Her gaze met mine for a moment, and the sounds around me vanished. I imagined her wrapped in a blanket under my arm, close enough that I could see the fire reflected in her eyes before she nuzzled into my neck.
What was wrong with me?
Our gazes remained fixed on each other until Chase came up and handed her a drink. I no longer felt her penetrating stare, and strangely, I wanted it back. I wanted to be the one she was too friendly with. I wanted to feel that point of contact where our arms brushed, where her breath danced along my skin.
I was beginning to think I had a problem on my hands.
Then, for no good reason, Chase gave her a lingering hug, and I nearly lost my head.
The crowd around the campfire dissipated as the fire burned lower, and I made my way toward the dock. Nat had left a couple of minutes before I did, and I didn’t want to seem too eager. But when I got to the dock, it was empty. The moon lit the lake in a serene picture, but it didn’t do anything to calm my nerves.
After about fifteen minutes, I started pacing. Campfire was definitely over, and Nat was late for our showdown.
Was she blowing me off? Just the thought of it infuriated me. I’d thought she wanted to see this tie ended as much as I did. It was irrational, I knew it was, but the more I thought of the possibilities, the more frustrated I got. Maybe she’d forgotten and was with Chase. She was prone to late-night make-outs, after all.
Then, as if summoned, she gracefully came toward me, disarming as she confidently walked down the dock.
“You’re late.” It was the only thing I could think of, even though it made me sound like an asshole.
She shrugged. “I was getting changed.After campfireis an arbitrary time, anyway.”
“Sure you were.” I reached behind my neck, pulled my shirt off, and wrapped it around my shoulders, wondering where Autumn was so we could get this over with.
“What’s up your ass this time, Jack?” Her eyes went up and down my body, and I felt her gaze before she diverted her attention. If she was going to check me out, well, I’d give her something to drool over. I flexed my chest slightly.
“See something you like?” I smirked. This was good. She’d caught me staring at her more than a couple of times, so this leveled the playing field.
“You are so… so—” Her eyes flared as she tried to find words. She was strong-willed and challenging, to say the least. Full of a defiance I wanted to break. I hated that I was egged on by every word out of her pretty mouth. And I hated thinking it, but that was exactly what she was. Pretty. No, not pretty. Nat was the most gorgeous woman I’d ever laid eyes on.
She stepped closer to me and stared into my eyes. I wanted her to touch me. Anywhere. Just the idea of feeling her skin on mine covered me in goose bumps. I didn’t need this. I didn’t need to be jealous of golden boy Chase. And I didn’t need to have feelings at all.
Wait, feelings? No. This was just an attraction, plain and simple.
I shook my head, trying not to look at her. Why was I so infatuated with her?
She continued, oblivious to the ridiculous realization plaguing me. “Look, I’m just trying to have a good time at camp. I’m not looking for a fight.”
Not looking to fight? Of course, she’d want me to just forget what she’d done. “Well, you should have thought about that before?—”
“Before what? Are you still hurt over being tackled? How tiny is your male ego?” she shot back, her voice going up an octave.
My heart pounded, ready to jump out of my chest. All my misplaced attraction turned to anger over something so trivial, but she brought it out in me. “You one hundred percent did not deserve to win at flag football.”
“I was always going to win, Jack. Football is in my blood,” she teased, but it only disgusted me. Everyone knew that the Breckenridges owned Baltimore’s football team, among other things, and apparently, she was proud of it.
“Careful, Nat. Your spoiled rich girl is showing.”
Her pupils dilated, exposing the tender spot, and I prepared to push on it like a bruise.
Nat gave me a look of pure contempt. “Stop talking.”
“I didn’t realize that’s what got you off. Rubbing power and privilege in the faces of the common folk? Should I bow?”
“You don’t know a thing about me,” she seethed.
Maybe I should have listened, but I wasn’t inclined to do what she wanted me to do, and if I were being honest, I liked getting under her skin. Just being around her brought out something in me that I wasn’t proud of. “You’re a Breckenridge through and through. With the integrity to match.”
Her jaw looked like it was going to come unhinged as she gaped at me before narrowing her eyes. And just like when she’d tackled me on the field last week, I was caught off guard.
