Page 34 of Pump Fake

“Where are you going? You never said.”

“The campus bar.”

“Last Call? Hmm, maybe. I’m just not sure I’m up for it.”

She usually went out with Brett on the weekends. “Are you not seeing him tonight?”

Her teeth sunk into her lower lip briefly. “No. I told him I had a headache from the game and he should just go withoutme. He’ll probably be there, and I think Amanda might be with their group.”

That girl had been chasing after Brett the entire time he’d been with Mallory. She’d been an annoying gnat, and her flirtations had never bothered Mal. Before, she’d found it amusing. “Are you seeing if she’ll make a move tonight and what he’ll do? You know she’ll try.”

“Honestly, I don’t care. If he does something, it saves me from the talk.”

“Ugh, the talk is the worst.” Not that I’d broken up with anyone recently or been on an actual date. Huh, maybe that was why I was so nervous. It felt like a real date—though it wasn’t. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

“I don’t think I want to go out tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”

I studied my roommate’s downcast eyes and clued into the hurt vibrating around her. Something had happened, but I knew Mal was stubborn and wouldn’t talk about what was bothering her until she was ready. She clearly wasn’t right then.

“Hey”—Mal pushed herself up and swung her legs over the side of the bed before going to the closet and yanking out a dress—“you should wear this one.”

“I don’t know.” The form-fitting black dress had a deep V-neck and fell to midthigh. It was sexy and sophisticated all at once. “It feels a little dressy for Last Call.”

“Please, you went there not long ago in Prada to meet the bitch squad. This is child’s play compared to what you wore that night.”

I took the dress from her and held it against my body in front of the mirror. My hair was down, and with minimal makeup, it could work. “Are you sure? I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. I could just wear shorts.”

When she laughed, I gave in with an eye roll. “Fine. I’ll wear it. But we’re not done talking about this thing with Brett.Tomorrow, we’re hanging out and discussing what’s going on in your head.”

“Sure. But you and I both know you’re not coming home tonight.”

I pursed my lips, wanting to deny it.But why?I had no intention of sleeping in our dorm. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll be back tomorrow. I have homework to do anyway. We can grab coffee and take it to the library.”

“Okay.” Mal smiled, and the tension around her mouth fell away. “Don’t forget about me. Though, I’m sure it’s hard to think about anything else when you’re with him.”

A loud knock sounded, and I rushed into the bathroom with the dress, hissing, “Stall.”

The door closed quietly behind me, and I dressed hurriedly. My hair was staying down, so I ran a brush through it, reapplied lipstick, and quickly checked everything else. Mascara was still good. All I had to do was grab shoes on my way out. I could hear Ares’s deep voice, and a thrill shot through me. I flattened a hand on my stomach, needing to get a grip.

Fake.Remember that.

I grasped the doorknob and released a slow breath. I had no idea why I was irrationally nervous. I’d climbed the man like a tree and let him do all kinds of things to me. A rush of heat settled in my cheeks at the thought.

With a turn and push, I opened the door and exited the bathroom. That slow, sexy grin curved Ares’s too-kissable lips, and a thousand flutters erupted in my stomach. “Hey, Ares. Great game.”

“Thanks.”

“I just need to get my shoes.” I busied myself, slipping on heels, and grabbed my purse. “Bye, Mal.” I was a whirlwind, but it was the only way to minimize the turmoil inside me that I couldn’t entirely control.

Ares crowded me, his hand on the small of my back. He leaned in close, lips brushing my ear. “You look incredibly sexy.”

“Thanks.” I blushed again. “You look pretty amazing yourself.”

And he did. Because it was game day, the team dressed in business-casual attire. I liked the tradition, as it showed unity. It didn’t hurt that it presented a professional atmosphere to NFL scouts, should they happen to see the guys after the game.

We were in dangerous territory. If we didn’t rein in the insane attraction, we would end up right back at his place rather than being seen in public like he wanted. It was a good thing we’d set up some ground rules. The problem was, I was still a little foggy on why it was such a big deal for his coach to think he was dating someone. At the time, I hadn’t pushed for why, but as we put the plan into action, it bugged me that I didn’t know.

He took my hand in his, and we exited the dorm, stepping onto the sidewalk.

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