“Why are you smiling?” I lean against the bar, feigning nonchalance though my heart is a jackhammer. Somehow I’ve got to convince her to give me a chance.

“Because I was here first and you showed up. You’re stalking me.” Her mouth curves up in a smile. Then her gaze lands on Veronica. “I guess she ran off before I got here.”

I laugh and take a step closer to her. “Don’t worry about her. Maybe we need a very public kiss so the entire place gets the idea and leaves us alone?”

She mulls it over, a blush on her cheeks. There’s a small hitch in her breath, and her eyes go straight back to my lips.

I think back to the last time I kissed her—really kissed her—and my body tightens. “You with me?”

She doesn’t say anything.

We’re close, so close, and I can feel the heat from her skin. “May I kiss you? Please?”

Her chest rises. “Okay, but none of that fancy tongue work.”

I laugh softly. “Afraid of falling in love with me?”

“No.”

I lean in and lace one of my hands with hers. “Liar. Why else say it?”

She rolls her eyes. “Just get it over with. This makes three kisses if you count the one on the cheek this week.”

“Okay.” I cup her face and kiss her like she’s really mine, like she’s coming home with me, like she’s dying for me to touch her just as much as I’m dying for her.

Our lips move slowly, tasting and exploring, and my hand pulls her closer, until she can feel the hardness in my jeans. It goes on, our mouths taking more and more, and I don’t want it to end. We break apart with small movements, our faces still leaning in, and I brush my lips across hers again. I stare down at her. “Now that will give the gossips something to talk about for a while.”

“Sheee-it, get a room,” Boone calls from behind me, and she huffs out a laugh.

A few minutes later, the guys at the dartboard call out to us, and we walk over to where they are. Eric gives Sugar a hug while Reece hangs back, a reflective look on his face. Veronica just stares at her nails as she sits on the couch.

I introduce Sugar to the players. Boone finds out she’s taking law classes and starts questioning her about if it’s an easy major or not. He keeps a respectable distance between them and keeps his eyes on her face—trust me, I’m watching. She brings out all my alpha male instincts, and I feel protective just looking at her. She sends me little looks under her lashes every now and then as she talks to him, and I wonder what she sees on my face.

Amazement, probably.

She…is…fucking exquisite.

“Yo, you ready to go?” Reece says a few minutes later.

“We just got here,” I say, not able to keep the exasperation out of my voice.

“He’s in a mood. Probably his shoulder again,” Eric mumbles to me before leading Sugar off to play darts.

Yeah. Whatever. I know it isn’t his shoulder.

“Dude, I’ve got a test tomorrow,” Reece says again.

My jaw pops. I wish he’d just driven himself.

“You offered to drive,” he reminds me, holding up the beer he’s drinking.

I did agree to drive everyone because I’m not drinking during hockey season, and I am the captain. It’s up to me to make sure no one does anything crazy.

The calendar on my phone pings with a reminder of everything I have on my plate tomorrow, and I roll my shoulders, feeling the tense and tired muscles there. Truth is, maybe it is a good idea to head home. I have to run, go to class and hockey practice, plus drive to the city for another therapy session. Frustration eats at me. I want to get over this hurdle of anxiety. I want my life back, and I need rest or my body is going to fall apart.

“Five minutes and we’ll go,” I tell my brother.

“Veronica is coming with us,” he says as she hooks her arm through his. She meets my gaze and gives me a triumphant look, as if somehow she’s winning by being with Reece. Whatever.

I shrug. “You’ll be the one bringing her back to her car later.”

He gives me a tight nod.

I walk over to Sugar, Eric, and Boone, who are playing darts, telling them that we’ll be leaving soon.

Eric reads my face. “Sure, man.” He looks at Sugar. “See you at my party, right? You know I wouldn’t be opposed if you brought a pie.”

She grins. “It took me two hours to make that. How do you feel about donuts instead?”

“Sold.” He pats me on the back, walking off with Boone.

“I like your friends,” she says.

