She eyed me. “I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me or not.”
“Not at all, Mack. I like learning this side of you.” I reached over and squeezed her forearm. “You’re captivating.”
“Hm.” She twisted her lips, like she didn’t believe me. “Too many compliments means you’re hiding something or you feel guilty. What did you do?”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, you’re being too nice to me, so that means you want something or you’re compensating for a past mistake.”
“Actually, it means I think you’re sexy as fuck, and I’m enjoying watching you talk about things you’re passionate about. That’s it. Now, finish your questions because I’ve been patient and nice, but I stand by what I said earlier. I need to fucking kiss you, and you’re stalling.”
I pointed to the camera, fighting the urge to yank her into my lap. Her cheeks reddened, and her pulse raced at the base of her neck. “Record.”
Mack pushed my buttons for fun, but I could do it right back, making her flustered. She licked her lip, and the little action sent a bolt of lust to my core. I wanted Mack, and I was gonna do whatever it took to kiss her. OKMM—Operation Kiss Mack Mallinson was in full force.
This summer fling was the best ideaever.
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
Mack
Besides Lo occasionally being around for the videos, I wasn’t used to having an audience while I recorded. Instead of being nervous though or awkward, it felt empowering. Dean stared at me with awe in his eyes, like I impressed him, and with all the talk of kissing me…I wasn’t sure of his end game, but I wasn’t letting myself care. He wanted us to have a summer fling and explore this chemistry, and even though I was a hot mess of anticipation, excitement vibrated through me.
“And that’s it.” I finished the third video, answering a question about a practice schedule while balancing school. The questions I received were generally good and interesting. It felt inspiring to have younger athletes and fans care about the collegiate lifestyle. I told myself if even one person went into soccer because of me, it’d be worth the effort.And another secret fuck you to Coach Emily.
It didn’t make sense to me, how oneperson had told me I’d never amount to anything, and I let that get under my skin. I was twenty-one, for fuck’s sake, and her words still bothered me. Her disdain fueled me to work harderandto be the best person I could, so at least I could thank her for that?
No. I’d never thank her. She’d planted seeds of doubt that grew into full ass trees in my confidence and soul. I tore those trees down, but the roots remained, never quite disappearing.
I took a sip of water as Dean studied me with a half-smile on his face. His eyes twinkled with amusement, and my stomach somersaulted. It had been a long time since any guy had looked at me with this much interest. Plus, when Dean focused on you, it was blinding. Nothing else mattered.
“Are you thinking about attacking my face now that I’m done?”
“Always thinking about your face, yes.” He snorted. “It was cool watching you. Thank you for trusting me.”
“Oh. You’re welcome.” I frowned. That was a weird thing to say. “So, now that I’m done, what are we gonna do?” My voice shook as my nerves came to the surface. I wanted to be the cool, chill, composed girlie. The one who wasn’t flustered and could hang and banter with Dean Romano, but deep down, I was a nervous nellie with a million questions.
The battle of wanting to be cool and asking my questions was a full-out war.Banter with him. Ask him what this means. Make the first move, impress him. He’ll never be impressed since he’s been with hundreds of girls. Hundreds? Thousands?“Oh my god, have you hooked up with thousands of people?” I blurted out.
His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, his lips parting as he chuckled. “Thousands? Mackenzie. Come on.”
“I don’t know your life. You get around.” I pushed up from the chair, my legs shaky as I busied myself picking up the camera, light, and cords. This was a silly idea. Us, kissing?Hooking up? Bah! I couldn’t compete with his past hookups! I was a tomboy, too athletic, too busy. That was what past boyfriends said.But this is a fling!
I felt more than heard Dean approach me. He smelled the same, a dangerous and delicious combination of soap and cologne. Placing a hand on my back, he spun me around so we faced each other. My hands were filled with my stuff, acting as a protective barrier, and I swallowed hard as he frowned at me.
“Why are you nervous right now? Am I making you nervous again?”
I chewed my lip. “Um, yes and no.”
“I need more than that, Mackenzie.” He slowly took the stuff from my hands and set it on the counter next to me. “We’ve been hanging out a lot the last two weeks. I thought we were good.”
“Dean.” I pinched my nose, hoping the lack of his scent would clear my head. He was so close. Heat radiated off his body, and his mouth was right there, his lips absolutely perfect. He had some scruff on his face that I wanted to feel on my mouth, scraping my skin and reddening it. I clenched my thighs together as an aggressive want overtook me. I wanted this man, in every way, but my brain was halting progress with unhelpful comments.
“Mack,” he said, one side of his mouth twitching up. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I thought we were vibing and flirting when I suggested streaking, but please know even if you wanted to hang out and talk, I’d still be here.”
“Why? Why would Dean Romano, hottest guy on campus want to hang out andtalkwith me? I don’t understand.” I licked my lips, the lack of moisture having to do with him sucking all the air around us with his presence. “I’m just a dork.”
