Page 50 of Confessions of a Former Puck Bunny

But just before we reached the stand, Ryder grabbed me, curled me into his body, and flinched as a bullet burst against his back.

“Aww, you took the hit, just like you said you would.” My sappy smile turned to a frown. “You should’ve let it hit me. You’ve got a way better chance at getting that flag.”

“No way, you’ve got it. You’re so close.” Ryder put both hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. “Shoot so they have to duck, and then run like you’re on fire.” Before I could say that I’d rather check out some of the alternatives and take more time to make a plan, he gave me a quick kiss and shoved me in the other direction. “Go!”

I fired toward the place where two guys from the other team were camped out. As soon as they ducked, I sprinted with everything I had in me.

I was only a couple of yards away from the flag when I got pelted in my upper back.Damn. That stings.

I lowered my gun, a sense of failure going through me. I knew Ryder wouldn’t care, but I’d wanted that stupid flag.

Gunfire erupted off to my left and the guys who’d tagged me went down, paint splattered across their chests. Megan darted out into the open. Dane came right behind her.

He tapped me, unfreezing me, and the three of us ran for the flag.

Dane took a hit.

Three feet…

Megan swore and froze in place.

I spun around, fired with reckless abandon, and then launched myself at the flag. A few paint pellets hit near my feet, sending up sprays of color.

My fingers wrapped around the flagpole, and I jerked it free of its stand and waved it through the air.

“Game!” Daniel called. Then he turned to me and held his hand up for a high five.

Holy shit, did we really win?I slapped his raised palm, feeling a huge grin spread across my face.

My team rushed me, and Ryder was right there, lifting me in the air. Winning sent a flood of endorphins through my veins, and suddenly I totally got the jock thing. I mean, obviously I’d always understood the attraction to them, but this…? This was a high I hadn’t experienced since the first edition of theHeightsthat I was in charge of successfully went out, not a single typo in sight.

“See. I knew you could do it,” Ryder whispered in my ear.

“Only because you guarded me and got me within a few feet.”

“I think that means we make a good team.”

“I think so, too.” We kissed, drawing it out and letting the rest of the world melt away for a moment.

Daniel stood up front. “Okay. We can either go for a rematch, or do a free-for-all round.”

The crowd was pretty unanimous on the free-for-all vote.

“Five minutes to reload and then we shoot until every gun is empty!”

Ryder cocked an eyebrow at me. “You down? You can sit it out if you want. I know the paintballs kind of sting.”

I clicked my tongue at him. “Do I look scared?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ryder

I was telling the truth when I said I knew there was something more to Lindsay the moment I laid eyes on her, but the girl constantly surprised me and was even more amazing than I’d expected. I looked into her big brown eyes, slightly obscured by the paint on her goggles, and fell even harder for her right there on the spot.

While I’d accused her of having a grudge against fun, the more time I spent with her, the more I saw that she made everything more fun. I grabbed her hand and we sprinted over to refill our guns.

Once everyone had two loaded clips, we stood in the center of the arena again.

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