“Don’t worry,” I whisper, my mouth brushing the shellof her ear as the drop hits again. “If you get tired of me, you can always bite.”
Her lips part, but the song surges, drowning everything out.
My hand’s firm on her hip, as the other brushes the curve of her spine, pulling her closer than she probably meant to get. She glares up at me, but she doesn’t push me away. Her body sways with mine, every roll of her hips brushing against me until my blood runs molten.
Her eyes flash as the drop hits, catching the violet lights overhead, her freckles glowing faintly against her pale skin.
I dip lower, my mouth grazing her ear as I breathe her in, my voice rough. “Keep looking at me like that, dollface, and I’m gonna forget we’re in public.”
She snorts, but her lips part, her breath stuttering against my throat. The sound goes straight to my cock, and suddenly the club disappears; the cameras, the crowd, and the reason Maggie shoved me here in the first place.
All I know is her, soft and defiant in my arms, and the way this song makes every movement feel like foreplay.
I press her tighter against me, my thigh sliding between hers, while my grip at her waist tightens until there’s no space left. She gasps as her nails bite into my chest through my shirt.
I’m losing my mind.
I should pull back, remember why we’re here.
Fuckkkk.
My face dips lower, lips hovering over the corner of her mouth. Close enough to taste her, close enough the cameras will swear we kissed.
Her glare wavers, heat flaring in her eyes, and she whispers, “Don’t you dare.”
My grin breaks, my nose brushing hers. “Baby, I already am.”
She jerks back, her glare is back in place, lips twisted into that lethal little smirk. “Not a chance, Hayes.”
Her words slice through me, but the heat in her eyes gives her away. She didn’t pull back because she wanted to; she pulled back because she had to.
I force a laugh, even though my blood is still hammering. “Suit yourself, dollface.” My hands linger on her waist a beat longer before I finally let go, giving her room to step away.
Amelia steps away with her chin high, but I catch the way her breath still comes in quick, rapid bursts. She can’t quite look me in the eye, and maybe I shouldn’t, but it makes me grin like hell.
She thinks she pulled away.
But in every way that matters, Amelia Hamilton is already mine.
Ding Dongby Crankdatechoes through my home gym. The clang of iron hitting the vinyl floor rumbles throughout, sweat dripping down my spine as I rack another set. My muscles burn, lungs on fire, but it doesn’t matter; I can’t get her out of my fucking head.
The iron barbell hovers over my chest as my arms tremble, and I grunt through the rep. “C’mon, Hayes. Lightweight, baby. Lightweight.” I press it up, racking it with a loud clang, then slap my chest. “That’s what I’m talking about. Mustangs QB1, baby.Still got it.”
I grab the dumbbells next, curling them slowly as my biceps strain. “Yeahhh, look at that pump. Arms looking juicy, Hayes. Amelia’s not ready for this shit.” I smile at my reflection, giving myself a nod. “Dollface is gonna see me and be like, ‘oh my god, Maverick, your veeeeins.’”
Switching arms, I push through another set. “Fuck yeah. Veins are popping, she’s gonna dieee.”
I squat down, grab a heavier set, and grunt as I lift the weight. “Pain is temporary, daddy arms are forever,” I mutter through clenched teeth.
Dropping the weights with a thud, I pace in front of the mirror, pointing at myself. “That’s right. You’re six-eight, quarterback of the Mustangs, hottest man alive according to JP, and you’re not scared of one tattooed girl who wants to kill you in your sleep. You got this, Hayes.”
I flex once, chest still heaving. “She’s gonna cave. No one can resist these guns.”
I grab my water bottle, tilting it back, when my phone blares on the bench, vibrating so hard it nearly falls to the floor. I fumble it up, towel hanging around my neck, and see the name flash across the screen.
Maggie.
I swipe to answer, still grinning. “Mags! You calling to compliment the pump? Because it’s insane today. I’m talking chest like granite, arms like?—”
