Page 63 of Beautiful Venom
As if she’s waiting for a sign, a word, or anything to help with her decision.
I offer nothing.
Let’s see how desperate she really is.
“Stop looking at him. He wouldn’t mind. Right, Kane?”
“I wouldn’t.” I lift my head and smile. “In fact, you should bring some of your old friends from Stanton River College. It would be so much more…interesting.”
Preston pauses and stares for a few beats. “You went to SRC?”
She nods. “Yeah. I only came to GU this year.”
“Not only did she go to SRC, but she also dated your favorite hockey player, Pres. Who was it again?” It’s my turn to grin. “Right. Osborn. You should invite him to our get-together, Dahlia.”
“I didn’t really date Marcus,” she blurts out. “We went out, like, twice and then figured we didn’t click.”
“But you kind of dated,” I say. “That’s all that matters. Right, Pres?”
Since our first game against the Wolves, Preston has despised Marcus’s guts. Probably because Marcus checks him any chance he gets and doesn’t care about being penalized. Something Preston does care about and, therefore, isn’t as aggressive in his plays.
It also happens that, other than me, Osborn is the only hockey player in the entire league who’s not ruffled by Preston’s provocations that are delivered with a smile. Something that infuriates my friend to no end.
So what does he do? He tries to exploit as many of Osborn’s weaknesses as possible just to bring him down. Doesn’t matter what the score is between the Vipers and the Wolves, Preston and Marcus always seem to have their game inside the game. And it’ll probably remain that way until Preston gets the clear upper hand.
He truly, thoroughly, and categorically refuses to walk away from a situation that doesn’t go as he wishes. He might seem agreeable, but he’s an insufferable son of a bitch when pursuing a goal.
And because of his distaste for the ‘charity team,’ as he calls the Stanton Wolves, he’s beyond disgusted with Osborn’s entourage.
It doesn’t help that Marcus once stole Preston’s girlfriend. Or sort-of girlfriend.
Since then, the moment Preston finds out a girl has slept with his rival, he immediately loses interest. Which is rich coming from Preston, who fucks any girl available.
So that makes Dahlia off-limits.
Permanently.
Dad was right. I’ll use Preston against Marcus and Marcus against Preston.
A win-win.
“Is that so?” he asks with a smile, but his eyes are muted. “Why didn’t you guys click?”
A frown appears between her brows. “He’s kind of an asshole.”
I narrow my eyes. Osborn did something to her.
What? I don’t know, but I’ll find out.
“So is Davenport.” Preston grins. “But you already know that.”
The professor comes in as Dahlia looks at me, opens her mouth, then closes it and stares at her notebook.
Preston pulls out his phone and focuses on it instead of class.
Me?
I keep watching the girl I swore would never be a distraction.
