Page 38 of Dream (Fighting Fate)

My breathing started to pick up, and I licked my lips as I looked up at his, suddenly needing to have them on me.

Josh’s hands tightened on my hips. “Fuck, Liv. Don’t look at me like that. I have practically zero control when I’m around you as it is.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I just really like it when you kiss me.”

Josh pulled me into him faster than I could blink. His kiss was hot and forceful. And I loved it. It felt like he couldn’t help himself. I moaned just as a loud knock sounded on the door.

Josh broke away, and strode to the door. Pulling it open, he walked straight past Corey, muttering a quick, “Yep” to him before disappearing down the hall.

Corey gave me an apologetic smile. “Uh . . . sorry?”

“That’s okay. I guess . . .” I stammered. My head was all screwed up. And where did Josh go so fast? “I should probably go anyway.”

“No, don’t go,” he said, compassion and understand shining from him clearly. I was so confused. Why did he look as though he got it, when I didn’t? “He wouldn’t want you to go just yet. Just come downstairs and hang out. He’ll be down soon.”

I considered what he said for a while. I didn’t really want to go. I wanted to know if Josh was okay. I swallowed. “Um . . . is he okay? Did I do something wrong?”

Corey’s gaze turned the kindest I’d ever seen it. “No, Liv. He probably just needs a little time to cool down.”

At first I thought he meant that Josh was angry, but then I caught the slight embarrassed look in his gaze and I realized exactly what he’d meant. “Oh.”

Awkwardly, I walked back downstairs with Corey and joined the guys in the games room. I’d only been in there a couple of times, and it was only to pass through. It was a pretty cool room.

The guys were spread out in total comfort. Lance and Cain were playing some sort of gaming console on a massive flat-screen TV, Jace was lounging back on a sofa in the corner, talking on his phone, and Dean and Aiden were engaged in a game of pool.

“Do you want a drink?” Corey asked, moving toward the fully equipped bar.

“A soda would be nice.”

My voice drew Dean’s and Aiden’s attention. Their gaze moved past me to the door before they turned to Corey. “Where’s Josh?” Aiden asked.

Corey cleared his throat. “If I had to guess, I’d say shower.”

Aiden burst out laughing and Dean smiled, glancing my way before diverting his eyes to the floor.

“Up for a game of pool, Liv?” Corey asked, handing me a can of cola.

“Oh . . . uh, sure. I haven’t really played before, though,” I said quietly.

“That’s fine. We’ll teach you.”

I watched Aiden set the balls up in the triangle before placing the white ball at the other end. He lined up the cue, drawing it back slowly, before smacking it hard. It raced down and slammed into the other balls, spreading them out pretty good. Well, I was impressed anyway.

Corey glanced at me. “Do you want to go first, or do you want me to?”

“Oh, you can. I’ll watch,” I said with a laugh.

“Okay, well, Aiden didn’t sink any when he broke, so we can go for any ball we want, but once we sink one, we have to stick with that type.”

I nodded. I liked how he said ‘we,’ because I was pretty sure it was really going to be just him sinking any. “Okay. Got it.”

He strode around the table, eyeing the balls from various places. Obviously seeing one he liked, he aimed and shot—if that was the correct terminology for pool—and sank one of the solid ones.

“Ooh, yay!” I cheered. “Go, us!”

All the guys laughed, obviously amused. Corey aimed at another ball and sank that one too.

“So, if you get one in, you can have another shot?” I asked.

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