Page 32 of Puck'n Bully
“You were saying?” Hayden whispers.
I gasp for breath, desperately wracking my brain to find the right words to say to him. “You—"
Hayden doesn’t wait. He kisses me again but this time, he’s gentler, like he’s savoring the taste of my lips.
I moan into his mouth while my fingers clutch his jacket like a lifeline.
Hayden breaks away and grins. He knows he’s won against me and there’s no way I can deny the effect he has on me.
“Say ‘yes’ already,” he whispers.
I swallow hard. Am I really about to agree to his demand?
A heavy breath escapes me. “Fine.”
“Now that’s a smart answer,” he says, beaming. Pulling my notebook out from behind him, he presses it against my chest. “I guess this belongs to you.”
I snatch it from him. “You’re an asshole.”
“But I’m your asshole now.” He leans in again, this time slower, taking his time to brush his lips against mine teasingly. “You’re going on a date with me tomorrow.”
I exhale sharply, trying to gather some semblance of control. “What if I say no?”
“You won’t.”
I hate how much I believe him.
I hate it even more when he kisses me again, softer, slower, like a promise.
When Hayden finally steps back, my knees wobble like jelly.
“See you tomorrow.”
“I didn’t agree yet,” I point out at once.
He winks. “You kissed me back just now. That’s all the agreement I need.” Stepping away from me, he walks out of the door, leaving me a complete mess.
11
Hayden
I’m not worried, I tell myself, staring at the worn-out bracelet in my palm.
I don’t usually get nervous.
Not about games, not about my grades, not about anything.But as I sit in my car outside the restaurant, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel, I have to admit I might just bea littlenervous.
Because Liam Myers is not someone who’s easy to win.
Unlike the people who usually flock to me and my teammates, Liam doesn’t care about impressing me. He’s unapologetically himself, taking pride in being himself.
I could never be like him, I realize as a flicker of unease rises within me.
I’d never be brave enough to let people know who I really am.
Don’t think about that now, I tell myself as the silver charms dangling from the bracelet gleam in the glow of the street lamps.
Liam is finally where I want him. He fought me every step of the way, wanting to stay away from me, acting like he didn’t want me the way I wanted him.
