Page 44 of Face Me Off

“Okay, Crouching Tiger. Do you feel better?”

“Yes. I do.” The laughter dies, and Ryan steps toward me. He looks at his shoes and then back to me. The small space between ignites with unspoken words.

We haven’t talked about our “extracurricular activities.” In fact, we haven’t talked about anything other than our studies. I’ve darted out in the last few class sessions before he could stop me.

“Well, I better go.” I point behind me for no reason. Where I’m headed is straight ahead of me. But I’m committed now and step backward. Looks like I’ll be taking the long way home.

“Maddy, wait,” Ryan says. He grabs my hand, and his touch sends shockwaves through my body. I look down at our interlocked fingers and then back to him. His eyes are serious, the light gray in them sharp and assessing.

“I think we need to talk.”

“Ryan.” The word comes out in a hushed whisper. “We shouldn’t be seen together. We…”

“Should what?” His voice is quiet but carries a subtle edge that wraps around my soul. He takes a step closer, hand gripping tighter.

“We shouldn’t be seen together. You know this.”

“Fuck that. You know what we have is more. Those ‘lessons,’ as we call them, are fucking hot. We deserve to see where this goes.”

“But what about the lawsuit? Shouldn’t we wait until that’s settled?”

“I’m tired of tiptoeing around our fathers. We’re not the Hatfields and McCoys. This is us, not them. I don’t see where hanging together interferes with that.”

“But our parents?—”

“Are big boys and can take of themselves. They’re not our worry.” His face softens. “Look, I only have to worry about not making waves until after the Gala. All bets are off once the teamsecures the donation from some big wig donor. I don’t see why that would interfere with what we have here.”

The Gala isn’t for a couple of months. It’s a charity event for the hockey team. I’ve always wondered how it would be. “The Gala, huh?”

“Yes.” He erases the distance between us. “We could go together.” His voice is barely a whisper, laden with something that feels like hope.

“Together?” I breathe out as a sense of weightlessness worms its way through my chest. Is that hope that maybe this could work?

His thumb traces circles on the back of my hand, and I have to fight to keep my composure. “Yes, together. As in, you would be my date. Our parents won’t find out, so I don’t see why we couldn’t go.”

“What are you saying, Ryan?”

He looks at me, his eyes so intense it feels like he’s seeing straight into my soul. “You know there’s more between us than study lessons.”

My breath hitches as he leans in closer, our faces inches apart. I can feel his warm breath against my skin, and I’m suddenly hyperaware of every inch of him touching me.

“Besides,” he murmurs, “I think it’s about time we stop lying to ourselves.”

A shiver runs down my spine at his words. “Ryan, I…”

He presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. His gaze drops to my mouth. “God, I want to kiss you right now.”

My breath hitches. I want that, too. More than Ryan will ever know.

“We just have a few more weeks to wait,” I say.

“Fine, we’ll play it safe for a while longer. But no one, even this Dr. Steinberg, can keep me from you.”

I feel my face pale. “Who did you say the donor was?”

“Dr. Alexander Steinberg.” His face scrunches. “Why? Does he sound familiar to you, too?”

“Yes. He’s good friends with my father.”

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