“Besides,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets, “I’m not talking about the dress. I’m talking about you. You’re stunning.”
“Thank you.” My heart gives a heavy thud against the front wall of my ribcage. No one’s ever called me beautiful like that, so earnestly. “For everything. For the dress, for this.” I hold up the envelope. “I’m starting to think you’re secretly nice.”
He smiles at me, and yeah, I’m fucked, because there’s a weird, intense feeling around my heart that I’ve never felt before.
A glass-tinkling noise rings out and Ward waits as the conversation dies down.
“You have the luckiest sex doll in the world,” I whisper to Rory, smiling, and he shakes with laughter.
CHAPTER 18
RORY
“Thank you for coming tonight.” Ward’s eyes glint. “I thought we might start the evening with some healthy competition.”
Interest ripples through the party and the players straighten up, listening. Across the room, McKinnon glances at me.
I step closer to Hartley, sliding an arm around her waist.
Fuck. That kiss. It melted my brain, it was so good. I’ve never had a kiss like that in my life.
“The game is Assassin,” Ward continues. “You’ll receive a Polaroid of yourself. If another participant knocks you out of the game, you’re dead. Hand it over to them.”
The energy in the room crackles with excitement as people murmur to each other. Hockey players. We’re competitive as hell, even at a stupid game like this. Hazel’s eyes gleam with interest as we exchange a look.
“The game starts outside this room.” Ward picks up a plastic Nerf gun. With a crack, he shoots a foam pellet at Owens, and a few people chuckle. “These are hidden throughout the mansion. If you get hit, you’re dead.”
McKinnon shifts on his feet, crossing his arms, glancing at me again. I think about what he did to Hartley. All the things he said, even the ones she won’t admit to me.
“Hartley,” I whisper in her ear. “We need to win.”
Her eyes flash with determination. “So let’s win.”
Fuck, that’s hot. I grin down at her. I like that look in her eyes.
Ward runs through the rest of the rules, and the camera flashes go off as staff members take photos before handing the Polaroids out.
Pressure expands in my chest, and my muscles start twitching in that excited, anticipating way, like a face-off on the ice. It’s like watching the ref hold the puck, every muscle ready to burst into speed as we wait for him to drop it and start the game.
This is better, though, for some reason.
Once we all have our photos, we look to Ward.
“What, you need a whistle?” He shrugs, smiling. “Go.”
The room explodes into chaos, and I grab Hazel’s hand, pulling her to the hall.
“We have to find one of those Nerf guns,” she says as we hurry, putting space between us and the others.
There’s a sharp crack in a room behind us, followed by a delirious laugh.
“Let’s go to the second floor,” I suggest. “We can let them fight it out downstairs. Maybe there are more Nerf guns up there.”
We bound up the stairs, and that tight, excited sensation jumps around in my chest like it’s trying to get out. I rub a hand over my sternum. This is fun, I realize. This is… so fun. More fun than I’ve had in ages.
Why is this stupid game, where we’re running around like kids at a birthday party, more fun than hockey?
I never laugh during hockey the way I am now. I never feel this expanding, crackling feeling through my limbs.
I grab Hazel’s hand as we run up the stairs, two at a time, and I’m struck by how strong and fast she is, even as she lags behind me in her heels. Arousal peaks in my blood as our eyes meet, and I shoot her a lazy grin, unable to look away from her pretty blue-gray eyes.
There’s another crack, and a foam pellet sails past us, bouncing off a picture frame. McKinnon is running down the hall toward the stairs.
I reach down, scoop her up, and flip her over my shoulder.
“Miller, put me the fuck down,” she orders as I race up the stairs. “I’m going to barf.”
“You’re going to trip and hurt yourself in those heels, Hartley. Let’s get away from the others and then I’ll put you down.” I grin as she smacks my thigh. “You weigh nothing. I could probably win this game with you over my shoulder.”
“Cocky, arrogant ass.” She delivers another sharp slap, and at the top of the stairs, I laugh, setting her down when I step inside a nearby room.
“Don’t spank me, Hartley. It turns me on.”
She lets out a choked noise that sounds like a laugh. When she straightens up, her face is red. “Ugh. Gross.”
McKinnon’s footsteps thump on the bottom of the stairs and another crack goes off. “Fuck,” he curses.
We’re in a library, with bookshelves that reach the ceiling, stiff-looking sofas, and a fireplace. McKinnon’s footsteps approach, so I do the first thing I can think of—I push Hartley down on the sofa and get on top of her. The back of the sofa is to the door, so unless he’s standing right over us, he won’t see us.
Hartley’s and my faces are inches apart, and her eyes widen. “What are you—”
I press my hand over her mouth and tilt my head to the door. Her heart is racing against my chest as we stare into each other’s eyes. At the door, footsteps thump. Red blurs across her cheekbones.
Are you blushing? I mouth with a teasing look, my hand still over her mouth, and her look of outrage nearly makes me laugh out loud.
We stare at each other in silence, barely breathing as we wait. He has to be standing in the doorway, but I’m half-focused, aware of every inch of my body touching hers. Her breasts press into my chest as hers rises and falls with each breath, and I wonder if she can feel my heart pounding. The male, possessive part of my brain likes being on top of her like this—likes pinning her down beneath me and looking into her eyes.
Finally, he leaves, heading down the hall, and despite wanting to spend the rest of the night on top of Hartley like this, I slide off her. She ditches her shoes before we reenter the game.
Ten minutes later, after finding a Nerf gun on a bookshelf, Hartley and I have a stack of Polaroids from players we’ve hit.
There’s a noise at the end of the hall, around the corner. Fast as lightning, I pull her through a nearby door.
It’s a dim closet, and tight quarters. I brush against Hazel’s chest. The upper half of the door has a stained-glass image, and as the light from the hallway spills through, colors splash over Hazel’s face.
My pulse jumps as I think about kissing her earlier. My gaze drops to her lips, so plush and soft. The perfect color of pink.