Page 59 of Heartless As Puck

Sadly, I couldn’t act on the attraction. The lines between us were already blurred enough and, much as I might be tempted, I had no desire to watch affection fade over time as she realized I couldn’t give her what she needed.

A man approached them. They chatted for a couple of moments, then Hazel took his hand and let him lead her away. Jane looked up and met my eyes. She took a couple steps toward me, but then another guy cut her off, holding out his hand to her.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was already halfway across the room, sliding my arm around Jane’s waist and kissing her cheek.

“Sorry,” I said to the other guy. “She’s taken.”

I swept her into a dance, holding her close and spinning her around and around, drinking up the sound of her laughter.

When she smiled, there was something so much softer in her gaze than I was used to. My heart thumped and my cock stiffened.

I had to admit, I was in a whole lot of trouble.

EIGHTEEN

JANE

“What the hell was that?” Matt demanded as Drew finished the obstacle course in the trees behind the camp’s central building and dropped to his knees.

Drew glared up at him. “I fucking slipped off the wall because Delacrue left mud all over the top.”

I watched from a distance, cringing as I noticed Coach Dunn doing the same. This obstacle course relay was supposed to be part of a team building exercise where the players worked together in two teams—one led by Austin and the other by Matt—in an attempt to get the fastest total time through the course.

“And you wouldn’t have lost much time if you’d just picked yourself up and kept going like Delacrue did when he fell in the mud pit,” Matt snapped. “Instead, you lost your shit and cost us time that we couldn’t afford to lose.”

Drew opened his mouth but then seemed to realize that Coach Dunn was observing them rather than the players who were currently on the course. He closed it again, mumbled something, picked himself up, and lumbered away.

I returned my focus to Jesse and Brown, who were currently rushing through the course. Jesse was grinning wildly and Brown kept darting looks at him and pushing himself to go faster. Jesse was too quick, though, and he beat Brown to the finish and tapped Nick’s hand, passing the metaphorical baton to him.

The tension between Matt and Drew didn’t dissipate. Drew’s poor performance seemed to have ruined Matt’s previously good mood. Meanwhile, Drew clearly resented the fact that Matt blamed him, even if he didn’t say so out loud. It was in the way his eyes narrowed whenever Matt mentioned the fact they’d fallen behind.

Austin’s team won, and they were rewarded with individually wrapped squares of dark chocolate.

“Do we get chocolate for supporting the winning team?” Maribel asked from beside me.

I laughed. “I don’t think it counts.”

Coach Dunn gathered everyone in the parking lot beside the camp and motioned them closer. “The next exercise is a three-legged race.”

There were groans all around.

“Come on, Coach,” someone complained.

Coach’s gaze sharpened. “The race will run from the camp to the end of the access road and back. I’ll choose the pairings. I expect you to take it seriously and for you to stop letting petty differences come between you. You’re a team.”

A few people ducked their heads, as if ashamed of their behavior.

“The winners will be exempt from the team run tomorrow morning,” Coach Dunn added.

That was enough to make the players perk up. Some of them enjoyed running, but the team outing was scheduled for not long after dawn, so being exempt would mean enjoying a brief sleep in.

“Matthews and McKinley,” Coach called, his lips curled smugly. “You’re team one.”

They shot glares at each other.

“Coach,” Matt began.

“No arguments.” Coach’s tone made it clear that his mind couldn’t be changed. “Harris and Delacrue. Young and Gadot.”