“Me? Fight you on anything you say?” I joke, trying to keep things lighter than what they feel. My stomach flips when his fingers graze my ribs just under my breasts. “I think we can pull it off to at least convince my parents.”
The tingling feeling only gets more intense when Callum dips his head to kiss my shoulder like it’s the most natural thing in the world to him. “I have some ideas on how to get comfortable with each other, but you’re going to have to trust me.”
I don’t have time to reply or even process what he’s saying because he’s opening the passenger door and slipping me inside like it’s his job to take care of me. Callum has always beenaround whenever I needed him, and sometimes when I don’t even realize that I need him.
So I have to remind myself this isn’t real, or I’m going to get my heart crushed into a million little pieces.
He’s just doing this to help me out because I’m his best friend’s little sister.
I’m the obligation he took on when he didn’t have to.
I’m the only girl he’d never look at the way it feels like he’s looking at me right now.
Right?
CALLUM
The second I knock on Lilac’s dorm door, I hear her loud-ass roommate cursing from the other side. She used to room with Madi until Hayden stole her away to live at our house. Talking to Chapel Sterling is like biting into a lemon and not swallowing. I’d say I don’t know what made her so bitter, but the truth is, everyone knows.
My cousin, Caiden Grey, is the culprit, and because of him, we all have to deal with her.
"If it’s another hockey player, I swear to fucking God?—"
The door swings open, and there she is. Lilac Fairbanks. My fake fiancée. My obsession. My fucking everything. I spent the night trying to figure out who threw that rock on my truck, and trying to get Adam to talk to me man-to-man. He’d turned his phone off and his roommate said he thought he went to the casino.
Lilac throws her arms around me, and I scoop her up. I know she’s just playing her part, doing what I told her about pretending we’re together in private and in public. But damn if she doesn’t feel fucking good. I should have had her stay with me last night, but the truth is, I needed to get myself together.I kissed her last night and almost came in my jeans; I wasn’t prepared to have her in my bed.
I almost forget there’s another person in the room until her roommate steps into view, glaring.
Chapel.
No bullshit, zero patience, hates all things hockey, which I’m not sure why because it’s a bull rider who did her dirty. Whatever, I don’t really care.
She groans. "Fuck me. I can’t win."
I grin. "So you missed me."
She pulls her long auburn hair up into a messy bun and crosses her arms over her chest like she’s not sure if she can take me to the ground. I’m six-foot-four, and just by the scowl on her face, I’m not sure either.
Lilac fights a smile. "He’s nothing like what you’ve heard about him, I promise. He’s so sweet to me."
Chapel scoffs, arms crossed. "I know a virgin when I see one. He can handle a hockey puck and that’s about it.” She looks from Lilac to me and then says, “Don’t touch my stuff."
She’s out the door before I can reply.
I smirk. "She’s a peach."
Lilac laughs, locking the door behind her. "She won’t say why she hates hockey players, but I have to hold her back when she sees Hayden on campus. His face sets her off." This makes me chuckle because Hayden would revel in this information.
We head down the hallway together, her arm brushing mine, and I force myself not to reach for her hand even though every cell in my body is screaming to. I don’t want to overwhelm her, and I’m far past all of it. We’d spend the day wrapped up in my sheets if it were up to me. I’m past the point of no return. The dorm building smells like cheap floor cleaner and burnt popcorn, and I hate that she has to live here. She doesn’t belongin this sterile, shared-space bullshit. She belongs somewhere warm, safe. With me.
When we step outside, the air hits her cheeks, and she pulls her cardigan tighter around her. I press the unlock button and lead her to Hayden’s SUV. I borrowed it because my windshield is being repaired. I move ahead and open the passenger door for her, holding it wide. She blinks up at me, caught off guard.
"Wow. I didn’t know what a gentleman you are,” Lilac teases me.
I help her in gently, my hand steady on her waist, and once she’s seated, I reach across and buckle her seatbelt. Then I lean in and press a kiss to the tip of her nose, just like I used to when we were kids, and she scraped her knees or cried over something Adam said to her.
"Only for you, bambi,” I tell her.
