Page 43 of The Sweetest Risk

I am going to kill Tess. I look down at my candy-striped tank top and shorts pajama set and laugh. Tristan would totally tease me about these pajamas if he were here with me right now.

Is that so, Cupcake? I would love for you to show me.

No fricken way am I sending Tristan nudes. I don’t know who is around looking over his shoulder. I have to play it safe. It’s in my nature.

You’ll have to take my word for it, Hot Shot.

I’m afraid I can’t, Cupcake. I’d rather see proof.

I don’t think you can handle the proof. I am also going to finish what you started the other night. I hope you don’t mind ??

I smirk as I open my Instagram. My brother’s story circle pops up first on the story bar. I tap on it and my heart starts to race again, because it isn’t my brother gracing my screen. My brother took a video of Tristan and tagged him in his story. Tristan looks stupidly hot with his signature look: a backwards hat, a Storm sweatshirt and dark gray sweatpants. The two of them are in some casino and my brother, who clearly had a little too much to drink, is sitting across from Tristan. “Hey ladies, my man Tristan over here is single and ready to mingle. DM him if you are interested.” Tristan looks up from his phone and gives the camera a smile, shaking his head at Bradley.

I know we are keeping our relationship under wraps in front of my brother, but it still devastates me seeing Tristan not deny what my brother is saying. Whatever, I am not going to torture myself by replaying what I just saw in my head. I turn off the TV and gather the two wine glasses from my coffee table. I place them in my dishwasher, start it and head to my bedroom. My phone vibrates again as I turn on my bathroom light:

You’re lucky that we are not in the same room together, Cupcake. You have no idea what I want to do to you. I wish you were here ??

I huff to myself.Why am I lucky? So I can’t see the swarm of DMs that are naturally blowing up your phone?Whatever, it’s not a big deal. He is a professional hockey player whose profile is public. My brother doesn’t know anything about us. I was the one who wanted to keep it secret. I start brushing my teeth, probably a little too hard, almost like I am trying to scrub away that stupid story from my head.

Looks like you are busy with my brother anyway. I’ll talk to you later. Goodnight, Hot Shot.

I slide into my bed and pick up my book that I’ve literally been trying to finish for a month and attempt to start reading when my phone rings. Shit. He’s calling me right now?

I place my bookmark and slam my book shut. I take a deep breath and swipe the bottom bar to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Cupcake. Are you okay?” he says in his sultry, deep voice.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“I don’t know, it just seemed like…” his voice trails off. I can almost see his eyebrows furrowed together. He definitely has his serious face on right now.

“Like…?” I egg him on, even though I know he knows me too well to not call me out on my bullshit.

“Like you were upset. I assume you saw Bradley’s story, based on your text.”

“I’m not…upset. I am just not interested in seeing you smile at what my brother said.” I press my palm to my forehead and squeeze my eyes shut. “About you being single. I mean we never established anything like we are exclusive or whatever you want to call it so I don’t expect you to just be with me. But if that is the case, can you let me know if you are sleeping with other people? I just…don’t want to get it in my head that I’m yours and you’re mine if it’s not true. I don’t want to live off the hope of it all.” I sigh, feeling exposed. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business what you are doing in Vegas.” I can feel a tear roll down my cheek. I didn’t even know that I was crying.

“Brooke…”

“What?” I try to cover my sniffles as best as I can.

“I am not going to do anything with anyone in Vegas. Or anywhere, for that matter. The only reason I was smiling in that video was not because of what your brother said, though it did help with the story we are telling about our relationship. I was smiling because I was texting with this beautiful girl who has fucking stolen my heart and is, in fact, mine.”

I wipe another tear off my cheek as my stomach flips.

He continues, “As for sleeping with other people, not a chance, Cupcake. And just to be clear, I am nowhere near single. I’m yours and you are mine.” The way he saysmineis so possessive, it makes my body tingle.

He continues, and I swear his voice gets even lower, “Now tell me, babe, are you really wearing nothing?”

He’s such a guy. I decide to put him out of his misery and snap a photo of myself in all my light-pink-and-white-striped pajama glory. I hit send and wait for him to respond.

“If you think that this isn’t going to turn me on, you are mistaken, Cupcake. That candy striped look is hot.”

“You better be alone in that hotel room, Hot Shot. Especially if you are going to be talking like that.”

“I am alone.”

---