Playing for Keeps (The Game #2)(3)
Author: Emma Hart

My head moves forward, and I smile gratefully at her. “See.” I glance Lila’s way. “This is another reason I knew they’d be perfect for each other. She kicks his ass, and I get a break from his adorable protective act.”

“Adorably annoying,” Maddie corrects me. “It drives me mad, so I have no idea how you put up with it.”

“It’s normal for me. He’s always done it, so it doesn’t really bother me anymore. It’s a bit like white noise now. Besides, I already begged his mom to give him a baby sister when I was thirteen, and she refused.”

“Wow, was he really that bad?” Lila snickers.

“You really want to know?” I glance between them, and they nod. “Okay, we were six and it was fall. We’d spent all weekend collecting conkers for school on Monday, and I had the perfect one. Braden always won against me, but I’d won our practice battle on the way to school with it. There was this boy who had a kiddie crush on me – Adam Land. I challenged him to a conker fight and won. He hated being beaten by a girl, so threw another one at my head. Braden jumped on him and bit him.”

“He bit him?!” Maddie shrieks, and Lila laughs.

I put my hand to my mouth and giggle silently as I nod. “He bit him so hard he drew blood. His mom went crazy when the principal called her.”

“That’s brilliant. I wish my brother would have done that. He would have laughed,” Lila muses.

“Okay, now I’m really glad I talked him into going tomorrow no matter how worried I am about it.” Maddie tries to muffle her giggles.

“Does this mean I get to see a different side of Megan?” Lila asks, a glint in her eyes.

“Hey, it doesn’t mean I’m gonna grab some guy by his collar and drag him to bed just because Braden isn’t here.” I drop my eyes to the floor. “Maybe.”

Besides, I flit through a perpetual state of love-hate where the guy I want to take to bed is concerned. I live the Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy kind of love in Pride and Prejudice. Luckily enough everyone else only sees the hate.

The fact crazy little butterflies fire up in my stomach whenever Aston Banks walks into a room is my secret. And I don’t intend to share it anytime soon.

Chapter Two – Aston

Her blue eyes are focused on the words on the page in front of her like they always are. I’ve never known anyone to spend as much time with their nose between the pages of a book as Megan does. Everywhere she goes she has one – in her bag, in her lap, next to her.

No one else notices. And no one else notices the fact I do.

Her brow furrows, and she sucks her bottom lip into her mouth as she sweeps her long blonde hair from her face. She gathers it at the back of her head and snaps a band from her wrist, tying it up and exposing the sleek curve of her neck and the skin there. I spin my pen between my fingers and glance at my own book.

Off limits. That’s what Megan Harper is.

I knew the first time I saw her I could never have her. The way she holds herself and the sarcastic yet polite comments – she has endless amounts of “screams rich girl”, a class I never have and never will be in. It’s engrained in her to treat everyone with respect no matter what you think of them. I’m certain she could face a serial killer and have at least one nice comment for him.

She does for everyone.

Everyone is treated the same way, and every sarcastic, almost bitchy comment is followed by a softer one. Every frown or fleeting dirty look is followed by an apologetic smile and every slap is a playful one. Everyone is equal until they prove her otherwise.

Except me.

I’m the exception to her rule. And I f**king love it. I bring it on myself, but I can’t help getting under her skin and shaking her up. It’s addictive, sparking a fire in me I can’t put out once I’ve started. She bites so easily and her voice snaps a reply to me sometimes before I can even finish what I’m saying.

It makes it easier to keep away from her. Makes it easier to take a random girl I don’t give a shit about to my room every weekend and f**k her instead. If Megan showed even one ounce of interest in me for something other than a battle of words, I’d be next to her like a damn gunshot.

I’d have her in my bed and underneath me quicker than a f**king bullet.

“What’s the matter? Bored of looking at your usual tarts?”

I blink. Her face is turned toward me, her large, bright eyes questioning, and I smirk.

“Depends if you include yourself in that statement.”

“I don’t exactly have a high opinion of myself, Aston, but I don’t think quite that badly of myself either.” She bites the end of her pen. “The last thing I’d want is to be one of your tarts.”

Ouch.

“That’s a shame.” I lean in closer. “I think you’d fit in perfectly.”

“Really?” She smiles insincerely. “‘Cause I’m afraid I don’t quite make the cut. For one, my panties tend to still be on by the end of the night.”

“It could be arranged for it to be otherwise.”

“The only way they’ll be coming off is if I take them off myself.”

I grin. She’s getting the tell-tale flush to her cheeks, and her eyes are shining a little more like they always do when she’s annoyed. Shit, I’ve been on the receiving end of this look enough times.

“Hey.” I lean back, resting my foot on top of my other knee. “Whatever floats your boat, babe. I’m not against a little striptease.”

Megan runs her tongue across the top of her teeth and stares me down. “Then go and look in your goddamn mirror, ‘cause you aren’t getting one from me.”

I can’t help the upturn of my lips just like I can’t help the images in my head. Her jeans are tight enough, I don’t need to imagine the curve of her ass, but I do imagine it minus the jeans and her bent over, pulling her underwear down.

Blood rushes down my body and I shift. Jesus – a hard on in English isn’t what I need.

“Another shame.” I drop my hands to my lap. Fucking thing has a mind of its own. “You have just enough ass to get it right.”

“So do you, but I don’t see you standing in front of my table and ripping your clothes off to a cheesy tune.” She barely bats an eyelid, taking her eyes from mine and going back to her word. “And thank God I don’t.”

“Braden goes tonight,” I say, changing the subject completely.