Page 44 of Ignite

Ethan:Why do you think?

Eric:Correct answer allows your pretty face to go unharmed

Ethan:I have a surprise I want to organize for Rylee, and I want to ask Felicity for her advice

Eric:Permission granted.

Ethan:I wasn’t asking you

Eric:Permission granted to court Rylee. Reece and Trey have had a bet on whether you’d find your balls before Christmas or not.

I had to laugh. Rylee and I had thought we’d been subtle, but most of the town had probably guessed by now that I’d only had eyes for one woman.

Ethan:Where was your money?

Eric:I’m still not sure you have any balls to find.

Eric:Flick is asleep. She’ll text you tomorrow.

Eric:And if you hurt Rylee … ask our last Captain-Coach what happens.

Ethan:Noted.

I wasn’t going to bust Eric’s balls for looking after the team’s little sister.

But I was going to spend the rest of the night watching her sleep.

Chapter 13

Insanity Burns

“Anothergloriousmorningofsunshine and bushfire alerts. The Meringa Rural Fire Service is hosting its famous meat pie challenge today. For your fifty-dollar donation, the bravest of our locals will test their hunger against the clock. Last year’s champion demolished one dozen pies in five minutes. All proceeds will go towards upgrading the emergency radio which failed to get a government grant. With bushfire season starting early this year, we need your help to keep our community safe. In other news …”

Rylee

What had I been thinking last night—hooking up with Ethan Cooper?

I could only pleadinsanity. How else could I explain waking in a strange bed, lying naked next to the only man who could drive me to murder, put me in a sex coma, or argue the toss of a coin?

Ethan Cooper could do all that to me, and more.

Last night, I’d gone half an hour out of town with one purpose—to revenge-fuck my ex out of my head and heart. After all, he’d now gotten himself engaged, while I’d been the scorned ex-girlfriend still crying into my cup of tea.

I needed to move on.

But that hadn’t been the only reason I wanted to cut loose. Today was—no. There would be time for thinking about the date when I got back to Meringa.

What I’d needed last night was to get away with my girlfriends and forget about my ex and the date. When my girlfriends had decided we deserved a girls’ night pub crawl in Beringi, I’d been the first to agree.

Except, I’d never been the type of girl to hook up with anyone and had lost my nerve before ordering my first drink. Then, they’d all found reasons to leave the bar before I’d made my escape.

All my good intentions to sober up and drive home flew out the window when Ethan Cooper worked up the courage to save me and claim me. I could have handled Ray. He was a well-known, drunken asshole. Every girl in a hundred-mile radius had either knocked him back; or knocked him on his ass.

But Ethan didn’t know Ray or his reputation. As far as Ethan was concerned, he’d been my white knight. I hadn’t complained because, thanks to Ray and his pathetic form of flirting, I’d gotten more than my second kiss.

I’d momentarily given into my need to be someone other than good, little, Ophelia Mettner from small town Meringa. Ethan Cooper had let me screw him, before giving me the space I’d needed and time to talk.

In the end, last night had been perfect. Ethan had a footballer’s build and muscles on top of muscles.

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