Page 6 of Challenge Accepted

Vance tucked his sunglasses into his pocket. “Boston is crushing us. It’s not good, man.”

His friend rubbed his palms down his thighs. “You have no idea how hard it is not to run down there and rip that headset off the coach.”

Both of them sat forward as SU’s fullback made a key interception. Jed and their friend Donnie both surged to their feet with a shout. The stands erupted into screams and boos when the ref threw a flag on the next play. Finally, the game started to get exciting and the clock ran out.

When Vance sat back, Presley nudged him with her shoulder. “You and your friends are far more entertaining than the commentator.” Presley grinned and her nose did this little wrinkle thing.

Man, she was a freaking knockout.

The cheerleaders came out to the middle of the field for a routine. He found himself looking for her reactions instead ofenjoying the short skirts. A few of his buddies went out for beer and food, but he couldn’t tear himself away.

“Do you want something to eat?” she asked her date.

“You can go if you want,” douchebag replied, not even looking up from his phone.

“Wow,” Vance muttered under his breath.

She shrank down in her seat and played with the ends of her hair.

Crap, what an asshole. He turned in his seat, thinking he could cheer her up, and saw the grim set of her jaw as her other hand fisted in her lap. Not the shrinking violet. In fact, if he didn’t miss his guess, she was going to let the jerk have it.

Wolf whistles rang out as the big screens changed from the field to the camera making its way through the crowd. He rolled his eyes. Fucking Kiss Cam. Nothing like putting someone on the spot.

Awkward kisses, or way too many men showing just how inept they were in a romantic gesture—not his favorite part of the night. She arrowed her attention to the jumbo screen and laughed at some of the antics of the children in the stands as well as some of the couples.

An older couple a few rows down from them got caught and the man planted a smacking kiss on his wife to the crowd’s delight. When it panned up to their section, Presley froze. Her pretty face filled the screen with King Douchebag next to her looking at his phone.

She elbowed him and the guy looked up then shook his head.

The crowd booed and she looked at Vance helplessly.

“Dare you to kiss me,” he said.

Her eyebrows shot up and her glossy lips parted. She looked to her date, then back at him.

“I double dare you.”

The crowd chanted and she leaned in, cupping his jaw with her slim, soft fingers.

“Oh, hell yes,” he mumbled just as her lips touched his.

Three

Presley’s breathstalled in her chest the moment his firm lips met hers. His close-cut beard tickled her palm and buzzed the skin around her lips. Then his fingers were in her hair and her stomach flipped.

Oh, wow.

Gentle and just the slightest bit aggressive, his kiss matched his personality. He tasted like dark beer and all the adventure she never allowed herself to chase. She opened to him because she couldn’t stop herself. And he took. A teasing swipe of his tongue ended in a light growl before the kiss melted into a laugh.

The crowd lost their mind, but she didn’t care about any of that. His honey gold eyes were right there, sparkling with mischief and a bit of the devil. He slipped his fingers along the ends of her hair. “If I told you I wanted to do that again, would you slap me?”

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Daniel gasped from the other side of her. “Are you fucking serious?”

Presley turned to him. “This stranger has paid more attention to me in three minutes than you have since I walkedup to the front of the stadium.” She stood. “In fact.” She turned to the man that had just kissed her stupid then left her laughing. He was the kind of guy she wanted to be with tonight. “I double dare you to leave with me. Right now.”

Vance stood without hesitation. “I came with my friends.”

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