I glance over at the table where she came from, a guy and a girl there watching us with avid interest. “Maybe you can introduce me to yours?”

She frowns. “Sometime, yeah, maybe.”

I pop an eyebrow. “You embarrassed of me?”

“Well, this is just pretend, so…” Her voice drifts off.

I exhale. She’s got a fortress around her.

“Come here a minute,” I tell her as everyone else hangs by the door, getting their coats on.

“Yeah?”

I pull out my phone, hold it out for a selfie, and wave it at her. “I don’t post a lot on social media, but it might be good if we did some Instagram stuff and maybe your guy at Vandy will see it. Priming the pump a bit.”

“That’s a great idea.” She perks up and moves to stand next to me, and I lean toward her until our heads are together then snap the picture. I kiss her on the cheek and snap one more. She’s laughing and taking my phone and looking at the photos.

“We look nice.” Her gaze is bright when it meets mine. “Send those to me?”

I shrug. “Sure.”

She chews on her lip. “Are you really leaving?”

“You’re welcome to come with me.”

She laughs and, just to mess with her and perhaps on impulse, I wrap my hand around her nape and pull her to me, pressing my lips to hers one more time. I kiss her, my tongue sweeping in to taste her, and when I pull back, her lips are red and swollen—and mine.

“Just in case that first kiss wasn’t enough,” I say.

She nods, her face pink. “That’s four.”

“You’ll stop counting.”

She smirks. “I’m keeping a tally.”

Reece calls my name again.

I say goodbye and head to the door.

Part of me wants to look back at her, but I know she doesn’t want that. She wants me to keep it simple. Uncomplicated. Yeah, I’m wondering how long that’s going to last…

15

Sugar

Both Poppy and Taylor are waiting on the edge of their seats when I come back to the table.

Taylor squeaks. “Fuck a duck in a bowtie. Tell us all the details.”

I laugh at the saying he picked up from Mara, reach over to grab what’s left of his martini, and drink it. Zack Morgan is the most confusing person. I shake my head, still trying to suss it out, replaying the interaction in my head. “Dude bolted out of here like a speeding bullet.” I lean back against the booth. “And Reece wouldn’t even talk to me. Weird.”

“What about that guy they called Boone? I want an intro to him,” Poppy says as she leans forward over the table.

I laugh. “He’s younger than you.”

“And that’s a problem?” she says.

“Poppy, your necktie thingie is in the fries,” Taylor says, giggling. Poppy has a tendency to be a bit spacey.

“Oh!” She pulls back up, straightening her cardigan around her shoulders as she giggles. “Too many martinis.”

Taylor stiffens as his eyes go to the front door and widen. “Bloody hell. Is there a full moon?”

“What?” I say, arching my neck to see who or what he’s looking at.

Tall and handsome with wavy black hair and a trim, lean physique, Bennett has just waltzed in the door. An anvil lands square on my chest at the sight of him. I can’t stop staring, taking him in, the strong chin with a dimple in the center, the way his hair flops in his face. A girl is attached to him like glue.

She’s pretty with cropped shoulder-length brown hair and a svelte figure that’s draped in a clingy black dress and sleek, thigh-high boots with three-inch heels.

A bitter laugh comes from me. “He always liked brunettes in dresses.”

Poppy pats my hand. “He’s a dick. He wanted to change you.”

I sigh. It’s true. He complained about my casual attire constantly. “I wasn’t rock star enough for him. He wanted a sultry sexpot.”

Poppy frowns. “Girl, you are sultry. He just isn’t the one.”

Taylor lets out a long sigh. “Ladies and gents, the night is officially over. Let’s fix our crowns and be brave—and get the hell out of here.”

Bennett’s head comes up and he sees us. He whispers something to the girl and starts walking our way.

I watch him get closer and closer, my chest heaving as I think back to the times we spent together. The magical summer at his parents’ lake house in Michigan, the time he made me chicken soup when I had the flu…

First love—first everything. It cuts you open and flays you alive.

And seeing him again—which is damn hard not to do in a town as small as Sparrow Lake—I feel frozen.