Page 64 of Just Another Meet Cute
Still crouched on the floor, I crept over to peek out of the bottom of the window. He was half-standing behind a short wall now. His head whipped back and forth as he searched the room for his enemy. He didn’t think to look up though.
When his vest glowed again to let him back into the game, I knelt by the window and took aim before he could go anywhere. This time it only took one shot. His chest plate flashed three times and shut off again.
“God, seriously?!”
This time I did laugh. I couldn’t help it. Only for a second or two, but I saw Ian’s head snap up at the sound. With a sharp gasp, I ducked beneath the window before he could catch sight of me. There was a minute or two of silence.
Not sure if I was tempting luck, I debated between shooting him one more time as I peeked out the window again. He wasn’t in the same spot though. In fact, I didn’t see him anywhere at all.
Where did he go?
Grasping the ledge with both hands, I leaned farther out the window and looked around, but I didn’t see Ian anymore. Maybe he left in case he got shot again. I’m sure he didn’t hear me though or he would have run up the ramp.
I checked my watch. Five minutes left. Jeez, fifteen minutes sure went by quickly in this game. Maybe I should keep moving.
I had reached the bottom of the ramp when my foot got caught on a low barrel. With a squeal, I pitched straight toward the floor as someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to the left. My weight must have knocked them off-balance, too, because I ended up sprawled on top of them. The top of my head knocked against something hard and immediately started throbbing.
“Damn it!” A voice muttered over my head.
Lifting myself slightly upright, I peered up into Ian’s grimacing face. He kept one arm around my shoulders and rubbed the bottom of his chin with his other hand. Surprised at how close our faces were, I froze. I could see the faint dark stubble under his chin. It would have been barely noticeable if I weren’t so close.
“I think your hard head gave me a bruise,” Ian complained. “I guess I should be lucky that you didn’t give me a concussion.”
And just like that, I unfroze. “Well, it’s not my fault that your pointy chin broke my fall.”
“That’s not exactly a thank-you.”
“That’s because it wasn’t supposed to be one.”
He tried to look annoyed, but his dimple flashed, betraying him. “You know, we’re breaking the rules of the game.”
“What rules?”
“No physical contact. They said it at the beginning of the game. Weren’t you listening?”
His arm was around me and his hand was stroking my back. So gently that I almost wouldn’t have noticed it if it weren’t for the heat from his fingers. I could feel it through the thin fabric of my shirt. How did he manage to find theonespot on my back that wasn’t covered by the giant vest?
“You’re the one still holding me.” I poked at his arm around my shoulder.
His grin was wide now. “Because you’re still laying on top of me.”
Realizing that not only was he right, but my hands were tightly clenching his shoulders, with a deep flush I scrambled to get off him. I might have accidentally kicked him, too, because he groaned out loud. Since I wasn’t sure, I didn’t apologize. I had just rolled to my side when Ian towered over me. How the heck did he get up so quickly? Was he a cat in his last life?
Reaching down, he brushed my bangs out of my eyes. It was so quick that if I blinked, I would have missed it. He held out his hand to help me up. I hesitated for a few seconds before I took it. His tight grasp pulled me upright until I was back on my feet. But he still didn’t let go. And he didn’t stop smiling at me either. It momentarily distracted me, and I almost forgot what we were doing.
“Sorry.”
“What for—”
Then he shot me on my left arm plate with his other hand. My vest glowed blue a few times and my laser gun shut off.
I immediately dropped his hand and shoved him. “What the hell?!”
“That’s payback for following me around and shooting me this entire time.”
“How did you know it was me?”
“I didn’t.” He wiggled his dark eyebrows. “But you just admitted to me that it was.”
