Slow Play (The Rules #3)(20)

He doesn’t speak, those dark blue eyes stare at me like he can’t believe what I’m saying. Good. He needs to soak it up. This is much-needed advice, I’m sure. Whatever girls he’s been hanging around with, if all they like talking about is his so-called giant dick, then they need to get a hobby and fast.

“And don’t call a girl you barely know baby. It makes them think you can’t remember their name, and that’s super insulting.”

Still nothing from Tristan, so I continue.

“Lurking in the hall near the bathroom isn’t a great place to try and talk to a girl either. I don’t know if you’re into me or not. Clearly, you’re down to f*ck. But guess what? I’m thinking you’re down to f*ck just about anyone who walks into this place with a decent face and a vagina. Am I right?” When he remains silent I go on. “If you like empty f*cking with nameless, faceless girls, then go on with your bad self. I’m sure you’ll have a great time f*cking your way across campus, if you haven’t done so already.”

I’m sure he has. He’s a senior, like Shep and Gabe. They’ve been on this campus for three years, going on four. That’s a lot of girls for him to f*ck.

A lot.

He shoves his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, drawing the denim tight across his thighs. I can’t help but notice because damn it all to hell, the man is fine. Big ol’ muscular body with sexy arms and that face, those pretty blue eyes that are all-knowing and his beautiful mouth. But when he opens that beautiful, sexy mouth and spits out all those smarmy words, I can’t take it.

“Just know this.” I invade his space, resting my hands on his shoulders so I can rise up on tiptoe and whisper in his ear. “It could’ve been amazing between us, Tristan. But you f*cked it up before we even had a chance.”

Alexandria releases her hold on my shoulders and steps away, her gaze never leaving mine. I catch a glimpse of it for one quick moment, all the pent up lust she’s feeling for me that matches exactly how I feel about her, but then it’s gone. Like it never existed.

Snuffed out like a lit match. One moment fire, the next moment…

Nothing.

“Bye Tristan,” she whispers just before she turns and walks away, leaving me alone in the hallway like a loser.

Which I am. A loser. Not only did I just lose my bet with Shep and one thousand f*cking dollars, I also lost the girl. The f*cking girl who with one look immobilizes me so that I can’t move, I can’t breathe.

I can’t do anything but bask in her presence.

She doesn’t look back and I let her go, my gaze lingering on her perfect ass, feeling the loss of her before she’s even out of sight. I lean against the wall, wait for a few minutes before I slowly walk back out into the casino area, hoping like hell no one notices me.

I’m still reeling from what she said. And how she said it.

Shep is nowhere to be found, the bastard. Alexandria is standing behind Steven as he sits at the single poker table we have open tonight, her hand resting on his shoulder like it belongs there.

Shit.

“How’d it go?” Shep materializes behind me out of nowhere like a ghost. “Bang her yet?”

“I don’t move that fast,” I say out of the side of my mouth, my gaze unable to stray from Alexandria. It’s torture, watching her. Having her so close and unable to do anything about it.

“Why not? I used to,” he says smugly.

“I’m calling bullshit.” Shep was a smooth motherf*cker but he wasn’t that smooth.

“Face reality, cuz.” I really f*cking hate it when he calls me cuz. “That girl just iced your ass out. She hates you.”

“I’ll win her over,” I say confidently, hating how she squeezes Steven the dipshit’s shoulder when he wins a hand. “It takes time.”

“Ha, you don’t have time. You have to get her naked by the end of the night,” Shep points out. “And since when do you believe anything that involves a woman takes time?”

I turn on him and he takes a step back, that shit-eating grin still on his face. I want to do physical harm to him, swear to God. “We never put that condition on it. I have all the time in the world.”

The grin falls. “That’s cheating, bro.”

“I don’t think so, bro.” I smile, feeling pretty good right about now. “It might take a little while, but I’m winning this bet.”

“So you say,” he mutters.

“Want to make it double or nothing?” I ask.

He’s quiet for a moment, rubbing his jaw as he contemplates my suggestion. “She finds out you did this, she’ll hate your guts.”

I shrug, ignoring the sudden fear that makes my stomach bottom out. “She already hates my guts. What’s the difference?”

“The difference is she’ll hate you even more if you do this and she catches you. Especially if you two end up hooking up—all over a bet.” He takes a deep breath. “No double or nothing. Original deal we agreed on or I’m done. Jesus, Jade will kill me if she knows I’m encouraging you like this.”

Look at Shep and his conscious. “Then don’t tell her. Do you really have to confess everything you do and say to Jade?” I ask pointedly.

“Yeah, actually I do. We don’t keep secrets from each other.” He glares at me, all humor gone. “You don’t understand what it’s like.”