Page 19 of Trade Deadline

“Oh, this is going to be so good,” Nate whispers gleefully.

When they look up, my eyes lock with familiar, stormy gray eyes that seem to light up at the sight of me.

“Well, hello, Alex,” Blaine says, a smug grin on his lips. “Fancy seeing you here.”

My face heats. Fuck.

I hate how my body instantly becomes alert around him. Electricity prickles at the base of my spine, and my heart kicks against my chest.

He makes me nervous, but like a good nervous. I need to play it cool so he doesn’t see the kind of effect he has on me. Leaning my hip against the counter, I fold my arms across my chest and cool my features.

Raising a brow, I ask, “are you following me?”

I know he isn’t. It’s simply a coincidence—I hope—but I can’t help the laugh that escapes me when his face morphs into a mixture of shock, nerves, and embarrassment.

“Uh, no,” he splutters, the tips of his ears turning the deepest shade of pink. “W—we were in the area as Zach wanted these donuts, and I—"

“I’m kidding,” I chuckle, interrupting his cute ramble.

He pulls off his ball cap with a sigh, running his hand nervously through his hair and gripping the back of his neck. “You got me good, then.” He looks down at his feet, hiding a sheepish smile.

I flash him a toothy grin. “What can I get for you guys?”

Blaine looks at Zach, who’s crouching down in front of the glass cabinet, his hand resting against the glass as he scans the selection on offer like a child, and Elliot is grinning gleefully at the two of us.

Nate’s looking at Elliot, eyes roaming his long, lean form like a predator would his prey.

I clear my throat when his tongue darts out to lick his lips, and shake my head when Nate turns to look at me.

Don’t even think about pouncing on him, I mentally say with a glare.

His lips tip in a devilish smirk, and he gives me a careless shrug before looking back at Elliot.

My best friend is ruthless.

When neither of them speaks, Blaine turns his attention back to me. Gone is the nervous, stuttering mess he was less than a minute ago, having been replaced with the cocky, confident hockey player I met last night, making me wonder which one is real?

He rests his side against the counter, propping his elbow and forearm on the polished surface, and hits me with a dazzling smile.

“You must be tired…”

Umm, I’m what now?

He must pick up on my confusion as he continues, “Because you’ve been running through my mind since you left me last night.”

Nate bursts into laughter beside me, and I snort. “Really?”

Blaine gives me a lopsided grin, completely unfazed by the cheesy pick-up line he just landed on me. “Yep! I have more for you. Wanna hear them?”

“Hit me with your best shot.”

“Well, I’m here, so what are your other two wishes?”

I cover my face with my palm to hide my laughter. “You’re ridiculous, you know that? It's astonishing how you get so much action.”

I notice his cockiness falter for a brief second. “Well, you’re the first person I’ve had to pull out these lines for. You’re really making me work for it, Alex.”

“Work for what?”

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