Page 96 of Ace My Heart

“Well, Stink, if you come with me, I could give you something else to think about when you’re listening to them.”

I couldn’t exhale – he was standing so close that I could feel the heat from his body radiating out towards me. It was like a magnet, drawing me closer.

“I can’t cancel on my friends,” I said hurriedly, turning away to the squat rack.

Joel shrugged. “No worries. I’m sure I can find someone else who wants to go with me. I just wanted to give you first option.”

I couldn’t help myself. “If only you knew who it was last time – I’m sure she’d justloveand encore performance!”

Joel chuckled. “Don’t be jealous, Stink. You have a chance to be ‘moshing’ with me at Princes of Lion, and you’d rather have dinner with Lover Boy.”

I stopped and whirled towards him.

“Let’s just get one thing straight here, mate! I’m not the type of girl who fucks random guys in the mosh pit at a concert. I’ve got a bit more class than that. And if that’s what you were hoping would happen between us tonight, then you would have beenverydisappointed!”

Joel put his hands up in surrender. “I’m hardly a ‘random guy’.”

I glared at him icily, working through my weights in silence, Joel hovering to spot me as usual. He seemed to sense that I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him.

Our lap swimming continued in much the same fashion. As I showered, Joel made us some lunch. It had become our training routine.

“Hey, Stinky,” Joel began as we finished up our lunch, trailing his finger along the edge of the table. I waited for him to continue.

“Sorry, Mel. You know I wouldn’t ever try to make a move on you like that.”

“It’s okay,” I replied awkwardly when I found my voice. Why did it cut me that he wouldn’t have eventried? I mean, I would absolutely have told him where to go … wouldn’t I?

“So,areyou and Brad dating now?” he asked.

“No. Well, not really,” I replied. He looked up at me then and his eyes were enquiring.

“Not really?” he persisted.

I shrugged. “I just … he’s always so … I don’t know how to explain it, but lately … can you tell I’m really confused about the whole thing?”

Joel smiled, a genuine, beautiful, white toothed smile. My knees trembled under the table.

“It’s a big decision. You go down that path, you can’t ever go back to the friendship you had. But if you really like him, you should go for it. He’s a decent guy. You could definitely do worse.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Well, thanks for your permission, coach!”

He hissed out a laugh and put his elbows on the table, leaning towards me. “You know you don’t need my permission, Mel,” he murmured, his face suddenly serious. I found myself leaning towards him, until our noses almost touched.

“I never thought I did,” I replied in a whisper. Oh God, his eyes! I forced my gaze to drop, only to stare at his lips, getting closer and closer to mine, so full and pink. As I stared, his mouth curved up in a smirk.

“You know, Stink, you can deny it all you like, but it’s only a matter of time before you give in and beg me.”

“Beg you for what?” I breathed against his mouth.

“For this …” His lips touched the corner of my mouth.

I leapt out of my chair so fast that it fell backwards.

“No! I’m never going to let that happen, Joel Herbert. I promise you. Never!”

I raced off the deck and up the stairs to the front door, heart battering against my chest. I couldn’t be in the same house as him another second.

His footsteps approached. As I turned the handle on the front door, he was behind me, his hand on it so I couldn’t open it. I turned and he was leaning over me, his palms pressed against the door on either side of my face.

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