Chapter 15
Anna
He’s alone. He’s not with some other girl.
I hate how relieved and happy I feel.
He rakes his gaze up and down the length of my body, and I swallow. Just one look from him, and I’m hot all over.
“Hey,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
We just stare at each other for a long moment, saying nothing. If I weren’t so flustered, I’d laugh. This is so fucking weird. It’s also the most we’ve spoken to each other in weeks…since going down on each other in that empty classroom.
“This guy!” Nick yells.
He steps over to Travis and grabs his face. He plants a kiss on his cheek. Travis shoves him away, but I can tell he’s fighting a smile.
“This fucking guy! Travvie with one hell of a save! We won because of you, dude!”
The guys on the team raise their drinks to Travis and cheer. He just frowns like he’s mildly annoyed.
He turns to Nick. “That goal you scored helped too,” Travis says.
Nick laughs. “Fuck yeah, it did.”
“Oh, shit! I won!” Blake hollers, hopping out of his chair.
Everyone turns to him.
“Dude, you won the jackpot?” Nick says as he rushes over to him.
Blake shakes his head, grinning. “Nah, just a hundred dollars.”
Everyone laughs.
“We should cash out,” Leo says. “I think this is the most we’re going to win.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Blake presses the button on the slot machine. A ticket shoots out. He holds it up. “Drinks are on me!”
Travis steps forward. He’s next to me now. I can feel the warmth from his broad, muscled body skimming mine.
I take a slow, quiet breath and try to stay steady. But it’s a struggle. I can’t stop thinking about how, the last time we were this close, he was making me come with his mouth, right before I made him come with mine…
A faint ache lands between my legs.
I walk over to Poppy and ask to borrow her lip balm, just to get away from him.
Travis crosses his arms over his broad chest, frowning at Blake.
“You really think you can afford drinks for the whole team with a hundred bucks?” Travis asks.
Blake laughs. “Nope. Let’s see how many beers I can get with this.”
Our big group heads out of the gambling area toward the closest bar area in the casino. Once Blake gets his cash from a nearby machine, he pushes his way to the front.
“I’ll have all the cheap beers you can get with this,” he says, his pretty boy grin on full display.
The bartender sighs and rolls his eyes. Blake turns around and asks the guys how many of them want beers.
“Anna, you want one?” he asks.
“No thanks, I’m good.”
“Not drinking tonight?” Travis asks.
I turn to the right and see him next to me again. Close enough to feel how warm he is. Again.
Close enough to see that his hair is damp from the shower he took. Close enough to smell the spicy, rainy, woodsy scent of his soap. Close enough to see the hard lines of his chest muscles through the thin cotton of the long-sleeve T-shirt he’s wearing.
I swallow and try to hide the way my body shivers at how good he looks and smells. Why does he keep standing next to me? I thought he didn’t want anything to do with me.
“I’m not in the mood to drink,” I say, proud of how unbothered I sound.
His gaze dips, lingering on my chest. Heat flickers in my core.
“You look nice,” he says quietly, so no one else can hear.
His eyes focus on the black top I’m wearing. It has a low neckline that skims the top of my cleavage.
Tingles gather in my tummy at his compliment.
This is kind of weird, the way he’s talking to me. But not…bad.
It’s not our norm, which is exchanging insults and bickering. But we’re not exactly friends.
I don’t know what we are. And trying to figure that out feels like walking on a tight rope with no net below, or playing a game and not knowing the rules.
“Congrats on the win. Nick’s right. Your save was clutch,” I say, trying to be nice.
The look in Travis’s eyes softens. “Thanks.”
I glance down, pulling gently on the hem of my top. “You didn’t look all that happy right after you guys won. How come?”
I hold my breath, surprised that I actually said that. I shouldn’t pry. But I can’t help but be curious.
He shrugs. “I was happy we won. I’m just thinking about the next game. The final. That’s a big deal. A lot of pressure.”
“Yeah, but you should let yourself enjoy the moment. Every accomplishment deserves recognition.”
He looks at me for a long second. “Easier said than done,” he mutters.
He glances over at the bar, where his teammates are all drinking cheap beers while laughing and talking.
