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I shrug him off.
Madden rolls his eyes and fixes me with a cocky, meaningful look. “I was just waiting with him whilst Your Highness was taking her sweet time in the changing rooms,” he says, folding his arms over his chest. “Trust me, I don’t want any part in this.” He jerks his chin at Tate. “See you in five.”
Madden strolls away and Tate laces our hands together, his smile still in place. “Madden’s cool, I promise. He’s not like Huddy.”
I look up at him.Huddy. So that’s the name of the dirty blond.
“Are you unhappy to see me?” he asks, ducking his head down so that our eyes are level. Hiseyes. I’ll never get over them.
I shake my head, feeling self-conscious and out of my depth. “Sorry, no, that was weird of me. I just didn’t expect... I’m sure he’s awesome.” I muster up a small smile.
Tate pulls the hair tie off my wrist and pushes my curls back from my face, holding them gently in his fist before securing them with the band. When the ponytail is in place he moves his mouth to my ear and whispers mischievously, “Not as awesome asme.”
I laugh and he pulls back, a satisfied swell in his chest.
“Look, I had to meet you today because I’m not going home after practice. I’m heading to Mad’s with the guys so I won’t be home tonight for our thing. I wish I didn’t have to, but I’ll be back tomorrow, so I’m not flaking, I mean it.”
There’s a sad drop in my tummy knowing that I don’t have my favourite part of the evening to look forward to tonight, butthere’s also a little flash of lightening in my chest knowing that this is nowour thing.
I smile so brightly that I think it offends him. Then I laugh, which makes things even worse.
“That’s fine, Tate,” I say, my voice tinkling with joy. I’m on another sugar high. “That is so fine, I promise.”
It’s my turn to give theplease forgive meeyes.
He nods warily and then drops his head, blowing out a little laugh. “God, you’re so cool.”
I choose not to correct him.
He pulls me closer than before, closer than I have ever been to him, until our chests are almost touching. I can smell the cool rain radiating off his warm caramel skin. His hands are so big and sturdy that I want to be covered in them.
Our faces are only a few inches apart. He’s looking down at my mouth so I look up at his. A water droplet runs over the curve of his bottom lip and I think about how it would feel if I were to catch it on my tongue.
His eyes flick back up to mine, now piercing and aflame. He ducks down and presses the raindrop on his mouth against the flushed skin of my cheek. My skin is icy cold and his lips are molten. My blood pumps fast. I think that he might have just added ten years to my life.
He pulls away and squeezes my hands tightly in his. I feel that same compression around my heart. I let go before he has the chance to, moving my hands to grip the strap of my bag.
He puts his hands in the pockets of his shorts and gives me a perfect departing smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, River.”
Chapter 9
Present
“What the hell is that?” My mom is looking sceptically out of the front door into the bed of Mitch’s truck.
He throws her a cocky smile. “Wanna have a go?”
She looks thoroughly mortified. “If that’s yours, I’m out of here right now.”
I look out of the door with her. In the back of Mitch’s truck there is a monstrous black motorbike. I have never seen one this up close before and, from its raised position in the bed, it’s way bigger than I was expecting.
“Not mine,” Mitch replies, and he shoots me a piercing look.
“So what exactly are you doing with it?” my mom asks, arms folded across her chest.
Mitch swaggers to the mouth of the bed and leans against it with his palms behind his body. “Iam not doing anything with it.”
