Page 19 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 2

The car slowed down. This part of Anchor Bay wasn’t cluttered with houses, but the shore was dotted with houseboats. I had seen them advertised as getaways for all sorts of purposes. I knew Sawyer had celebrated his quarter-versary with Noah on one of these, although I wasn’t sure if it was here or on Lake Eerie. He’d visited both. One was a weekend and the other was just a picnic.

Grayson had gone out of his way. We got out of the car. Grayson walked around it and spoke to the chauffeur for a short while, then nodded heartily and stepped back. When he looked at me again, he couldn’t hide his anticipation. “What do you think?” he asked. “No. Wait. Don’t tell me. I’ll ask you when we’re inside.”

My heart clenched and I lifted another barrier by instinct. Give him a chance, I whispered to myself, then followed my date as he swaggered toward the houseboat. The long ramp creaked under our feet as we left the shore behind us and got onto the deck terrace of the boat. The structure was fairly sizable, all wooden like mountain cabins, and with tinted windows. Out on the terrace, there were potted evergreens, making the scene lush. Water splashed the shore and the sides of the deck, tilting the entire house gently left and right.

A single yellow light above the entrance door lit our way. Grayson unlocked the door and then pulled it open for me to enter.

As I stepped inside, warmth washed over me. He’d had the place heated before picking me up, I made no mistake. It was as cozy and snug as a countryside cottage, except it swayed lightly on the restless lake. It was all lit with corner lamps. The short hallway led toward the spacious dining area with a table already set for a dream date — white cloth, burning red candles, a bottle of red wine, dinner placed in the middle of the table and covered with a silver lid, and two comfortable chairs on opposite ends — and the sound system played a familiar tune. Lay All Your Love On Me by ABBA. He remembered a passing joke and made it real.

Who the hell was this guy who cared so much about someone he barely knew? And why?

“Let me get your coat,” Grayson suggested, and he took it before I knew it. There was a good chance I wouldn’t have fought hard if he had tried taking all of my clothes.

“Grayson, this is…” I looked around. The small kitchen had a bar separating it from the dining area. The floor-to-ceiling windows gave us a nice view of the open lake, lit by moonlight and stars, beyond the front terrace. “A lot.”

“Can’t have too much of a good thing,” he said smoothly and pulled out a chair.

As I circled the table to take my seat, I looked around. A lounge area was set on the far side of the house. There was a small table, lamps, a cozy sectional, and a window view of the lake and the specks of light in the distance. But above us was the loft, where I assumed there had to be a bed.

I pushed those thoughts out of my head and sat down. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “So, you went all out on this.”

He shrugged as he poured us wine. We sat across from each other and I could have stayed like that for the entire night. I could have watched his red lips in that playful curl. I could have gazed at his big chestnut eyes. I could have broken my only rule and encouraged him to flirt with me.

But Grayson smiled and made a small gesture with his eyebrows. “Tell me about Avery.”

“You’ll have to be more specific than that,” I said.

“Noted. Not a generalist,” he said and laughed. I had to admit, it quirked my lips, too. “Why the Titans? What made you join them?”

I cocked my head. Good question. “Funny enough, I received a scholarship from your university a week before I got the Northwood one. I’m not sure what made me tip over. I’m not dissing. I always thought the Arctic Titans were the top team. Coach Murray left a great impression, too, so when I got their letter, I instantly knew.”

Grayson grabbed his heart. “You wound me.” He laughed. “No, but I hear you. You’re on a great team. The Breakers were a pretty obscure team until a few years ago. Some leadership changes helped put us on the map, but it’s a long road.”

“I didn’t feel that way,” I explained. “I was excited when they accepted me, too.”

“Excited? I would love to see that,” he teased. His lips seemed redder with the wine. The house tilted with a stronger tide but settled after a few moments. “We’re making progress,” he said a little more seriously. “I’m not gonna let this opportunity pass. We’re making serious progress as a team.”

I licked my lips. “Look, I’m always going to want to see you defeated when we face each other, but I’ll admit it, you’ve been doing better than last year. Or the year before.”

“I keep forgetting you’re junior year,” Grayson said.

“And you’re a sophomore,” I pointed out. “Does it matter?”

Grayson’s eyes widened. “Of course it matters. How are we going to make it work? When we’re happily married and you graduate, I’ll still have a year before I’m out.”

I blinked at him, but laughter bubbled in me despite my best efforts to remain cool. “Let’s not get married,” I proposed as a solution.

“Pfft. If it were that easy,” Grayson said, shaking his head gravely. “I’ve made you go out with me. There’s no stopping this train, now.”

“You have a reputation, Grayson,” I said.

“I dread to think,” he joked.

I shrugged one shoulder. “Are you as much of a playboy as they say?”

“Direct. I like that about you,” he said. I was torn between swooning and pointing out that he was dodging my question.

“I like to clear things up before any confusion,” I said.