Page 50 of Hard to Fake

The last thing I need is to pay for a pricey dinner, but I’m competitive.

We split up into teams. It's Atlas, Rookie, Nova, and me. My brother has Miles, Chloe, Clay, and Sierra.

It's intense, and I find myself dodging and weaving through obstacles, trying to avoid getting hit by the laser beams.

I take out Chloe first. It’s almost too easy.

My brother is my next target.

I'm excellent at hiding, but I have to run through an open area in pursuit of Jay.

Rookie's laughter catches me off guard. He's closing in.

I run into another figure and lose my balance, sprawling toward the floor, and the wind is knocked from my lungs when I hit the ground.

I gasp, but no sound comes out. It takes a minute for me to inhale normally, and when I do, I realize someone’s on top of me.

He’s straddling me, strong thighs on either side of my hips. His chest presses against my breasts, his warmth seeping through my clothing. His hand is on the floor next to my head.

"You all right?"Miles murmurs.

The walls around us are dark, the sound of shrieking and laughter in the background.But in this second, the game feels far away.

"No thanks to you." My voice comes out like a whisper. “Goddamn, you’re heavy.”

He rolls me so I’m on top in a move that’s surprisingly agile.

“You’re mad.”

My pulse pounds as I try to collect my thoughts. I press the flat side of the rifle into his chest. “Are you going to shoot me, or is this chatting thing how you usually win at laser tag?”

Miles ignores my question. “Did they fix the shoes wrong?”

Dammit.

He shifts at the same time and my hand slips against his pec.

“They were fine. Better than fine.” His concern only annoys me more. “And I’m not ‘mad.’” I inhale roughly. “We’re not kids.”

I start to shift away but he rolls us once more so he’s on top.

Miles leans over me. “Extremely aware of that right now, Princess.”

There’s the usual teasing in his voice, plus a charged edge that’s new.

We’re playing a game, but it’s a different one from before.

My pulse doesn’t slow.

“You and Aliya looked pretty ‘more than casual’ on her socials.”

The moment I say it, I feel exposed. More so than I do beneath Miles on the hard floor.

My rifle is trapped at my side and he’s ignoring his. I squirm, trying to reach if but that only makes our good parts run distractingly.

“Aliya and I aren’t anything. I ended it.”

His words throw me even more than when he knocked me over.

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