Page 72 of The Draft

“Why are you running?” he groused.

“Because I’m a catch,” I sassed, flicking my hair over my shoulder, only to realize I could feel his looming frame getting closer.

When I felt Dash’s hand wrap around my torso, I yelped. A flurry of mixed emotions swirled through my body. Excitement. Lust. Trepidation. It felt like I’d been caught by the big bad wolf and there was no way of getting out of his clutches without giving him all my baked goods.

“Will you calm down?” Dash was walking backward, holding me as though my struggling was nothing more than a mild inconvenience for him. My feet barely touched the ground, and I was tripping on my own shoes. He didn’t care. He was just grumbling away, as per usual.

“Dash,” I whispered sharply, but it wasn’t getting through. I looked over my shoulder, thankful that Cade wasn’t around to see this since I’d already gotten a lecture about Adam, and I figured he’d freak out if he found out who I was truly interested in.

“Dash.” I tried to get through to him one more time, but before I couldspeak again, he covered my mouth with his palm.

As the voices of his coaches echoed in the distance, Dash drew my body closer to his, and, without another word, he opened a door close by and dragged me through it. I heard the lock click before he turned the light on and looked around in awe at all the hockey equipment. Pucks upon pucks were packaged and stacked next to brand new gloves and padding. We were in the supply closet, and when I glanced over at Dash, he was just staring at me with narrowed eyes and a beady expression.

“What was that about, Madison?” It was a silly question because surely that had to be obvious, but with his hooded gaze, I wasn’t willing to backtalk him this time.

He took a step forward. I took a step back. We kept doing this little dance until my back hit the equipment racks, and then I felt his presence all over me. With hands gripping the shelves on either side of my face, he glared down, waiting for me to answer.

So, I did the only thing that I could think of. I smiled and said, “What are you talking about, Big Man? I was just doing what everyone else was. Watching the Covey Crushers crush the competition. Go team.” I lifted my fist, pretending I was holding a glow stick, and shook it between us.

He didn’t look amused, but that wasn’t new for Dash. He didn’t have a sense of humor at the best of times, let alone right now.

“Madison.” It was a warning and a growl bundled into one, and unsurprisingly, it sent tingles straight to my core. I shivered but tried to hide it. “What were you doing here with Aiden?”

“You mean A-Rizzle?” I joked because it felt like the only appropriate thing to do when you had a broody hockey player glaring at you. “We were just having a good time. Hanging out in public. You know, something you and I can’t do,” I said just to goad Dash, because what did I have to lose at this point? If I was going down, it was going to be like watchingTitanic. Long, heartbreaking, and a little confusing because Jack could have totally fit on that damn door.

Dash’s hands gripped the shelf behind me tighter, making it shake against my back. His body leaned into mine, and I turned my face so I was looking to the side because I didn’t want him to know just how much this entire scenario was turning me on. Yup. I was a lost cause. No one would get meas hot as this smoldering hockey player, and I was just going to have to accept that as fact now.

Dash was breathing heavily but still hadn’t spoken.

“What’s wrong, Big Man? You seem stressed.”

“And you seem hell-bent on giving me an aneurysm.”

“No problem. If you dragged me in here just to tell me that I couldn’t have you, that’s good to know, because I think Henry was just about to admit his undying love for me. Surprised you didn’t warn me he was here. Was it because you were worried I’d go back to him?” I pouted my lips out and toyed with that thought. “You know what? Maybe I need to go and see my old friend.”

As I tried to slink under his arm, Dash pushed his body onto me, stopping me from moving. Chest to chest, Dash was glaring down at me but saying nothing useful. His eyes were telling me to go, but his body wasn’t letting me. See. He was the king of mixed messages, and I was his wench waiting to become his queen.

With my hands rested on Dash’s chest, I tried to push him away, but I couldn’t; he was too heavy.

He wasn’t backing away either.

The only way I was going to get out of this would be to lean into his touch. My body pressed against his, but I was frustrated that my heavy sweatshirt and brother’s jersey were dulling the sensation of finally having him this close.

“Do you really think any other guy is going to make you feel the way I do?”

Wetting my lips, I gained the courage to say, “Don’t know. Haven’t tried yet.”

I smiled, ready to tease him for his silence, but before I could say anything, he stole my breath with a searing kiss. Punishing and hot, he kissed me to prove his point, pouring everything into it. Teeth clashed against teeth. Tongues fought with tongues. He was kissing me with so much force it almost hurt. I could feel it. He was grappling with the feelings he had for me and didn’t know what to do with them.

“Guess I’m going to have to show you, then.” He laughed bitterly, and his lips were back on mine before I could even take in what he said.

His large hands roamed my body, completely unbothered by the minor inconvenience of my clothing, seemingly too lost in kissing me to really care. When his warm palm slipped under my hoodie and grazed my skin, I tried to take in a sharp breath, but Dash wouldn’t let me.

His lips were feasting on mine, and my brain went fuzzy when his hand traced the line of my jeans and started to play with the button on the front. As he teased the opening of my jeans, I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled away from him, throwing my head back onto the shelf behind me.

His hand didn’t undo the button like I expected. Instead, he flattened his palm and brought it all the way up my torso, under my sweatshirt. It dragged over the front of my bra, and when he found my nipple, he pinched it, sending shockwaves of pleasure straight to my core. My mind was reeling because I knew there were players still loitering outside, not to mention all the coaches out there too. What if someone needed something from in here and then found us?

“Did you really think Aiden Matthews could do this?” he asked so smugly that I almost wanted to slap him away for being so rude about my friend, but I couldn’t. His hand was toying with my nipple, while his hardness was pushing against my core. He was putting so much pressure on me that I had to grab on to the shelves just to stay standing.