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“Guilty,” he confirms.
“You must be so proud,” I say sardonically.
He laughs again. “You have no idea.”
Hailey tugs on my sleeve and leans closer to my ear. “Let’s take a lap and see if we can find the guys.”
I nod my agreement, and we bid Todd farewell. He moves on to the next set of females in search of a drink.
It’s too loud to talk, so I just follow Hailey back into the living room as we scan the crowd. The bodies multiplied in the short time we were in the kitchen. I start to wonder how long this party can continue without getting broken up by the police. Everyone is packed in here, and the noise is next level.
I spot a familiar face across the room. It’s Ollie and three of his teammates. The brunette from the other night is standing in front of him, and I wonder if he arranged to meet her here or if they simply ran into each other by chance. He looks a little uneasy, though he can be hard to read at times. Ollie’s not the relationship type, like me, only his motivation is different. He’s all about his first and only love—hockey. And I avoid entanglements because I don’t want to end up a carbon copy of my mom.
I catch his attention and raise my red Solo cup. His eyes narrow as he takes in Hailey at my side.
He’s probably looking for his sister. He should know Oakley doesn’t frequent these parties since she’s practically married to Chase now.
He mouths the words come here to me. I shake my head, my eyes drifting to the brunette at his side. She’s currently trying to get his attention. He doesn’t miss my meaning, but he crooks his finger to beckon me to him anyway, ignoring her in the process. I shake my head again, denying him, and his brow furrows. I hide my smile behind my cup, taking a big gulp as the sugary substance blazes a fiery path down my throat. Ollie never likes it when Oakley and I tell him no. It’s fun, pushing his buttons. Even from across the room, I can feel his disapproval from miles away.
“Hey, hottie,” a deep voice growls in my ear.
I pull my attention from the hockey winger and over to the football stud with his arm now sliding around my shoulders.
“Hey.” I smile.
He leans down and brushes his lips across mine. Then, his tongue flicks across his lower lip. “You taste sweet.”
“It’s the punch,” I explain, showing him my cup.
He slowly shakes his head with a sexy smirk on his full lips. “Nope. It’s all you.”
I roll my eyes, but I secretly like his flirty nature. It’s one of the things that drew me to him in the first place. Even if all his lines are just that … lines. I’m not dense, and I’m far from gullible. But I like to play the game as much as the next girl.
“And don’t you forget it,” I say.
“How long have you been here?” he asks, his eyes traveling down my outfit.
“Not long,” I confirm.
He steals my cup and takes a long pull. The grimace on his face as he lowers the drink makes me laugh.
“That tastes like straight sugar,” he complains.
“You weren’t complaining a minute ago.”
He kisses me again like he has the right, biting my lower lip and tugging it before pulling back. “Like I said before … it’s all you.” He slaps the back of his hand against Ricky’s chest. His friend is engrossed in Hailey. There’s a blush across her cheeks as she talks with him. It’s cute. “Let’s go grab a beer.”
Ricky pulls his attention from my dormmate. He nods hello to me right before the two of them plow through the crowd on a mission to find alcohol. I watch as their broad shoulders disappear into the other room before turning to Hailey. I fan my hand next to her face.
“You look like you could use some cooling off,” I joke. “Need to go outside really quick?”
She shoves at my shoulder and looks away with a coy smile. “He’s so hot.”
“Yep,” I agree. “And he seems into you.”
“We’ll see,” she says.
But I can clearly hear the unmistakable hope in her voice over the loud music.
