Page 107 of Make the Play

I shift, pressing against him, looping my arms around his neck.

“Relax,baby,”I purr, just to watch him react, and I’m not disappointed.

His hands splay out over my hips, pulling me in closer. “Didn’t you say rule number one was no touching in public?”

I grin sweetly. “That wasmyrule, which means I can break it when the need arises.”

And then I kiss his jaw. Soft, barely a brush, but Chase goes still in a different way this time. Not the angry, territorial still. The kind that feels like the split-second before lightning hits.

When I glance back, Nose Ring is already walking away.

“Look at that. You saved me from the big, scary flirt.”

I should feel smug, but instead I feel flustered because Chase hasn’t let go. His hands are still on my hips, fingers resting low, palms hot through the mesh of my top. He’s quiet, watching me like he already knows the truth, and he’s waiting for me to stop running from it.

“You gonna keep using me as a shield,” he murmurs, “or are you trying to make a point?”

I twist slightly, chin tilted. “I’m just staying in character.”

“Uh-huh.”

The weight of his hand is doing things to me I’m not ready to unpack, but then, because the universe loves dramatic timing, a voice booms across the clearing, amplified through the massive speaker system, and I’m saved.

“Denver, Colorado… you didn’t think we’d actually show up, did you?”

My mouth falls open because that voice belongs to the lead singer of the Vinyl Saints.

“No way,” I breathe.

And then I scream. A full volume, hands-in-the-air, holy-shit-it’s-happening scream.

Chase barks out a laugh, watching me lose my mind, and I grab his face with both hands, squishing his cheeks between my palms.

“This is, like, a core memory. Don’t ruin it, Walton.”

His grin falters for half a second, just enough for something softer to slip through, but the teasing tone remains.

“You’re making a core memory with me?”

I freeze. Shit.

“No. Shut up. I didn’t say that.”

“You did.” He’s beaming now, hands sliding to my waist again. “You said it, it’s on record. Core memory with me.”

“Stop talking,” I mutter, shoving his face away with both hands.

“Kind of a big deal, Zo.” He laughs, but his voice is warm and smug and weirdly tender. “Core Memory Girl thinks I’m important.”

“I’m gonna vomit,” I deadpan, but I can’t stop smiling.

His eyes twinkle, and he opens his mouth to say something else, but the beat suddenly drops and the crowd surges. I gasp and bolt for the stage, because there’s no way I’m not getting as close as possible to watch these guys.

“ZOE!”

I’m pulled forward by the tidal wave of bodies. Music pounding, lights strobing, and I spin, laugh, and get swallowed whole. One second, Chase is behind me, and the next, he’s not.

I barely have time to react before I’m caught in the current, swept toward the stage, laughter bubbling in my throat because this is it.Thisis what I came here for.

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