Page 53 of Reckless Dare

There was laughter. Neeraj looked pissed.

“Neeraj, let’s find another table,” Ava advised.

Neeraj shook his head. “No. It’s fine. I’m used to such taunts from those guys.”

Ava frowned, not liking it. The Simha guys were truly reckless and arrogant. She was glad she stood up to their equally arrogant leader.

Luckily, Neeraj wasn’t cornered while alone. The Eagles group joined their table.

“Hey, Eagles. How does it feel having Vipers’ feet always up your ass? You guys should at least attempt to fight back.”

“We will not only fight, we will win this time,” one of the Eagles team members yelled back.

The taunting and trash talk continued. While that was happening, Ava was still aware of her tormentor’s gaze on her. His eyes flashed each time she took a potato fry from Neeraj’s plate.

Feeling confused and suffocated, she got up from her seat. “I’ll be right back. I’ll grab some fruit.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Neeraj asked.

She shook her head. “No. I’ll be back soon.”

She walked away from the ruckus and went to the food area.

Why is he staring at me that way?

What is he planning?

She knew her tormentor must be planning to strike back at her for the way she publicly insulted him. Her heart sank at the thought that he could make her assignments disappear again. But this time, she would be prepared for such a thing to happen.

She was filling up her plate with a fruit platter when the hair on her neck stood up at a presence. Familiar cologne filled her senses.

It was him. Her tormentor had followed her. She didn’t have to turn to know it was him.

“The usual,” his deep voice rumbled.

She frowned until a guy behind the window in the food area handed a bottle of protein shake. Ava had to suppress a gasp and hold her breath when her tormentor’s arm brushed lightly against hers while he took the protein shake bottle.

Is he trying to intimidate me again?

She recalled the way he had cornered her in the gym and in the locker room.

Sucking in a deep breath, she decided to confront him again to tell him such tactics would no longer work.

She turned towards him. “I’m not leaving,” she snapped. “So stop trying to intimidate me.”

He took a casual sip of his protein shake while watching her closely. “I don’t want you to leave.”

She frowned, not knowing what he was up to.

His mouth twisted into a small smile. “I decided I like having you around. I like you.”

She was stunned. “What?”

She stared at him dumbfounded. The guy who made her life a living hell was suddenly announcing he liked her?

Her heart raced and her stomach fluttered involuntarily looking at his stunningly handsome face with a small smile.

But she yanked herself back to reality. She recalled all the times he terrified her.

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