Page 70 of What Are The Odds?
“Red lipstick,” she explained.
My imagination turned dark. I pictured those same lips leaving red marks on my dick. Grace seemed to know where my mind had gone. She pulled her lip between her teeth.
“You look amazing,” I told her.
“So I’ve been told.”
I glared. “By who?”
Laughing, she placed a hand on my chest. “Calm down, caveman. I’m all yours tonight.”
What a good fucking thought. I returned my lips to hers, deepening the exchange. Grace moaned, causing my partial to become a full hard on. Forget the party. Staying in with Grace sounded a hell of a lot better. Though as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t. I knew how much the team were looking forward to this. Heck, they were all wearing matching costumes. I’d have to be patient with Grace. Unless we had time now to–
“Where are my Sandy and Danny?” Ryan called out. “It’s time to do a TikTok.”
*
We walked as a rowdy group to the football party. The house wasn’t far from mine. Grace was wearing my jacket. She’d literally been shivering. It was 60 degrees. Barely cold for most of us. But her Australian blood was yet to adjust. She'd slowed down on the drinks since finishing beer pong. The bottle she was carrying now was still full. With no game for five days, the boys had free reign to enjoy a wild night. I’d had plans to enjoy it with them. And I had been. Then Grace walked in and consumed my thoughts. I was in so deep. She was laughing along with Tripp and Morrison as they recounted the story of our final away game last season. It involved a fire alarm, Jäger, and a handful of puck bunnies, and had ended with our entire team getting kicked out of the hotel and having to sleep in the team bus overnight. Stella was a few steps ahead, chatting to some of the guys. And Ava was a few steps behind, explaining to Will and Ryan what ashoeymeant. Grace had slotted into my life so easily. She fit. I was starting to rethink my stance on not dating. That’s practically what Grace and I were doing. We didn’t hook up with other people. She slept over. She hung out with my friends. She gotalongwith my friends. And we spoke all the time. If this is what all relationships were like, I wouldn’t have been so against them. There was the issue that hockey took up a lot of my time. But with her own sport, I knew Grace understood that. That wasn’t a draw card. I halted briefly. Holy shit. I think we could make this work. Grace paused, checking over her shoulder.
“You good, Holloway?”
“Yeah.” I reached for her hand, interlacing our fingers. “I’m good.”
And that’s how I ended up walking hand in hand to a college party with a girl.
36. Go find him
Grace
I pressed on my toes to whisper in Levi’s ear.
“Stella wants to dance.”
The hockey team had set up camp in the backroom, around the pool table. These guys always needed to be around some type of game or competition. Levi nodded over the loud music then released my hand. I fought the urge to pout. His hand had been so warm. So was his jacket. I probably didn’t need it anymore though. I slipped it off my shoulders and handed it back to him. His eyes glassed over as he looked at my cleavage. He needed to stop looking at me like that. I didn’t have the patience he did. I’d barely made two steps before he gripped my wrist and pulled me back to him. Slamming into a wall of muscle, he kissed me long and slowly. Holding hands. Public kissing. This went beyond the element of exclusive, but I wasn’t complaining.
“I’ll be here,” he said.
Nodding, I turned back to Stella and Ava. Both their eyebrows were raised so high they practically disappeared into their hairline. It was too loud to have a proper conversation, though I knew we’d be having one tomorrow. More like an interrogation. The house was like a maze. Stella weaved us through it until we broke onto the dance floor. There were so many people. Naughty maids. Skimpy nurses. Angels. Devils. I didn’t feel silly being dressed up anymore. It was like it was compulsory in this country to go all out. If anything, those with lack-lustre costumes were the ones that looked like idiots. The music definitely wasn’t my vibe, but it was everyone else's. Putting aside my distaste for RNB, I danced with my friends. The atmosphere was electric. It was exactly what I expected from the biggest college party of the year.
“Let’s get a drink,” Stella shouted.
We made our way to the kitchen. It was quieter here. You were able to talk at least. Stella grabbed three capped drinks and handed them out. I twisted off the top and took a sip of the fruity liquid. I hadn’t drunk for a while. Between the game of beer pong and Levi pinning me against the hallway wall, I’d been feeling lightheaded. I pressed onto my tippytoes, looking around. I’d seen a few of the football boys, including the two guys Ryker had come to the hockey game with, but I hadn’t seen him yet. Stella’s eyes widened when my chest lit up. I’d stuffed my phone in my bra. It hadn’t fit anywhere else.
Levi: I can't wait to get you alone.
“Is that Levi?” Ava asked, a knowing grin on her face.
I pivoted the phone. She cackled.
“What are you doing with us? Go find him.”
“No,” I said, shoving my phone back down my bra. “I want to hang with you girls.”
“Cute,” Stella smiled. “But we want to pick up. And that won’t happen if people think we’re tangled up with the hockey guys.”
“It won’t?” Ava pouted.
“No way. If you’re not one of them, you don’t mess with them.” She finished off her drink. “We’re going back to the dance floor. Grace, come find us if you need.” She paused, winking over her shoulder. “But I don’t think you will.”
