Page 47 of Don't Hate Me

“Then if you win, I leave,” I said with a shrug. “Since you’re so good at the game, that shouldn’t be hard, right?”

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before looking at the scoreboard. She was number two right now, so the chances of her winning were very high.

“I don’t usually take people home,” she murmured, her voice not as strong as it once was. She was thinking about it. I could see the thoughts of the two of us dance behind her eyes.

“I don’t usually try to win video games to try and get laid.” My comment caused her lips to twitch.

“Deal,” she said and leaned down to place two more coins in the machine. “But I doubt you’ll get higher. I’ve been playing this for years.”

I gave her a smile. “We will see about that, won’t we?”

She kept that confident face until I pushed her aside and readied my stance. She probably expected me to give some half-assed attempt, thinking that this was easy. But I knew it wasn’t. I also knew how important it was to her.

“Hit start for me, would you, babe?”

Her face flamed red and caused my stomach to heat. I learned quickly that I loved riling the little secret agent up.

Reaching forward, she slammed her hand down on the start button. I sent her an amused smirk before turning my attention to the game. I shot the first few zombies in the head, missing one on purpose. She froze next to me, her breathing stopping entirely.

How does it feel for someone to beat you at your own game, little agent?

Blake

No, she couldn’t—in less time than I ever had, she had gotten multiple combo shots and a streak.If she kept this up… she would win… and I would have to take her into my apartment.

The apartment that was being monitored by the Secret Service nonetheless.

If they saw me bring her in, they would expect a report on my relationship with her and would probably run a background check.

It would be troublesome, but—

I watched in awe as she ruthlessly killed the zombies. This was something I had never been able to share with anyone, yet here she was—andthreatening to beat me. Anger and frustration started to build inside me.

I didn’t want anyone to be better than me at this,especiallythe girl who had rejected my match.

It was childish, I knew that, but that didn’t stop the anger from boiling under my skin. But not just anger. Anger and fear that I may actually have to watch someone beat me at a game that was supposed to bemine.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She stood there, both hands gripping the gun as she shot it. Her face was concentrated on the screen, the light bouncing off her fair skin.

It was odd seeing her without the mask. Her eyes had been captivating enough behind it, but seeing her without the mask was even worse.

After some time, I wasn’t even paying attention to how she was playing the game and instead just focused on her. Memorizing the planes of her face. Her high cheekbones and plump lips. I wanted to trace them. Wanted to run my hand through her hair.

I had imagined what she looked like under the mask. It was always hard to make out the face behind it, but now that I could see all of her unobstructed and out in the open, I couldn’t help but replace all the images in my fantasies with her real face.

“You’re good,” I said with a dry mouth.

She didn’t respond. She didn’t have to. We both knew I was stating the obvious.

And then, in the last few minutes, she somehow missed the opportunity to get double points for her kills. I opened my mouth to mention it to her but quickly slammed it closed.

You could still win.

I would have to be almost perfect, but I could do it. I gritted my teeth as her score flashed across the screen. It was five points more than my last game.Justfive.

She pushed the gun into my hand with a smirk.

“Show me what you got.” Her chuckle caused heat to flash across my skin.

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