My chest ached with the nickname, and I wondered if it did the same for her because she looked down at her shoes, rubbing her arms with her hands like she was cold.

“You seem to be doing fine,” she said to the floor, then dragged her eyes back up to meet mine. “With Giana.”

Fire sparked in my lungs with the mention of her name, both because of what I’d promised her I’d do, and because I knew just by that assessment alone that Maliyah had noticed us.

And that our little game was working.

“And you with Kyle,” I shot back.

“Kyle means nothing to me.”

She waited, like she expected me to say the same about Giana, but I knew Maliyah well enough to know that if I gave in too quickly, she’d lose interest just like she had before. I’d loved her for years, and one thing I knew better than anyone was that she loved a challenge.

And she loved to win even more.

When I didn’t respond, Maliyah sighed, looking around to make sure we were alone before she uncrossed her arms and stepped into me. Her warmth invaded my space, and she reached out, just the tip of her fingertip trailing my forearm.

“I see the way you still watch me when you’re with her,” she said, smiling as my skin pebbled under her touch. “What exactly is it you’re doing, Clay?”

Her eyes slowly slid up to mine, and she smiled coyly, leaning even more into me until her chest was flush with mine.

And again, I felt myself at war.

The urge to crush her to me and claim her mouth with my own battled with the powerful desire to give her a taste of her own medicine.

And something else… something foreign that I couldn’t quite name.

“I’m doing exactly what you wanted me to,” I said, angling my mouth for her ear.

She tilted her neck back, hand wrapping around my arm and squeezing tight as her lids fluttered close.

“I’m moving on.”

I whispered the words against her neck before abruptly pulling back and peeling her hand off me. I pushed past her and into the locker room, not bothering to turn and revel in seeing her jaw on the floor.

Maliyah wasn’t used to being denied.

I kicked the bottom of the locker they’d assigned me in the visitor space, drawing a few looks from my teammates before I forced a ragged breath and peeled off my jersey. Pads came next, and then I hobbled toward the showers, running the water as hot as I could and planting my hands on the cool tile wall as it rained down on me.