"What happened?"
A pause—the kind that has weight behind it. "Turns out college is expensive."
Something about the way she says it makes me want to ask more, but this probably isn't the moment for that conversation. Instead, I grin at her. "And ever since then you’ve been dying to find a worthy opponent? It’s a good thing you found me.”
She snorts. "You are exhausting."
"And yet you keep showing up."
"That's because I enjoy winning."
"You literally haven't beaten me yet."
Chrissy turns toward me slowly. "Ace.”
"Yeah?"
She raises an eyebrow. "I let you think you won this morning because I didn’t want to wound your fragile ego.”
Wait… is that true? Did sheletme win?
I shake my head. “No way. You’re not the type of woman who lets a man win.”
She grins. “Are you sure?”
I grin back. “Yep. Plus, you said I have an ego of steel.”
She laughs. “That much is true.”
My friends catch up with a few minutes later, and we finish the rest of our kayak together. But I can’t keep my eyes off Chrissy. Somehow, between sunrise and sunset in a single day, she’s become all I can think about.
Chapter Four
Chrissy
JoiningAce'srelayteamwas a mistake. Anattractivemistake. A mistake with broad shoulders and a ridiculously great smile. But still a mistake—because now it's Thursday night, and instead of going home after practice like a sensible person, I'm sitting outside Mercury Slice under string lights and trying not to think about how great it would be to actuallybe herewith Ace. As acouple.
Music drifts from a pontoon somewhere out on the water. The smell of garlic butter hangs in the air. Boats rock gently against their slips, and Ace keeps looking at me across the table in a way that makes my skin grow hot.
Joel groans loudly across the table. "How much more of this do we have to endure?”
Rayna slaps him on the arm. “Hush.”
“He’s not wrong, though,” Trent says. “Ace can’t even carry on a conversation anymore because he’s too busy staring at Chrissy.”
My skin flushes. “He’s not staring at me.”
Everyone laughs at that. Everyone but Ace.
“How can I not stare?” he asks with a shrug. “She’s a beautiful woman.”
“So is Rayna,” Liam points out.
“True,” Ace says, “but if I stare at her, Joel will gouge out my eyes.”
“Yup,” Joel says, reaching for another slice of pepperoni.
Ace steals one of my fries before I can slap his hand away. "They have a point. You probably should just admit you like me.”
