Page 166 of A Little Tempting

Forgetting about my shirt still hanging in my locker, I stride closer. “What is it?”

“Remember our deal?” he asks. “There’s a girl outside. She needs your help.”

Aaaand, there goes the high I was riding from today’s win.

Yeah, I know exactly what my buddy’s talking about, and it doesn’t give me any warm fuzzies. Reeves and I have always been at odds with each other, and that’s putting shit lightly. But, after sticking my nose in his relationship with our best friend’s little sister, I decided I owed him one, and he cashed in on it. How? By making me agree to take over his side gig for the next six months. Normally I wouldn’t complain about taking on a little something else, but when it involves fake dating girls under the guise of protecting them from their shitty boyfriends? Well, I’m less than enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Reeling in my annoyance, I throttle the towel in my hand. “Fuck, man. I don’t have time?—”

“And I don’t give a shit.” Reeves grabs my arm and shoves me out the door to the main hallway in the arena, scanning the premises with an urgency I’m not used to. Reeves doesn’t give a shit about anything or anyonebut his girlfriend, Dylan. Or at least, it’s the persona he shows everyone. After the last few months, I’ve caught glimpses of the real guy and learned his heart’s bigger than any of us gave him credit for. But right now, something has him on edge.

When his attention lands on the back of a small-framed girl in a black jacket, he repeats, “Come on,” to me and jogs toward the girl at the end of the hall. I hear him call out to her, “Hey, wait up!”

Her body freezes, and she slowly turns to face him. “Look, I’m sorry I bothered you.”

“You didn’t bother me,” he argues, looking over his shoulder and giving me a look telling me tohurry the hell up.

Grumbling under my breath, I kick up the pace. When I reach them, my muscles tighten as I take in the strange girl. Long dark brown hair. Highlights. She’s pretty. Andsmall.Hell, she barely reaches my shoulder. Sunglasses cover her eyes, and I want to push them away to see what color they are. Her eyes. I shouldn’t care. But having them covered when we’re indoors causes warning bells to sound in my head. Like she has something to hide, and if Reeves’ response is anything to go by, I’d say she does.

“This is Everett,” Reeves adds, introducing me to her. “And you are…?”

He doesn’t know her. Interesting.

A beat of silence follows, but she finally answers, “I’m Raine.”

“Everett, Raine. Raine, Everett,” Reeves repeats.

Raine.

If she weren’t such a dark cloud on my day, I’d say it’s pretty. Guess it’s fitting, though, considering the circumstances.

“Hello, Raine,” I mutter. It’s tight and forced and makes me sound like a dick, but I can’t help myself.

What the fuck does he expect me to do? Shake her hand and ask where her boyfriend is so I can beat the shit out of him? This is ridiculous. I don’t fake date girls. I don’t fake anything. Shit like this has always been Reeves’ department, and he expects me to what? Jump in with both feet?

This is a bad idea.

Remembering the manners my mother spent years teaching me, I reach out my hand for her to shake, but she only stares at it. Like it’s a snake. One ready to lash out at any second. It makes me feel like even more of a dick.

“Raine,” Reeves interrupts my musing. “Everett can help you with your…issue.”

“Issue.” A quiet scoff echoes past her lips, surprising me. “So that’s what we’re calling him.”

Him.

The asshole.

Great.

“Look, I gotta go.” Reeves takes a step backward, adding, “But, uh, you two chat. Figure shit out. And, Ev? If you need anything, let me know.” He turns on his heel and jogs toward the opposite end of the hall, where his girlfriend waits. I have no idea how long Dylan’s been standing there. She gives him a quick hug, and they disappear from view.

Leaving me alone with a girl I should have nothing to do with.

Fucking promises.

What the hell are we supposed to do now?

Scratching the scruff along my jaw, I tilt my head. “So, uh, I don’t exactly know how this works.”

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