Mine. That’s what she is. Mine.
“Date you? Never gonna happen. Trust me, I have the willpower to resist you.”
Shifting closer, I lean in. “I’ve got charm to spare, should I choose to wield it. And sayingnever—that’s the fastest way to make yourself a liar.”
“You’re delusional.” She laughs again.
It stops when I gently grip the back of her neck and tug her toward me.
“What are you doing?”
I drag her so close that if she shifts forward, our lips will touch. “Reminding you why we both know that’s a lie.”
It would be so easy to make the last move. To steal another kiss from her, but that’s not what I do. I don’t move. I keep her there, giving her the choice of what to do next. My grip loosens, knowing she’s stronger, but then tightens again, holding on as she overcomes the distance.
Goddamn, this woman is like a drug I’ve craved my entire life. One who will become so addictive, the only way to survive will be to never let her go.
When she puts her hand on my chest, I release her. I need her to understand that she has a say in what happens next. With me, she will always have a say.
“I don’t know. It wasn’t like I remembered.” Her breath brushes against my lips. “Resisting you shouldn’t be too hard.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. I drop my hand and retreat completely.
Fine.
She wants to play, so we’ll play. She’ll pay for her dishonesty and her denial that this kiss was far better than the first.
“Let’s get you back to the dorm before I make a liar out of you.” I stand and offer her my hand. “You know what they say about playing with fire?”
When she takes it, the touch could set us both ablaze. My heart swells, and a wave of joy, triggered by endorphins, spreads a comfortable heat within me.
Once standing, she rolls her eyes and releases her grip. A silent tension fills the air as we move, her gaze a heavy weight that seems to track my every move.
I swear I hear her whisper, “When you play with fire, you get burned. Get it together, Dinger. You can’t afford to get burned again.”
“What was that?” I ask as I tilt closer. “Did you say something?”
“Nope.” She moves faster, giving me the perfect view of her fine arse.
“Are you sure? I could’ve sworn I heard you say something,” I tease.
“Nope.” Ingrid tilts her head upward. “You are definitely hearing things. You should probably get that checked out.”
“Maybe I will.” I rush up behind her. “Or maybe you need to stop and just accept me and my sly ways.”
Ingrid shakes her head but says nothing. She’s going to fight me tooth and nail. Be stubborn in making her point about not relying on a man.
I’m pretty sure she doesn’t need one.
However, I’ll admit I’m a weak man who isn’t ashamed I need her. I may have just come to that conclusion moments ago, but that doesn’t make it any less true. If that makes me pathetic, then I’ll gladly get on my hands and knees and follow her around like the fool I am.
Chapter 8
Ingrid
“So you’ve been cleared to practice again?” Janey asks as we walk to the library, where we plan to study.
Janey’s our goalie. She’s a junior, one of our captains. We also have differential equations together. She’s a chem major like me. My advanced education back home has allowed me to take a few junior-level classes. Janey was helpful in getting me caught up when I had to miss class after the incident. It took me a few extra days to be able to get my head to work right, and she was helpful in making sure I didn’t fall behind more.
