Page 28 of Offensive Plays

"You'll get sick," he says, as he sets me inside and shoves in next to me before slamming the door.

Inside, away from the rain, I'm able to catch a whiff of his cologne again. And I hate that I did. Because I might not ever be able to smell that scent without thinking of how good it smells on him.

"117 King's Court," Michael rattles off my address to the driver like it's his own.

The man nods and maneuvers the vehicle out of the parking spot.

"How do you know where I live?"

He looks over at me. The rain having soaked his hair to the point that it's now dripping onto his face.

"Seriously? You're my neighbor. Just like old times."

Ever since Kesley and Zane got married, we all moved out of the condos where we used to live. Zane took Kesley and Liam to the O'Connor estate just outside of Houston and they're now settling in there. They offered me a room in the giant house but I insisted they needed their space as a family.

So...I'm now staying with a model friend of mine. She's been connecting me with opportunities and I'm paying her in company. She hates being alone. And since I'm out a best friend and a big brother....I could use the company too.

"We live in the same neighborhood. That doesn't make us neighbors," I point out to him.

"You're staying with Giselle Murray, right?"

"Um...yes, for the time being."

"Well, her house backs up to Landry's house. You're our neighbor."

How did I not put this together? Now how am I supposed to get away from this guy?

I swallow, wondering if he's watched me when I didn't know. I wonder if he knows I'm the girl he was supposed to meet tonight.

I hold both my arms and try to warm up.

He notices and reaches forward, turning the heat up using the buttons in front of us.

"Gigi seems pretty cool," he says. “From what Coach has said about her.”

My new roommate is something. Bubbly. Sweet. Totally charismatic. She's also the daughter of the Heatwave's head coach. I'm used to having a quiet, book nerd as a companion. But Gigi is anything but quiet.

"Gigi is...Gigi," I say. He smiles and looks out the window. Clearly, out of small talk conversation starters.

I'm relieved to not have to engage.

"So about that date," he says out of nowhere.

Ohmigawd. He knows.

Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves and confront him I turn to him. "Michael," I begin. "I had no idea."

His head swivels towards me. "That you were bidding on me?"

Wait...what?! The auction, you idiot, he's talking about the auction.

"No..." I catch myself. "I had no idea...that you...liked ice skating so much."

He chuckles to himself and looks at me with amusement in his eyes. "You've known me since we were twelve. And I've played hockey that entire time. Of course, I like ice skating."

Welp, that was a dumb attempt.

"Well, yeah, but skating in hockey is one thing. But just ice skating to ice skate...I mean, that's what I do for fun."