Page 12 of Taylor

“Taylor... I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it’s not necessary. You’re a great guy and really the only one of my father’s players I don’t mind being here. But you don’t have to pretend you’re into me because... Well, for whatever reason, you’re doing it.”

“I am into you. I’m not pretending. You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes got big. “What?”

Shifting closer to her, he cupped her jaw. Her tongue licked her bottom lip, and he was done. He leaned in slowly, giving her every opportunity to back away. Yet she stayed right there,with her eyes on him. She closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath.

Then he pressed his lips to hers and had never felt anything like it before. His body lit up with want and desire. From the inside out, he was fucking glowing at this simple kiss. Then she opened to him ever so slightly. That was it. He was fucking gone for this woman after one kiss.

He scooted even closer to her, slid his hand up into her hair, and let his other hand wrap around her waist, pulling her close. Her softness under his hand undid him. He grabbed at her soft waist, pulling her even closer as he deepened the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth. She tasted like hot chocolate.

This moment was one of those rare, perfect moments. The sweet taste of hot chocolate while kissing a beautiful woman next to the glow of a Christmas tree while the snow piled up outside listening to Bing Crosby crooning. Perfection. All of it.

Then, all of the sudden, she stiffened and pulled back. Taylor let her go and opened his eyes to find her face drawn and tight.

What the fuck just happened?

6

Alice

What the fuck just happened? This was unreal for so many reasons. She was here to figure her life out. Not to get lost in a crush on a guy so far out of her league. She was done pining for unattainable men. Getting a pity kiss was not going to help with any of that.

“I have to go.” She stood quickly and made her way upstairs.

“Alice, wait.” Taylor stood. “I’m sorry if I?—”

“No, it’s fine. I just need to go.”

She didn’t chance another glance back at him. She made it to her room and shut it quickly behind her and paced. What the hell just happened? This was not what was supposed to be happening. Taylor Campbell had just kissed her and called her beautiful.

She flopped on her bed, held a pillow over her face, and screamed.

Peeking out of her room, she saw the hallway was clear. She quickly made her way to the bathroom and got ready for bed.

Quickly, she made her way back to her room. After pulling up an audiobook, she popped in her earbuds and crawled under the covers. She would figure out what to do about this tomorrow. Maybe, by then, Taylor would be gone.

What was wrong with her? If she was normal, she would be having sex with a hot hockey player... Instead, she was alone and freaked out in her own room. She was disgusted with herself. Not because she wasn’t having sex but because she just couldn’t bring herself to believe his interest in him was anything more than pity. That’s all it ever had been. She was the joke. Or she was being used to get to her dad. Nothing was ever real.

She pushed away that thought spiral. That one hurt even more than the one about being a fuck-up. She did deep breathing and focused on her audiobook. It was a cozy fantasy romance about a girl who accidentally summoned a demon hopelessly in love and devoted to her. It was easy to get lost in. Sleep finally found her, and she was grateful for the reprieve from her own mind.

The next morning, she stretched as her eyes blinked open. She enjoyed a few peaceful moments before what had happened last night crept back into her mind. Pulling her pillow over her head, she groaned. He would be leaving today, and maybe she could just stay in here long enough, so he would be gone.

Although... she did have to pee. Again, she peeked her head out of the door and listened. The room’s door he had put his stuff in was open. The place was quiet, not a sound. Maybe he was already gone. She grabbed her towel off the back of the door and dashed to the bathroom.

She quickly closed the door behind her and turned on the water. It was almost over. Maybe part of her getting her shit together would have to involve moving far away from Glendale so she would never have to face Taylor again. Getting away fromher family and the embarrassment of last night sounded pretty good.

That embarrassment only got worse when she opened the shower door. There, like a beacon in the night, was her dildo. Her rainbow unicorn horn dildo. The mortification of Taylor seeing that when he showered last night was palpable.

She should probably just leave the continent. That was the best course of action.

Of course, when she picked it up, because her current life was a comedy of errors, there was a knock at the door. She screamed and flung the colorful dildo across the room. It hit the door with a thud.

“Alice? Are you okay?”

“Yep. I’m good,” she said, praying he would go away.

“Okay, well, I’m going to go unless you need anything.”

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