I take advantage of the moment to examine Piper, who seems to be studiously ignoring me, which only serves to turn my deliberate smile into something involuntary. She thinks that’s enough to discourage me? She clearly doesn’t know me at all. A situation I mean to remedy as soon as possible.
“I haven’t seen you around lately,” I murmur as she’s forced to move past me to follow Eli and her friend to the table laden with food.
She stops, her head whipping in my direction, hair flying, her eyes jumping all over my face. “Have you been looking for me?”
I give a careless shrug. “I’ve been keeping an eye out for you, yeah.”
Her eyes narrow, and she crosses her arms. “Why?”
Taking a chance, I run a finger down her arm. “I wanted to buy you that hot chocolate like I offered the other day.”
“Didn’t you already do that?”
When my brows jump up my forehead, her eyes go wide, like she’s just realizing what she said.
“So youdousually come back out the door you go in before Anthropology. And you saw me waiting and … went the other way?” That should be enough to make me leave her alone, and maybe normally it would be. But I need her help to distract her brother so I can get more playing time. I’m not going to give up that easily. Besides, it’s obvious she’s attracted to me. I’m not sure why she’s resisting the pull.
Her mouth opens and closes like a goldfish, and it’s adorable seeing her this flustered. Before she can come up with a response, I lean into her space, enjoying the way her eyes flicker down to my mouth and then my chest. Yeah, she’s definitely into me. “Why are you in denial about our obvious chemistry?” I ask, my voice pitched low so she can hear me, but no one else can. They’re all wrapped up in watching the race going on, shouting encouragement and smack talk by turns. No one’s paying attention to us.
Her mouth snaps shut, her lips pursed, and if she was adorable flustered and unsure, she’s fucking hot with that fire in her eyes. “I’m not.”
I raise my eyebrows again. “You’re not in denial? Glad to hear it. So why don’t you let me take you out after we’re done here.”
She rolls her eyes. “I meant that I’m not attracted to you.”
“No?” I ask softly, and her eyes dilate until they’re almost black as they focus on my lips.
She shakes her head, but it’s a weak denial, and we both know it.
“Prove it.”
She blinks, leaning away from me ever so slightly, a frown pulling the corners of her lips down and her brows drawing together. “What?”
“Prove that you’re not attracted to me.” My pulse kicks up like it does before a game. When Eli said he wanted to host aMario Karttournament for the whole team, I thought it sounded silly. I have homework I need to get through, plus new plays to study, game tape to watch … the list is endless. But then the team captains declared it mandatory, and since my goal is more playing time, I have to appear to be a team player. Which means going along with silly video game tournaments. Simon came without grumbling and brought my sister along, who’s so happy to be included and excited about the whole thing that I feel kinda bad for keeping her at arm’s length for so long, even if it was for her own good. But when she’s not sticking her tongue down my roommate’s throat in an effort to punish me for being a dick to her, she’s actually pretty fun.
But now? With this little dare between Piper and me? Today just got a whole lot more interesting.
“How am I supposed to do that?” she asks, exasperation clear in her voice.
“Hang out with me today. Sit next to me. Don’t avoid me. If, by the end of the day, you can stop staring at my mouth every time I speak”—her eyes lurch up to mine, but can’t manage to stay there when my lips quirk in another involuntary smile—“then I’ll concede that you’re not attracted to me, that you aren’t wondering how well I’d kiss you, and leave you alone. And by the way”—I drop my voice another half octave for good measure—“I’d be the best kiss of your life.”
Her eyes meet mine again, the frown disappearing to be replaced by laughter. “So modest.”
I shrug, unrepentant. “I know my strengths.”
She purses her lips—I can’t stop staring at her mouth either, and I’m not too proud to admit it—and studies me, trying and failing to keep her eyes on mine. I try—I really do—I try not to smirk. But I can’t help it. Because she’s already failing miserably.
“So if I win, you’ll leave me alone?”
That gives me pause, because leaving her alone derails my plan completely. But what are the odds of that actually happening?
I nod.
“And what do you get if you win?”
A thrill of excitement surges through my veins. She’s actually going to do this. “You go out with me.”
She arches one eyebrow. “When you say ‘go out,’ what do you mean, precisely?”
