I Dare You (The Hook Up #1)(24)

“You’re so talented,” she murmurs. “Instead of being a graphic designer, you should consider fashion.”

I laugh. “Ha. Me?”

“You’d rock a nerd girl line. Think about it: cute little up-cycled dresses, shirts with books on them…the possibilities are endless.”

I shrug. Skye is sweet, but I’m not sure I’m fashion material. I just like being different and wearing something no one else has.

“Oh my God, I’m having so many epiphanies tonight.” She grabs my arm and stops walking. “Text your He-Man and see if he wants to meet you there!”

Yes, I ended up telling her about him one night this week when I’d had a few glasses of wine.

I nibble on my lips. “I kinda like not knowing who he is. It’s…freeing.”

She thinks. “True, but wouldn’t it be great to have a guy with you in case Alex is at the party?”

“He probably will be.” The jocks tend to stick together.

My brain mulls it over, part of me scared. He-Man and I have such great conversations. What if it’s not Maverick—the person I really want it to be—but some pimply-faced water boy?

Skye sighs. “You know what, stop thinking about why you shouldn’t. Just do it.”

“Fine.” I pull out my phone and type: I need you, He-Man.

Ten seconds go by and I don’t see him replying, so I send another text.

I’m still single, in case you were wondering.

Still nothing.

I’m headed to the baseball party. Do you want to meet me there?

“What’s he saying?” Skye asks.

I shake my head. “Nothing. He’s playing hard to get.”

She takes my phone, reads through the messages, and before I can stop her, she’s typing out another one.

I’m a little drunk, a lot horny, and all alone. Come with me to the party, and I mean really COME.

She hands it back to me in triumph.

“I don’t think that message is quite slutty enough,” I say with a smirk.

Skye laughs then shouts as the three little dots appear. “Well it worked—he’s replying!”

Already here, Princess Leia. Remember the first night we texted? The fantasy of us at a frat party?

My heart flutters.

Yes, I text back. It’s never far from my mind.

Meet me upstairs in the bathroom in an hour and we’ll make it come true. I dare you.

Excitement steals my breath at the thought of seeing him for real, but are we really going to hook up? I swallow. How will I know it’s you?

I’ll be the only badass athlete waiting for you in the bathroom.

My hands are trembling as I tuck my phone back in my clutch and look at Skye. “Shit. He’s here and we’re going to meet in the bathroom.”

Skye claps, giddy for me. “You’re going to have sex,” she sings.

“It doesn’t mean that,” I say, trying to shush her as we approach the door to the house, but I have to admit the exhilaration is making my steps light as we make our way inside.

I get to see He-Man!

The room is packed with groups of people talking and drinking or making out in corners. Loud music blares from the sound system, and I estimate the drunk factor is already at a five on a scale of one to ten.

Tyler calls out from the hallway where he’s chatting with some other baseball players, his hand waving at us to come over. Skye gives me a questioning look. “Want to come with?”

I shake my head. “You go on. I’ll find the bar.”

She heads off toward Tyler, and I watch as she jumps at him. He catches her in his arms and lays one on her.

Bobby Gene calls out my name, and I look up to see him standing upstairs. He’s looking handsome with a ball cap on and his arm tossed around the redhead from dance class. “Delaney!” He tips his beer at me.

I tilt my head toward his beer. “I need one of those—stat.”

Someone jostles into me from behind, and I turn to see Maverick. He runs his eyes over me, lingering on the cutouts on my chest.

Goose bumps pop up on my skin. I’m hyperaware of every single nerve ending in my body when he’s near.

“So are you always bumping into people or is that just me?” he says.

“You bumped into me,” I retort with a grin. “It’s like you were waiting for me.”

Was he?

He shrugs, those broad shoulders shifting with an animalistic grace. He’s wearing a fitted orange and blue Wildcats shirt that hugs his chest, the sleeves tight around his hard biceps.

I get distracted when my eyes go past him and I see Alex with Martha-Muffin trailing along behind him. He looks annoyed, and her eyes are red as if she’s been crying. I study them more intently, taking in the sad expression she wears as she stares longingly at Alex. I don’t really want to know what’s going on between them, but it’s apparent she really likes him.

I inch in closer to Maverick, needing to get away from them. “Why don’t you show me the bar in this place? Isn’t it in the back room?”

As if reading my mind, he tosses a glance over his shoulder and sees Alex. He looks back and gives me a nod. “Done.”





Maverick



We’re sitting on a couch in the back room. People come and go past us, mostly on their way outside where the fire pit is, yet it feels like we’re alone. She’s all I can see right now, and I’ve been counting down the days until I can go to a damn salsa lesson with her again. Fuck me, I want Delaney Shaw.