Page 7 of An Uphill Battle

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,seriously.”

“I swear, you’re about clueless. They were having a moment, and we needed to skedaddle, unless voyeurism is yourthing.”

“What? Oh! Yeah, good call,” he mutters, soundingsheepish.

“So, look, we need to lay a few ground rules for tonight,okay?”

“Rules? You think we needrules?”

“Yes, Drake. Youknowwhat happens every damn time we’re alonetogether.”

His features transform. His eyes go from confused to hungry, and he licks his lips as he scans my body, from toe to top. “I sure do, Bit.” He draws his bottom lip between his teeth, and damn if I’m not getting hot and bothered and falling right under his spell. This man. With eyes like whiskey, his stare fills me with the same warmth as a good single malt on a cold winter’snight.

“No, sir. Stop that rightnow!”

He takes a step closer. “Stopwhat?”

I take a step back. “That,” I tell him, waving a hand in his generaldirection.

He takes another step forward, and I realize I’m backed into the kitchen island, and I have nowhere to go. He brings his arms up, resting a hand on either side of me on the countertop, caging me. “You don’t mean that,” he whispers as he trails his nose along my neck and up to my ear. “You don’t mean that, not even a little.” I gulp, desperate for air, because he’s so right that it’s not evenfunny.

He brings his lips down on mine, and it’s game over. I’m once again swept up in the current that is DrakeCollins.

Just as our kiss heats up, Drake pulls away. I lean toward him, more than ready to drown in his kisses, but instead, he boops me on the nose and heads back out to Cash and MylaRose.

I linger in the kitchen, furious that I let him get to me again. I swear that man is like a drug. He’s addicting and yummy and so very bad for myhealth.

“AzzyJo, you coming?” Myla calls out from thehallway.

Gritting my teeth together, I compose myself and make my way to where everyone is congregated. Myla Rose flits her eyes from Drake to me and back again, but I ignore her. Tonight isn’t about me. It’s about her andCash.

“I left Brody’s schedule on the chalkboard in the kitchen, as well as our hotel room number in case you need us,” Mylasays.

“But, please, don’t need us,” Cash follows, but it’s obvious he’s joking. “We’ll be back sometime tomorrow after lunch. You two... try not to kill each other, yeah?” Now, he’s notjoking.

“Ha! Funny. Go on now, and have fun. We’ll be just fine, right,D?”

“More than fine,” he tells him, shooting me an indecipherable look. Or maybe it’s not indecipherable. Maybe it’s just that I don’t wanna know, because what I don’t know can’t hurt me.Right?

4

Drake

Azalea’s actingcrazier than usual, fidgeting and tidying up Myla’s already spotless living room. She’s more wound up than a ball of yarn, and I know just how to unwind her, except that’s short-sighted. I need to be future-focused. Especially if I want her to be myfuture.

“Listen, maybe you’re right. Maybe we do needrules.”

She stops arranging the already tidy shelf and turns to face me. “You really meanthat?”

“Yeah, Bit, I mean that.” I pat the spot next to me on the sofa. “Sit down, and we’ll hash themout.”

She takes the seat at the far end of the couch, and I smile—she doesn’t trust herself to be too close tome.

“Okay, rule one, no inappropriate touching.” She sounds so serious that I can’t even help the laugh that slips out. “What? Why’re youlaughing?”

“Inappropriate touching? What is this, summer camp? Should we also stay an arm’s length apart whiledancing?”

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