Genevieve Bergen is going to be a problem.
I knew that the second the button on my top snapped off during my solo.
The reason why she sabotaged me is that she probably felt threatened by my skills. We were in the same dance group during the semifinal, and she looked furious when Carole called my number before hers. It meant my score was higher.
If that wasn’t bad enough, she now thinks that there is something between me and Mack.
Genevieve was determined to destroy me when she thought we were rivals to make the team. If that was bad, I’m bracing myself for what she could do if she thinks that I’m after her man too.
I’m pretty sure that telling her that Mack and I like each other only as friends isn’t going to change the situation. Once people like her decide they don’t like you, their mind is made up forever. Besides, Mack has no intention of getting back with her, and I don’t owe Genevieve any explanation about who I choose to be friends with.
That probably means that I’ll have to watch my back from her and her two minions.
In this instance, however, I’m not completely mad at her. I’ve been feeling Nash’s probing gaze on me since the second Jodie, Talia and I arrived here tonight.
My eyes instinctively land on Colsen. I know I have his and Tucker’s blessing to explore my attraction to Nash, but the small curl of his lips reassures me that my brand new boyfriend isn’t upset about this dare.
“Come on.” Gen claps her hands. “We don’t have all night. Kiss or face your punishment.”
When Nash rises from his seat, I begin to do the same, but Jodie stops me with a hand on my wrist.
She doesn’t need to say what’s on her mind. She’s worried about what Nash could say to the cops if he remembered seeing me at the Gamma party the night of Tim’s murder.
I love my best friend for trying to protect me, but I shrug my shoulders to signify to her that this should be ok. One kiss shouldn’t jog his memory more than seeing me here could have already done.
Jodie rolls her eyes but doesn’t say anything. She knows that running around the staff quarters in my birthday suit could get us kicked out of training camp before we even began if I got caught.
Nash and I face each other in the middle of the room. The tall defenseman towers over me by about a foot.
I’m used to it, even tall girls like Gen and Jodie make me feel shorter than I am at my less than staggering five foot three. But Nash isn’t just tall. His shoulders are so broad, and his t-shirt does nothing to hide the defined muscles of his chest and abs.
His emerald green eyes darken as he looks at me, and his throat works as he swallows.
He must have shaved this morning because there’s just the barest hint of dark stubble on his perfectly chiseled jaw.
I’m dying to know how his lips feel, to learn the taste of him.
We look at each other for what must be just a few seconds, but it feels longer than that.
I’ve done some light PDA with my high school boyfriend, but I’ve never kissed anyone with an audience like this.
“Just some ground rules.” Gen announces. “For your dare to be successfully completed, the kiss has to last for at least sixty seconds. It has to be with tongue.”
Nash rolls his eyes, turning to look at Gen. “Got it. Anything else?”
“Groping isn’t mandatory but strongly encouraged. Do your worst.”
Heat rises to my face when Nash’s piercing green eyes come back on me. “Ready?”
I nod, and he steps closer.
The movement is confident and fluid, like I’ve seen him move on the ice in the promotional videos on our college website.
Our shoes touch, and one of Nash’s big, slightly rough hands comes up to cup one side of my face.
I immediately love the warmth of his skin, but nothing, nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of his mouth on mine.
Nash isn’t tentative or shy; he crushes his lips over mine with hard, almost bruising intensity.
