave, but I have to stand my ground. “Sorry, my car is full.” It’s obvious that Adalee wants a bad boy or a guy that treats her like dirt, being she dated Chaz.
I would exchange my left nut to take the hurt off of Adalee’s face. Her eyes squeeze as her mouth opens slightly, not expecting that response. But before I can reverse course, she chokes out, “Oh, Logan’s sister picked me up and…I’ll find a ride.” She leaves walking to the bathroom.
Archer’s fingers fold tightly around my elbow and jerks me over to the side. Steam is coming out his ears, and I know why. He shoots a dagger through my eyes with his glare.
Just say it.
“I never thought there would be a day when I was ashamed of you.” His voice booms in my ear. “But I am at this moment.” He waits for an explanation and when it doesn’t come, he continues. “Adalee is the girl you told me about?”
I nod.
“Then what in God’s name are you doing?” he asks as he loosens his grip before completely letting go.
I cover my nose and mouth with my hands before slowly stroking my jaw. “She’s so damn frustrating. With everyone else, she’s sweet and lively. With me, she’s snarky or runs hot and cold. Why can’t she just run lukewarm?”
Archer’s eyes glint in omnipotent way. He tries to hold in a smile off his smug face. We’re the same height now, although he has thirty more pounds of muscle than me. We stare eye to eye, and it’s like looking into a mirror. Even my twin doesn’t look this much like me.
“Brother, you don’t want a lukewarm woman—lukewarm doesn’t heat you up in the winter. You want a woman that makes you want her so bad you need to rub one out in the middle of dinner. If she’s hot and cold, then there are feelings that she’s trying to reconcile. Be patient.
“Megan was dealing with so much damn stuff. I’m surprised that I ever truly broke through. Hopefully Adalee’s walls aren’t as high as Megan’s but no matter what, it might take a while to deconstruct.”
“Okay, enough. My cup is overflowing with brotherly love and advice.”
Archer pulls me into a hug, and it feels good. My family is so close that it feels weird not having seen them for a month or more. He’s right. She deserves my best, not my worst. If she like guys that treat her like she’s shit, then I’m not her guy anyway.
