Page 26 of Damsel in Defense
Her eyes meet mine, and something shifts.She gives me a small smile before turning toward the mattress propped against the wall.“Let’s do this.”
We lift the mattress together and plop it onto the new frame.She immediately flops backward onto it with a dramatic groan of relief, her hair splaying out around her like a halo.
“Oh yes,” she moans.“I’m never moving again.”
I’m frozen.Completely still.
Because this image—her lying on the bed, flushed from laughter and effort, breathing heavily with her tank top clinging to her—yeah, this is going to be seared into my memory forever.
Now I’m the one who’s screwed.
I’m imagining things I shouldn’t.Definitely things that don’t belong in the “fake relationship” rule book we very clearly laid out.
But rules don’t seem to matter much right now.Did they ever?
I’m coming to realize that while I had sincere intentions starting out, the fake relationship we planned together is becoming more real to me by the day.There’s something so captivating about Victoria that none of this feels fake.Every moment we’ve spent together has been genuine.Real.
Her eyes find mine, and I swear I feel the moment her smile falters—just slightly—like she’s thinking the same thing I am.
She blinks once, slowly.Her gaze drops to my mouth, then back to my eyes.My heart stutters in response.
I take one step forward.
Her breath hitches.
She wants me to kiss her.I can feel it.And God, I want to.I want to see what she tastes like when she’s smiling like that.I want to know what it feels like when she pulls me down beside her and tugs me close—
My phone buzzes on the floor, rattling louder than normal due to it lying on leftover bolts.
The notification cuts through the moment like a bucket of ice water.I curse under my breath and reach for it.Victoria springs up and off the bed at the intrusion, walking out of the room without a word.
Deflating, I shake my head and swipe my cell screen.There’s a message from my teammate Max.
MAX:Picking you up in 10.Coach has called a team dinner.Probably to go over best behaviour for that charity thing on Sat.
I stare at the message, trying to remember how to exist in the real world again.
“Everything okay?”she asks from the doorway, voice quiet now.
“Yeah,” I say, reluctantly slipping the phone back into my pocket.“My teammate Max is coming to grab me.Coach has called a dinner.”
She nods, her smile a little less bright now.
“But before I go…” I trail off, rubbing the back of my neck.“You want to come with me to a charity event on Saturday?”She looks like spending time with me is the last thing she should do now, and I fear she’s about to say no.“Could be good for…the image,” I end up blurting out.“And I also wouldn’t mind having you there.I can guarantee a fun, wholesome time.”
Her eyes lift in surprise.Her lips roll inward as she considers my offer.“Yeah.Yeah, okay.That does sound fun.It’s been a while since I broke out a fancy dress.”
“Great.”I nod, trying not to grin too hard.“I’ll text you the details.”
I head toward the door, pausing before I open it.Glancing back at her, I let my eyes run over the rumpled bed, her slightly flushed cheeks, and the way her hair is still a mess from lying down.
“I’ll have my assistant reach out to get your shoe size for your skates and send you a jersey.”With those last words, I’m out the door, grinning like a fool.
“Wait.What?”I hear her say from out in the hallway, but I don’t stop to give her more information.It will be more fun this way.
Screw the rules.I’m going to make her mine.
CHAPTER TEN
