Page 55 of Obsessed with my Temptation

“Soo…Are you and the Prince dating then?” Andy asked beside me, sitting on top of the picnic table we’d had lunch in.

I’d been feeling something like this was about to come from him.

“No. It’s just a fling.”

This wasn’t dating. We were only seeing each other, even if we went ondates. At the same time, either word felt ridiculously small to describe what was going on. The fierce possessiveness, the longing, the ache.

Andy pushed a strand of his dirty blond hair back. “Looks like somethingmorethan that.”

I looked sharply at him. Could he hear my fucking thoughts now?

He stared at me, eyes dancing with amusement. “I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I?”

“We’re exploring things and seeing each other exclusively. That’s how much I’m going to say.” I made an effort to unclench my teeth.

Because nothing else was possible. I wasn’t going to go through the whole relationship rollercoaster again—especially because I knew there was no light a the end of the tunnel. Someone like Scott—good, bright, with a sparkling future ahead of him—would never last with someone like me. Someone whose system ran almost exclusively on spite.

He would move on from this soon enough, and find someone easy to love.

I just didn’t want that time to come just yet.

“Okay, territorial bulldozer, you can unclench your ass-cheeks.” Andy came down from the top of the table and instead sat beside me sideways on the bench. “Have you considered my offer already?”

I almost had to ask him to clarify but then it came back to me.

The gym.

“No.” No need to lie.

“Why?”

“Because I’m going pro.”

“But have you considered having other options?”

I gave him a look. “Going proismy only option. And the one I’m taking.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. You could do many other things other than boxing.”

I took a long gulp of my water. He wouldn’t stop until I considered it, would he? “What do you think I would do in a gym, Andy? Put on a show?”

“You could train people. Teach boxing. You’re good enough to go pro and have a good reputation going for yourself.Thatwould attract people.”

“I’mshitat people.”

“You’re not and you know it. The rookies no one cares about are eating out the palm of your hand. You help them all the time when no one but Coach wants to give them the time of day. You’re intimidating and you like it, but in boxing, that only attractsmorepeople.”

“Why do you want me to do this so badly?” I asked, tired of fighting about this nonsense.

Andy’s expression softened slightly, but his eyes were still determined. “Look, I know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Why you think you need to go pro. But just for once, couldn’t you try to forget about the shit in your past and think about what you might want to do?”

I looked away, clenching my jaw. I was stubborn to a fault, but the suggestion that I was only doing this for someone else grated on me. “I’ll consider it, okay? Happy?” If only to know for sure that this was the right decision.

“Very,” Andy said with a satisfied grin.

“Well, if it isn’t the bad boy and his sidekick.”

Both Andy and I turned to watch an approaching Henry Campbell. He wore his toffee hair down today, reaching his upper chest.

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