Page 25 of Delay of Game

“You seem tense. Everything okay?” he asks, bookmarking his page and offering me all his attention.Shit.

“I’m fine,” I lie through my teeth, keeping my eyes closed and my head resting on his chest. He sees through me and sits up enough to peer down at me.

“Are you falling asleep?”

“No,” I say, opening my eyes. Which is a mistake because now I’m met with Jordan’s eyes peering down into my soul.

“Your eyes seem droopy,” he says, and leaves room for me to respond. When I don’t, he narrows his eyes and asks, “What were you reading just now?”

“Nothing,” I say, sitting up fully and clutching the book to me.

“Okay,” Jordan says, and I let out a deep sigh, happy I wasn’t caught. “I’m going to add a few more logs to the fire. Do you need anything while I stand?”

“No, I’ll run to the bathroom while you do that,” I say, placing the book face down on the coffee table.

I all but sprint down the hall and splash cold water on my face, hoping I can break out of this lust induced daze. When I return to the couch, Jordan is back to reading his book and I re-enter the cocoon before reaching for my book. Except—it’s not there. I could have sworn I left it on the coffee table. Patting down the blanket and the couch, I try to think where I could have set it down.

“Looking for this?” Jordan says breezily, waving my romance book in his large hands. Myopenbook.

I give him a wide-eyed, panicked look and carefully so as to not spook him, I say, “What are you doing with that?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m trying to find out what made you so flustered.”

“Mm-hmm, right, right. How about you give that back to me, and I’ll tell you?” I say, not knowing how to get out of this.

“I don’t think so. I’m quite enjoying how Madison here is writhing and whimpering under Jonas’s touch and ‘pumping fingers’,” he says, referring to the exact chapter I was reading earlier.

My cheeks turn a flaming hot shade of red and I bury my hands in my face, groaning. “J, I can’t handle you making fun of me. Please give it back.”

Warm hands take a hold of my wrists, gently pulling my hands from my face. I grimace but look into Jordan’s eyes, expecting him to laugh at me or think what I’m reading is stupid.

“Why would I make fun of you?” he asks softly, pulling my hands in his lap and stroking his thumb across my wrists.

“I don’t know,” I say meekly, feeling embarrassed, but not for the reason he may think. I don’t care that he caught me reading smut, I feel bad that he caught me reading smut while I was thinking abouthim.

“There’s nothing wrong with the books you read, and I’m not going to make fun of you.”

“Of course there’s nothing wrong with them,” I huff, and he frowns at me.

“Then why are you acting so weird? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you fly through one of these books in a single sitting at Christmas.”

I laugh and shake my head. I can’t tell him. Can I? Will he find it weird?

Jordan’s open expression makes me wonder if I should just tell him. He must know I never got over him, even though he didn’t want me, even though he said it’s too complicated. I never stopped wanting him.

“I was just reading that scene and—” I say, biting my lip. Jordan’s brown eyes are reflecting the gold from the flames, and I give in a little more. “I couldn’t help but picture you instead.”

CHAPTER 8

Three Years Ago – All Star Break

Jordan

My heart stuttersfor only a moment before it kicks back into gear, beating wildly.I couldn’t help but picture you instead.Alice’s cornflower blue eyes are piercing as she holds my gaze, not backing down, not taking back her statement.

Fuck. I want her so much.

“Why?” I hear myself asking, heart in my throat. Could she be messing with me? Teasing me just because I stole her book?

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