Page 70 of The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad

Colton gave me a funny look. “You sure? Because you’re rambling again.”

I nodded probably too fast, fidgeting as I went to take off my jacket. “Sure, I’m awesome. But is it hot in here to you?”

He tried to hide it, but I think he laughed. And why shouldn’t he? I was freaking the heck out.

“You wanna go dance?” I asked, deciding this space wasn’t quite big enough. We needed a lot more distance between us. “I think I’m ready to go dance now.”

“I don’t dance,” Colton frowned, and bingo, there was my escape.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you later then.”

I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. The thoughts I was having right before ending the kiss…they were trouble. The dangerous kind. My heart was getting confused. This was Colton, not Kyle. I was in love with Kyle. I’d always been in love with him—but then why was my heart still beating so hard after that kiss with his brother? Ugh, I thought. Don’t think about it. What I needed right now was to dance it out.

Without a thought to being embarrassed, I moved to the beat of the Drake song currently blasting through the speakers. I let my hips sway and shook my head side to side, trying to shake it off. So, Colton could kiss. That didn’t mean anything. I just had to make sure my heart knew what my mind already did. This was just for the bet. Colton wanted to beat Kyle, and I wanted to complete my list. Period. Keep your dang feelings under control, Sadie Day, and there’d be no problem whatsoever.

I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn’t realize someone had come up behind me until he spoke.

“Sadie Elizabeth, what kind of moves are those? I can’t tell if it’s a weird mating call or you’re about to have a seizure.”

I felt the guy lean closer, the next words whispered right into my ear.

“And what the hell are you doing inShotswhen I know your momma wouldn’t approve.”

Spinning around, I grinned at the speaker.

“Ash Cornelius Stryker,” I said, completely dismissing his tone of disapproval and smiling wide. I’d known Ash my entire life, our moms having been best friends forever, so his All-American boy-next-door look didn’t fool me. He was sarcastic and cocky and the closest thing I had to a brother, and I was happy as heck to see him. “I haven’t seen you in ages, college boy. What are you doing here?”

Ash glared at me, but it just made me want to laugh. Besides, we were both still dancing, so I knew he wasn’t really mad.

“I’m here to celebrate a win with my team,” Ash said. “Yours truly scored the game winning goal. But I repeat, why are you here? Does it have anything to do with that douche I saw you kissing earlier?”

Looking back to the booth, I noticed Colton had company. He hadn’t moved, but now two girls had joined him at our table. I couldn’t see the girls’ faces clearly, but even from here, I knew they’d be beautiful. Colton looked perfectly happy with the situation. I winced, feeling the sting of something I’d never felt before yet recognized. Jealousy mixed with more than a dash of disappointment. Should’ve known, I thought. Garnering attention of the female variety had never been an issue for him. Plus, why shouldn’t he go from kissing me to finding his next hookup? It wasn’t like we were together. Colton was my coach. Nothing more, nothing less.

Bringing my attention back to Ash, who was still dancing but watching me carefully, I said, voice neutral, “He brought me here, but it’s not what you think. We’re just friends.”

“Friends who kiss?” he frowned. “I don’t know if you’re old enough to have that kind of friend, Sadie Elizabeth.”

“Relax, faux big brother,” I said with an eyeroll. “There’s nothing going on with me and Colton.”

He tilted his head as we danced around each other. “I can hear the disappointment in your voice. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were down about that.”

“Nope.” I shook my head for emphasis. “He’s like you, completely uninterested, and I’m totally okay with that because I’m not either.”

“Uninterested, huh? Let’s test that theory.”

“What do you—”

Before I could finish, Ash had swung us around and pulled me close, like way closer than I’d have allowed anyone else. I scowled up at him. He was lucky I didn’t knee him in the junk.

“You’re so lucky I don’t knee you right now,” I hissed.

“Please don’t,” Ash laughed. “You’re like my baby sister. I’m going to have nightmares about this as it is.”

“What the heck do you think you’re doing?”

“Just testing your boy over there,” he said and glanced back. “Oh, and he doesn’t look happy. For a guy you say’s not interested, he’s having a mighty fine reaction.”

“Ash, seriously, what the heck?” I said. “What would Snow say about this?”

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