Her confidence deflates a bit when we find her teammates outside, and that makes me ready to do anything for her. Pretending to be her boyfriend is low level when I think of the things I’d probably be willing to do to win her over.

“Okay, you ready?” she asks as we stand a few feet away.

“Just one thing.”

“What?” A tiny crease forms between her eyes as if she’s deeply concentrating on some minor detail she’s forgotten in the fake boyfriend user guide.

“No sex.”

The crease disappears, and her brows raise. “Okay, no sex.”

“You agreed way too easily.”

She smiles and responds dryly, “I’m hurting on the inside.”

I chuckle, and I can sense her relax a bit.

“Alright. I’m ready.”

She hesitates. “Wait, why don’t you want to have sex with me?”

I grin and step closer. The wind blows her hair into her face, and I lightly brush my fingers across her forehead and tuck it behind her ear. Her breaths come quick and shallow as I lean in. “Because when we sleep together again, I want to know it wasn’t for any other reason than how hot and awesome I am.”

She laughs—that sweet, perfect sound.

She doesn’t move and neither do I. I want to kiss her and make her remember how good we were together, but this is her show now. I’m just expensive arm candy. Maybe I should feel shitty about the whole situation, but I’m too relieved at the moment to feel anything else. Not to mention, jacked about spending more time with Chloe.

She takes a step back and then pauses and comes forward two and presses herself flush against me. Both hands rest on my chest as her lips touch mine, hesitant and unsure. My surprise at her actions makes me slow to respond, but when I taste summer, my body is frantic for more. Deepening the kiss, my hands go to her hips and then around her back. I press her tighter against me, forgetting all about the party, her roommates, my money troubles—it’s just me and her.

“What was that about?” I ask when she pulls back, far too quickly.

We’re both out of breath, and her cheeks have dots of pink. “Thought we should get it out of the way so it isn’t awkward between us.” Her eyes dart to my lips.

My dick has serious questions about what the fuck we just got ourselves into. Awkward is the last thing I feel as I pull her toward her teammates before I break my own rule on night one.

Chloe

Nathan and I sit side by side on a lounge chair facing Sydney and Emily. Bri and two of my other teammates have also joined us, and I mentioned to Nathan that Sydney thought Shaw was cute and now he’s wandered over, too.