Page 59 of Ruse
“What do we have to do?” Fitz shouts out after us.
I turn back to glance at them, a wide grin spreading across my face. “Brush your teeth! And maybe keep a pack or two of mints on hand!” I wink just as I turn back at the girls, and the three of us head out unable to keep our excitement a secret.
* * *
“Put that down Fitzpatrick!”Coach Rivers shouts out as Fitz balances one of the long white tables they’re setting up, over his head. Brooklyn and he have spent most of the afternoon in competition, trying to prove which one of them is stronger than the other.
When Coach Rivers heard the guys were running a booth and coming over to help us set up for the fair this weekend, he insisted on coming to supervise. There was no way his boys were going to injure themselves before the season officially started next week.
“Come on Coach, I can’t let Brooklyn here outdo me. I’m the QB. I gotta be the one on top.”
Coach Rivers, runs his hand down his face, gruffly tugging at his graying beard. “These boys will be the death of me. Alright Ms. Bancroft,” he says, turning to me as I stand watching their exchange. He looks exhausted, blue eyes that look like they haven’t slept in ages. “I’m heading home, it’s your turn. Please don’t let them try too hard, they might actually break a body part.”
I chuckle at the man who is pretty decent. Having been on the cheer squad the previous three years, I’ve spent a lot of time on the road with the guys and at practices with Coach Rivers. It’s obvious he not only loves the game, but he also cares deeply about every one of the guys on his team. And I know for a fact Brooklyn and Fitz look up to him more than they do their own fathers’.
“You got it Coach,” I tell him, placing an arm around Darcy who’s walked our way carrying a box of decorations. “We’ll keep your boys in check.”
Coach Rivers raises a brown quizzically at us as his face pales. “I’m not sure if that is better or worse. Good luck Ms. Bancroft and Ms. Bennett.”
The two of us laugh as he walks away, leaving us with our hands full of decorations that need to be put up before the end of the night. We rushed over here right after school, along with all the clubs on campus, and the football team, swim team, and cheer squad, met up with us after their practice. The lot is full of faculty members and other volunteers that have come to help set up the event, while workers finish adding the last touches to the rides and games scattered along the dock and adjoining areas.
“What was that all about?” Darcy asks, handing me the box while she picks up the other one on the dolly cart to her right.
“Just Coach worrying his boys are going to break a nail doing manual labor. You know, you can't break the merchandise before it makes it to the shelves and all.”
We busy ourselves for the next hour, adding the banners to each one of the booths and tents, and decorating the tables with blue linen tablecloths and centerpieces
A wanton chill runs up my spine while the feeling I’m being watched lingers around me. Like a thick and ominous fog, an omen of something devious and dangerous lurking my way. The eerie feeling lingers over me while I look behind me and find everyone busying themselves with their tedious tasks and mindless conversation. I shake off the feeling, chalking it up to my crazy imagination that’s been quite unreliable in recent months, and continue to do as I was.
Bending forward to pick up another box of decorations, a sharp squeal leaves me when I find Maverick has appeared out of nowhere and is currently blocking my way.
“God-dammit you are going to scare me to death one of these days, asshole,” I shout, thwacking him against his plethora of ridiculously hard abs. It’s honestly unfair how perfect he looks, grinning down at me like he’s particularly entertained with the idea.
Has anyone ever seen the Devil grin?
Because I can almost guarantee this is what he looks like. Devilishly handsome, a vision in dark hair, blue eyes, and a tantalizing smirk that screams trouble, and is currently making my body scream in agony. Sweet, glorious agony.
Memories of our time together overwhelm me, visions of him hovering over me, his hard and heaving body covering me in a blanket of heat and trepidation. Temptation in its rawest form.
Instinctual. Primal. Animalistic and enticing.
The way his rough and strong hands gripped my body and roamed over it with the most delicately sinful of touches. His mouth, luscious and thick lips that kissed me, tasted me, and drove me wild with dirty, commanding words and carnal desires.
Lastly his eyes that not only undressed me, and devoured me with an intensity I’d never seen, but they searched deep inside of me for secrets and feelings I’d never revealed. They peeled apart every layer of security, every wall I built, he tore it down, forcefully and unapologetically.
Stripped me down until I was raw, bare, and susceptible to his twisted games.
Yet, vulnerability never felt so rewarding.
“Need a hand with that Nyx?” he casually asks, taking the box from me before I can even muster a response. Behind me, I hear Darcy giggle as she pretends to busy herself at the tent to our right, leaving us alone with this daunting cloud of seduction floating above.
I swallow hard when my voice cracks as I try to speak. “No,” I answer curtly, yanking the box out of his grasp, and pushing past him toward the adjacent booth I’ll be setting the ring toss at.
Given this year's theme, every booth is centered on a character or scene from the iconic film, so the ring toss is Rizzo’s Ring Toss.
I take out the hoops that will capture the various sizes of Danny Zuko and Kenickie cutouts lined up in a pyramid shape, hanging them across the back wall of the tent where the attendant will hand them out to the participants. From the box, I take out the assorted prizes, rings and bands that will be given out to the winners, one of them worth a couple grand which one lucky winner will receive.
I dump the rings out into the four containers the participants will choose from, but his presence still lingers around, and I know he won’t be leaving until I give into his stupid game. Maverick thrives on his intimidation tactics, and the games this guy loves to play always require a little push back.
