Page 72 of Instigator

My eyes fly open. She’s not supposed to be here. This is a players-only space. Even the coaches can’t come into the showers.

The tap, tap, tap of her stilettos is amplified by the tiles. She stops a good foot in front of me, looking up at me expectantly.

“Are you okay?”

No, I’m not fucking okay. Did I read too much into this? Are we not on the same page?

We discussed this last night: dating. An exclusive, committed, monogamous relationship.

But we didn’t talk about what that would look like in front of people. I’m ready to tell the whole world. She evidently is not.

I pull in a ragged breath, then another.

“I can’t do this,” I croak.

Hurt creases her face. “Can’t do what?”

“What are we?”

“We’re… dating. Aren’t we?” Staring at me, she cocks her head. Confusion creases her face. “We decided this last night.”

I want to kiss away her frown. Assure her everything will be okay. But right now, I’m the one who needs the validation. And I honestly don’t know if everything will work itself out.

Is she embarrassed to be seen with me? Ashamed of slumming it with me? Regretting what we did? Whatever the problem is, we can tackle it together. I hope.

“Then why won’t you look at me?”

I’m so caught up in the maelstrom of my self-pity, I barely register her sharp inhalation. It’s my turn to avoid eye contact. It’s something I’ve had to train myself into tolerating over the years so I can mask and blend in, but right now, it’s too much. Too intense.

She has the power to destroy me, and she doesn’t even know.

“You want to know why?” Her hands fly to her hips. “If I look at you, I’m going to want to kiss you. And I don’t know if you want that. Not in front of everyone else.”

“Annie.” My voice breaks. I step forward, reaching for her. My hands land on her waist, and I pull her into me. “I never want you to stop.”

Ceci melts in my arms, her body swaying into mine. “Then what are you waiting for?”

twenty-nine

. . .

Ceci

Aidan pulls me into his arms. I’m breathing hard, trembling from adrenaline, but the safety of his touch soothes me. Steadies me.

Wish has always steadied me. He knows how to calm me down, how to get me to focus. And now Aidan is.

The solid planes of his body feel so good against me. Our breaths mingle, the air between us humid in a way that has nothing to do with the showers around us.

His thumb traces over the bow of my lip. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Fucking finally.

And when his mouth crashes into mine, his grip on my hip tightening almost painfully, I almost cry. He tastes like hope, like home.

I rove my hands over his and up his arms to lock behind his neck, pulling him into me until we’re flush together. He slides one of his from my hip to the small of my back, tightening his hold on me.

There’s so much to figure out. Who we tell, when we tell them. Do we have to declare anything with the team?