Page 31 of Good Vibes Only
Whatever the answer was, I spun around slowly, doing my best to look unimpressed when our eyes met, as if my heart wasn’t nervously thumping in my throat.
He leaned closer. Sofia had to shout for me to hear her over the music, but he hadn’t needed to shout at all. He spoke softly, the rumble in his deep voice sending a warm tingle down my spine, as he whispered into my ear:
“Hey. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
I laughed and rose onto my tiptoes so I could shout into his ear, “You’re such a liar, Brett.”
He flashed the perfect and carefree smile that put butterflies in my stomach every single time …ugh.
“Wanna go somewhere we can talk?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes, but when he gently touched my back and urged me to follow his lead … my body obeyed.
You’re hopeless, McKayla,I thought as I followed the athlete through the dance crowd.Just don’t fall for his crap, okay?
* * *
A group of party stragglers lounged around the outdoor fire pit, talking, laughing and drinking. After the hectic party atmosphere, the vibe out here was private, peaceful and serene, like being wrapped in a warm cocoon.
“Not a bad view, eh?” Brett asked.
We stood on his balcony, overlooking his view of the mountains and the stars that twinkled in the night sky above us. The cool desert air felt crisp and refreshing on my skin, a welcome respite after dancing up a sweat in the balmy living room.
“Yeah, it’s really nice out here,” I said. “You’ve got an amazing place.”
He stepped closer and grazed my bare arm with his knuckle. “You’re glowing right now, you know.”
“Are you saying I’m sweaty?” I laughed, pushing his hand away and trying to maintain a distance between us.
“No, I’m saying I think you’re beautiful,” he said.
Undeterred, he leaned forward to try to claim my lips. But I dodged him and took a step back before he got any ideas.
I could tell he was used to treating girls like shit and putting in zero effort, yet still having his way with them, because he was a pro athlete. But I wasn’t going to melt like butter just because he was finally being nice to me.
“Brett, if Dakota didn’t already make it clear, I’m not going to fuck you just because you’re a hockey player.”
He seemed surprised I’d preemptively rejected him, but he shrugged it off with a laugh, his ego unharmed.
“Bringin’ the heat. I love it,” he said. “So Dakota’s the guy you were telling me about, right? The NHL player you went to high school with?”
“That’s him,” I said. “Let’s not forget, he’s also the guy you implied I’d ‘banged.’ Do you have anything you’d like to say to me now, in light of recent events?”
“Ha … errr … yeah. Hey, I’m sorry about that.” He scratched the back of his head. “Guess I look pretty stupid right now, eh?”
“Yeah, you definitely look like a giant ass,” I said. I folded my arms. “So what’d you want to talk to me about?”
He took a moment to collect his thoughts. “First, I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“For?”
Oh, I knew exactly what he was apologizing for, but I really wanted to hear himsay it.
“I came at you the wrong way the other day when I swung by your shop.”
Boy,did it feel good to hear that. “You sure did. Can I ask what you were even thinking?” I asked.
“Honestly, I was just mad because the boys read me this dumbass article about my brewery the day before.”
