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I seem to be trapped in the middle of their pissing match, and it’s the last place I want to be.
Before the situation can escalate and erupt into a fight, which isn’t unheard of at a hockey party, I slip from beneath Ryder’s muscular arm and take a step in retreat before locking my fingers around his wrist.
“Can I have a word with you in private?”
Air stalls in my lungs as Ryder’s deep blue depths lock on mine, pinning them in place. There’s so much emotion roiling within them, but I have no idea if it’s anger aimed at Garret or something more. That one look is all it takes for awareness to prickle along my skin. I couldn’t be more cognizant of the way my fingertips press against the flesh of his wrist and how my heart flutters in response.
This unwanted attraction feels more like a curse. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always been careful to keep my distance. Thankfully, Western is a large university. It’s been so much easier to avoid him in college than it was in high school.
When he fails to respond, I drop my voice. “Please?”
He jerks his head into a tight nod, and the fist gripping my heart loosens just a bit. At least enough for me to breathe.
I glance at Garret and force a smile. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“I’ll be right here waiting,” he says easily.
Ryder glowers as I drag him through the dining area and into the kitchen. I glance around for a quiet corner where we can have a bit of privacy, but it’s wall-to-wall people.
My gaze lands on the back hallway before I tow him in that direction. With my fingers still wrapped around his wrist, I shove through the door and stalk outside into the chilled night air. It feels so much colder than when we arrived earlier this evening.
It’s only after the door slams shut that I drop his hand and whirl around to face him. “What are you doing?”
His broody gaze locks on mine, and just like before, arousal explodes in my belly.
All right, so maybe it explodes a little lower. I quickly douse the flames, unwilling to allow them to burn out of control.
He jerks a brow. “I think a better question would be—what areyoudoing?”
I straighten to my full height, which is a good eight inches shorter than him as my hands settle on my hips. “Excuse me? What does that mean?”
When he takes a step toward me, I have to lift my chin to hold his gaze. “You know exactly what it means.”
“I was having a conversation with a friend.” I’m using the term loosely, since we aren’t, but I’ll be damned if I admit it to Ryder. It’s none of his business.
I’mnone of his business.
“You know what he was looking for, right?” He takes another step closer, swallowing up some of the space between us as his voice dips several octaves. “I’ll give you a hint—it wasn’t to talk about your major or plans after college. The guy is looking to get laid.”
Heat slams into my cheeks as his gaze pins mine in place. As tempting as it is to break eye contact, I don’t allow it to fall.
When I remain silent, he growls, “What happened? Did you turn into a bunny when I wasn’t looking?”
My eyes widen as the air gets knocked from my lungs.
“No!”
“Then do us both a favor and stay away from Garret. He’s bad news.” There’s a beat of silence as he bristles, sounding irritated. “What are you even doing here? You never attend parties.”
“Yes, I do.”Lie.“They’re just not the same ones as you.”
From the dubious expression that settles on his face, it’s clear he doesn’t believe me. “You should go home and stick your nose back in a book where it belongs. A party like this is above your paygrade.”
Fury ignites deep inside my chest. Unlike Ryder, I’ve never been prone to anger or outbursts. I don’t throw punches or get in people’s faces. In all honesty, it takes a lot to rile me up.
But right now?
Rage rushes through my veins like molten lava.
