Page 21 of Monster's Delight

He cupped my jaw in one hand. “Easily.” He didn’t sound like he was joking.

We stood like that for a moment, sexual tension building between us until I was sure that he would kiss me, but then he cleared his throat and took his hand away.

“Your turn.”

Dazedly, I refocused on the table. It took me a moment to register what I was supposed to be doing.

If he shakes me up this much and we’ve barely touched, how would I handle a relationship?

I sank another ball and earned an “I” before I missed.

“Ai...” I said thoughtfully, passing the cue over to him. “So many names could start with that.”

“You’ll just have to hope you get the chance to sink another ball then,” he teased me.

I chose a seat, getting comfortable to watch him play, and sipped on my fruity drink. I was definitely feeling the buzz of the alcohol at this point, but it was the nice kind, not the sick kind. Watching him move around the table, sinking ball after ball, I was mesmerized by the flex of his muscles under his shirt, and the pop of his ass whenever he bent over.

“Only one ball left,” he said at last. He handed me the cue. “I scratched, so you can place the ball wherever you want.”

I drained the last mouthful in my glass and put it on the table beside me before getting to my feet.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, holding me steady by my waist.

“I might be a little tipsy,” I said. “I’ll just work my magic and help my liver along.”

He winced. “Mind if I do it for you? I tried it on myself once, and let’s just say that I wasn’t able to walk the next day.”

I paused to consider that, to decide whether I could trust him. “You didn’t drug me, so I trust you.”

“Good.”

Almost instantly, I felt the weight of the alcohol dissipate, leaving behind a pleasant buzz. “Oh, that’s so much better. Thank you.”

“Are you going to finish the game?” He tapped my nose with a finger. “Or are you going to call me Ai for the rest of time?”

I stuck my tongue out at him and whipped my hair over my shoulder as I spun. “Better get that third letter ready.”

I sank the last ball neatly into the corner pocket and stood, triumphant.

“Good job. D.” He pulled me close by the cue before tossing it behind him. “What’s my name, Siobhan?”

“Aid... Aiden?” I guessed.

“Got it in one.” Aiden smiled down at me, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my skin.

“Siobhan! We’ve got to go! Curfew was fifteen minutes ago!” Una’s shriek pierced through the bubble surrounding us.

Aiden released me. “I should gather my friends and get them back too. I’ll find you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” I said, disappointed. “See you.”

I was grateful that he’d removed most of the alcoholic effects, because the mirror travel almost had me heaving when we landed in the back of the academy two minutes later.

“What are we doing back here?” Rhiannon whispered.

“We’re going to sneak in through the mess kitchen,” I replied. “The front door will be locked at this hour. Come on.”

We cast invisibility charms over ourselves and then snuck through the hallways until we reached our dorm rooms.

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