I Dare You (The Hook Up #1)(25)

I never imagined I’d be this…intense about wanting a girl, but here I am. Something about her has me worked up, has me wanting everything I never thought I did.

She smiles at me, her ruby lips curving. “So, let’s go back to freshman year—why exactly did you kiss me?”

“Because of the legend. The first person you kiss at your first bonfire at Waylon is the one you’ll never forget.”

She leans into me. “But you did forget about me. You went home with twins.”

“Whom I barely remember.” I exhale, thinking back to how I was at eighteen. “The truth is, I didn’t know what I wanted back then. Plus, the accident had just happened a few months before. My head wasn’t in the right place.”

“And it is now?”

“I’m not perfect, but I know what I want.” My eyes go heavy as I run my gaze over her, taking in the way her breasts push against the fabric of her dress. “You’re the one that got away, Delaney, the opportunity I missed.”

My hand goes to her back and strums across the bare skin of her shoulder. Her skin feels like silk, soft and velvety.

“And you think you can just sweet-talk me into giving another football player a chance?”

I grin. “Yes.”

A little laugh comes from her. “Sometimes I’d like to just slap you.”

I smirk. “That means I have an effect on you.”

“You drive me crazy,” she murmurs, her eyes going low.

Our faces are closer now, and her scent washes over me, light and fresh, like lemons.

I touch her face, tracing the line of her jaw.

“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice whisper soft.

“I’m going to prove that this heat between us…it’s got to be dealt with,” I say.

“Why?”

“Because I can’t sit by you in class one more day without doing something about it.”

Just before I’m about to press my mouth to hers, someone barks out my name.





Delaney



He’s going to kiss me…until he doesn’t, his head turning sharply at the sound of his name.

Anger clouds his face, and I look over to see Alex and Ryker and several other football players striding toward us. Suddenly the room seems full of people swiveling their heads in our direction. Maverick stands, and I do the same. Martha-Muffin is here too, huddled in the corner with some of her sorority sisters, her eyes darting from me to Alex.

I stiffen my shoulders and tilt my chin up as he stops in front of us, his eyes bouncing from me to Maverick. Ryker trails behind him, a worried expression on his face as he looks at Maverick.

“Everything okay here?” Alex says, his chest rising rapidly. A muscle ticks in his jaw.

Maverick towers over Alex, his body coiled like a snake, his face tight. “She’s fine. Why are you asking?”

“One of the freshmen said you were getting cozy with Delaney,” he snaps. “That isn’t cool—not at all.”

Maverick scowls and takes several steps away from me, forcing Alex to move backward. In a matter of seconds, the space between us has been filled by other players surrounding them, waiting to see what’s going to happen.

“You aren’t dating her. What’s the problem?” Maverick bites out.

“The problem is I know you aren’t Delaney’s style, and I wanted to check on her. Besides, it’s a shitty guy that hits on a teammate’s ex.”

I’ve pushed my way through the throng of people and I see Alex crossing his arms. His face is red with anger.

Shit. This is escalating fast.

Maverick inhales a deep breath, his fists clenching. “That’s up to her. She can make up her own mind.”

Ryker steps in between them, his voice low. “Hey, hey, look, this is just a little misunderstanding. No one is angry here. Everything is cool.”

Some of the other players grumble out an agreement, but neither guy seems to be listening.

Maverick’s eyes have narrowed in on Alex. “There’s no misunderstanding. I was sitting with Delaney. Everything was fine until he showed up.”

Alex puffs up his chest. “She still cares about me, and you’re just getting in the way.”

Maverick bristles and leans his face into Alex’s. His index finger pushes at Alex’s chest, forcing him to take a step back. If a fight is about to happen, it’s clear who would win. “Stay out of my way, kicker, or you’ll regret it.”

Alex pales and is fumbling for a response when Maverick spins on his heel and stalks out the back door into the yard. I exhale, watching him go.

I should let him cool off.

But I don’t. I head out the door, chasing him to the back gate that connects to the front drive.

“Maverick! Wait.”

He halts and flips around to face me, his jawline taut with repressed anger. There’s about ten feet between us, but I can read him like a book. He’s coiled like a tiger, ready to spring.

His gaze brushes over me, and I think I see a flash of regret flicker across his face.

“Delaney…go back inside.”

I lift my hands up. “Why? Where are you going?”

He exhales slowly as he sticks his hands in his pockets. “I just need to cool off, okay?” His eyes flick back to the house. “I can’t go back in there. I’m on the verge of kicking Alex’s ass, and I can’t do that.”