Page 30 of Midnight Hunt

He only laughed but didn’t deny it.

“Guess we need to up our game,” I said to him.

“Guess you do,” he replied with a wide smirk.

I returned the smirk. “Game on, then. May the best man win.”

I should have saidteam, but this game suddenly felt like a challenge. A challenge between him and me. A challenge to see who would come out on top.

Maybe I’d underestimated him. Maybe he preferred a more subtle approach when it came to proving himself.

Well, challenge accepted. I knew just how to win this battle.

As the ball was passed over to us, I drew my team in for a huddle and used hand gestures to communicate the play, not willing to risk being overheard. By the time we all got into position, I was buzzing with anticipation. Just like I knew he would, Reid set his sights on Vi, leaving Kolton paired against Jagger and Brielle with Nora. Mellie crouched in a defensive position and smiled at me impishly, letting me know they planned to sic the little urchin on me.

I stuck my tongue out at her, then got into position behind Jagger.

“Hike!” I barked, catching the ball as he snapped it back.

Kolton immediately charged, violently colliding with his second. Brielle and Nora did the same, albeit not so aggressively. Vi took off like a shot down the field, and Reid charged after her. Just as a little set of teeth latched on to my bare calf and chomped down, I wound back my arm and let the football soar.

As it flew through the air toward Vi, I pried the ankle-biter off my leg and sprinted forward. I was halfway down the field when Vi turned on a dime and jumped, gracefully catching the ball. But when she came back down, one of her legs buckled and she cried out, “My ankle!”

I ran faster.

About to tackle her, Reid skidded to a halt, worry etched on his face. As he reached down to help her, I put on a fresh burst of speed and plowed right into him.

He went flying. So did Vi. Right for the endzone.

“Go, Vi!” I bellowed, loudly whooping as she glided over the lawn like a gazelle.

When she crossed into the endzone with the ball, I hooted and hollered, running forward to celebrate with her. As I picked her up and swung her around, she threw back her head and laughed. At the carefree, lighthearted sound, my stomach swooped giddily. I laughed with her, holding her to me as we enjoyed our victory.

The play had been dirty, but so had theirs. I was pretty sure Melanie had taken a chunk out of my calf.

Somehow, Vi’s legs ended up wrapped around my waist. As she beamed at me with her arms circling my neck, I felt a swift and sudden ache to kiss her. An ache so intense that the world melted away, ceasing to exist. All that remained was the need to feel my mouth pressed to hers.

I could barely breathe past the ache, could barely stand. Couldn’tthink. All I could concentrate on was her lips. It’d been so long since I’d kissed them, since I’dtastedthem. Since I’d stroked her tongue with mine.

Our heads were inches apart, our mouths even closer. I could feel the warmth of her breath on my face, her scent dancing in the air around me.

One move. One small move, and our lips would touch.

All I had to do was lean forward. Just a little. Just enough to erase the agonizing inches separating us.

Vi’s smile abruptly faded, warning me that I’d allowed my gaze to linger too long. I looked up, only to find her eyes now fixed on my own mouth.

A shaky breath escaped her, and I almost lost it. Almost lost all common sense and took what wasn’t mine. As the air between us began to crackle with tension, my sense of hearing came back to me.

It was quiet.Tooquiet.

Somehow forcing myself to look away, I glanced at the others and immediately knew I was in trouble. They were all staring at us, at the way Vi and I were wrapped around each other—in a way thatfriendsweren’t supposed to.

Especially Reid.

If it had only been a few seconds, we could have gotten away with it, but we’d been this way for too long. We’d stared at each other too hard.

Realizing our predicament at the same time, Vi swiftly unwound her legs and arms. I immediately set her down and let go, but it was too late.

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