Page 61 of In the Net
Maybe I should be worried about how much I enjoy saying that word.
24
HARPER
It’s Friday night, and we’re all out at Starlite. Me, my roommates, and Sebastian, along with pretty much the whole hockey team.
It’s a special occasion, because Lane Larsen and Rhys Callahan decided to surprise everyone by driving down to Cedar Shade together from the game their two NHL teams just played in Montreal.
Lane and Rhys both graduated last year and went pro. Lane is dating Scarlett, and Rhys is dating Maddie, who’s also Lane’s younger sister. Our house was the first place they stopped, and it was the excited squeals of Scarlett and Maddie blaring from the front door that announced their arrival.
The Black Bears players wanted to see them, too, so their arrival has led to a full-scale night on the town in the packed club.
It’s funny to see Lane and Rhys together. They’re lifelong best friends, but you’d never guess it. Lane is blond, clean-cut, and looks like he belongs in an ad campaign for a preppy, upscale fashion brand. Rhys is tattooed, with dark hair and an edgy air about him.
Everyone’s in a celebratory mood, and I’ve had more drinks than I have since those nights out in Paris.
A pleasant buzz hums through me, and I find my hips moving with the upbeat music as I’m standing at a table talking with Jasmine. Scarlett and Maddie are predictably occupied with their boyfriends.
“So, is pretending to date Sebastian as bad as you expected?” Jasmine asks. She’s keeping her voice low, but even if she weren’t, no one could hear us in the noisy club.
I take another sip of my drink. “Well, I haven’t flung myself off a tall building yet, so I guess not quite as bad as I expected.”
My roommates know that our arrangement is totally fake. I assume his roommates do, too. Neither of our social circles overlap with Mackenzie’s, so I’m not really worried about word getting out.
I notice Jasmine’s eyes focusing on something past my shoulder. “What are you looking at?” I ask her.
“Hm, just some guy from one of my classes I’ve been chatting with lately.”
I perk up. “Go talk to him.”
She hums, a shade of hesitancy crossing her face. “Should I?”
Her eyes are bright, like she’s looking for that last push to do what she wants to.
“Definitely.”
Jasmine heads in his direction, and I’m left alone for a moment. I throw back the last of my cocktail, the liquor burning a trail down my throat. A wave of lightheadedness hits me, and I let my eyes scan around the busy and bustling space.
I find Sebastian. A tingle skitters over my lips when my gaze settles on him. He’s at the edge of the dancefloor, talking to his new teammate, Veikko, the towering Finn with the perpetually straight face. Sebastian has on a button-up shirt with a pair of jeans, both of them more fitted than he usually wears,accentuating his broad shoulders and muscular form. A muscle tugs low in my center.
Looking away, I find Lane and Scarlett deeper into the crowded and kinetic dance area. Lane is just dipping down to plant his lips onto Scarlett’s, and something that feels far too much like envy digs into my chest.
Sensation sears on my lips. The memory of Sebastian’s kiss is so vivid, so immediate.
I don’t know how a memory can feel so intense. It’s like Sebastian’s just pulled his mouth away from mine, and my lips are still puffy and tender from a kiss that ended not even a second ago.
I look back at Sebastian, and my eyes immediately land on his lips.
My own lips burn hotter as I drink his in through my eyes. So full and soft. I remember how those lips slanted over mine, leading our kiss with firm and controlling strokes.
When my gaze ticks up to his eyes, they lock with his. He’s looking back at me, his cool blues holding my own like they’re tethered. A tremor rolls through my chest.
Whenever we’ve gotten physical, he’s always initiated it. He’s always approached me. He’s always touched me.
If we’re going to sell this at the wedding, I need to get comfortable initiating physicality, too. I need to get comfortable touching him.
Plus, at the wedding, we’ll have to dance. We need to get comfortable with that, too.