“You seemed happy when you caught eyes with someone in the stands. You actually smiled and waved.”
The corner of his mouth twitches, like he’s trying not to do it again.
“You noticed that?” he asks.
I glance off to the side and pretend to be interested in the nearby sign advertising some magic show. “I just happened to look over.”
He looks vaguely amused. “You watch me a lot?”
My skin pricks with heat and something else. Something that makes me feel restless.
“No,” I say, my tone dripping with defensiveness.
He studies me with his piercing gaze. “You seem pretty interested in who I was smiling at.”
I swallow hard, feeling embarrassed. “I was just curious. Not like I care or anything.”
Wow, Anna. Can you make it any more obvious just how much you care?
He purses his lips like he’s trying not to laugh. “Right.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Whatever. I was just trying to make conversation.”
“It was my mom,” he says.
“Oh.”
A fuzzy feeling swoops through my chest. That’s…really sweet how he saves one of his rare smiles for his mom.
I refuse to think about why I’m so happy to hear that he wasn’t smiling at some other girl.
There’s a loud cheering noise, and we look over at the bar again right as half the guys on the Hollis team down a row of shots.
“One step closer to the championship, boys! Let’s fucking go!” Nick hollers. His teammates holler back, except Travis, who’s still quietly standing next to me.
They’re completely wrapped up in celebrating their win, ignoring the eye roll from the bartender and curious glances from the nearby patrons.
Something warm touches my skin. I look up and see Travis still standing next to me. So close.
I glance down and notice his hand next to mine. He’s gently pressing the back of his knuckles against my fingers. My breath catches.
He scans my face, like he’s searching, asking for something.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
He hesitates for a second. “I like being close to you.”
Again with that low, rough growl that makes my heart skid in my chest.
But then, a moment later, my brain catches up.
He likes being close to me, but only when we can hide in plain sight.
He says we can’t see each other…but he’ll touch me if he feels like it.
But he doesn’t care to ask what I want. Or how I feel about any of this.
I’m just some dirty little secret he exchanges sneaky touches and looks with when he feels like it.
The restless feeling turns to frustration. And something else that feels like a mix between hurt and anger.
It’s not that I want to announce to the world that we’ve been together. I don’t. And it’s not like I want to be with him. I don’t.
But I don’t like this. I don’t like being jerked around. I don’t like being made to feel like he’s the one in charge of how our interactions go. I don’t like that he’s calling the shots on when we get to touch and be flirty and friendly with each other, and I’m left to just go with it.
I don’t like feeling like a pathetic puppy dog being strung along.
I pull my hand away. “Don’t.”
I step back and cross my arms over my chest.
He furrows his brow like he’s confused.
“Don’t look so confused,” I snap.
“What are you…Anna, why are you mad?”
I let out an exasperated laugh. He glances around, which hurts my feelings even more.
“Don’t worry, no one’s looking,” I mutter. “You really think I’d be okay with you treating me like this?”
He blinks at me like he’s never been more confused. “Like what?”
“Like I’m an option for you to flirt with and toy with only when it’s convenient for you.”
He tugs a hand through his hair. “Anna, I didn’t mean—”
“Whatever. I’m over this.”
I’d laugh at myself if I weren’t so upset. Of course I care. I care so damn much, and it’s making me crazy.
He goes to touch my arm. “Anna.”
I yank away. “Don’t.”
He holds up his hand. “I’m sorry.” His tone is contrite. So is his expression. I don’t care. I just want to get away from him.
I walk over to Poppy, who’s laughing at something Nick and Blake are talking about.
I smile along, sipping the drink that Poppy shares with me. A few minutes later, my phone buzzes. It’s a group text I’m in with a bunch of my pre-med friends who came to Vegas to watch the Hollis U men’s hockey team play in the championship tournament too. They’re all biology majors like me.
We’re doing a bar crawl on the strip? Who’s in?
Everyone replies yes.
Awesome! Let’s meet at the Vesper Bar at the Cosmo. Anna, you in?
I quickly type a response.
Me: Yup! Headed there now.
I tell Poppy I’m leaving. She hugs me and tells me to stay safe.
I tell her, Nick, and the guys bye, then I walk off.