AllFreeNovel Stories worth discovering

Ash and his Dragon

Page 56

by Victoria Sue

I looked over as Dante dropped onto the table beside mine, moving with the careful stiffness of someone who'd discovered several new bruises since getting out of bed.

“You look like shit.”

He gave me a long look. “Good morning to you too.”

Baelor appeared behind him carrying a protein shake and wearing the kind of expression that suggested he'd slept twelve hours and wanted everyone to know it.

“You both look terrible.”

“Fuck off,” Dante and I said together, which made Baelor grin as he wandered away.

For the next half hour, I concentrated on doing exactly what I was told while making a point of not looking toward Max again. It would've worked better if I'd been less aware of him every second.

He laughed at something Taz said, and I heard it.

He moved to the other side of the room, and somehow, I knew without looking.

When he left to talk to Kinkaid, I watched him go despite promising myself I wouldn't.

Apparently my entire nervous system had decided Max Renaud required twenty-four-hour surveillance.

Dante nudged my knee with his.

“What?”

He studied me for a moment before flicking his gaze toward the door Max had disappeared through. “You two have a fight?”

My stomach tightened. “Who?”

Dante simply stared at me until I gave up trying to look innocent.

“Very convincing,” he said eventually. “I especially liked the part where you pretended you didn't know exactly who I meant.”

“We didn't have a fight.”

That much was technically true, although I wasn't sure why I expected it to help.

Dante's expression said it didn't.

“No, Max is usually French and judgmental. Today he's French, judgmental, and pretending you don't exist.”

I snorted despite myself. “You realize French isn't a personality trait?”

“Have you met Max?”

Unfortunately, I'd met considerably more of Max than Dante knew about, and my body chose that moment to remind me in enough detail that I shifted on the table.

Dante's eyes narrowed.

“Don't.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“You're thinking loudly.”

“I'm talented like that.”

His smile faded before he added more quietly, “Whatever it is, fix it before tomorrow, because you and Max were both on fire last night and we need you doing exactly the same thing in Game Four.”