The Love Game (The Game #1)(14)
Author: Emma Hart

“Her words, man, her words.” I smirk and grab my phone, waving it in his direction. “Do you mind? I have to text my girlfriend.”

Ryan lets out a loud laugh and slaps his leg. “Fuck me, that’s a good one. Did you just say girlfriend?”

“You deaf? Course I did.”

“Wait, you’re serious?” He stops laughing.

“Dude, we’re official. You should have known it wouldn’t have taken me long to make it exclusive.” I waggle my little finger at him. “See this? She’s wrapped right round it.”

Chapter Thirteen – Maddie

“See this?” I waggle my little finger around the room. “He’s wrapped right round it.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Megan smirks. “I saw him go mental on Kyle, remember?”

Kay leans back on her bed, crossing her arms behind her head and sighing happily. “This shit is entertaining. And so f**kin’ satisfying.”

“Satisfying?” Lila looks at her.

“Yeah. Braden Carter, Mr. Playboy himself is wrapped around little old Maddie’s baby finger. He’s like a fly in a spider’s web.”

“Except I’m not gonna eat him for dinner,” I remind her. “I’m no cannibal.”

“Well.” She rolls over slightly and waggles her eyebrows. “You could always-”

“Stop,” Megan orders. She holds her hand up. “No further, Kayleigh. That is quite enough.”

“Filthy mind.” Lila giggles. I grin, and Megan pulls out the OPTP plan.

“So, we’re a day ahead of schedule.” She runs a finger down it. “Good going, Mads. What’s happening today? Are you seeing each other?”

“Uh, I’m not sure.” I smile sheepishly. “But I finally gave him my number.” Kay woots. “So he’ll probably call or something.”

My phone chimes, and I reach for it.

“Speak of the devil,” Lila smirks.

Morning, Angel. Free today?

I look up from the message, shake my phone and grin. “Bingo.”

Slow, mischievous smiles break out on the three faces in front of me, and I know it’s about to go down. Megan licks her lips.

“Don’t text back yet.” She uncaps her pen. “After last night, Stage Two should be pretty easy. He went all protective on your pretty ass, and everyone at the frat party would have seen it, heard it, or heard of it.”

“No one will believe it, though,” Lila points out.

“Then whenever you’re in public, you make sure you’re touching, laughing, or kissing.” Kay sighs. “Not hard, guys. Jesus.”

Megan chucks the pen cap at her. “Attitude, Kayleigh.”

“Shut up.” Kay chucks it back.

“Kids.” I laugh. “What’s the plan? I know one is coming.”

“It is.” Megan scribbles something, putting an exaggerated dot at the end. “You’ll double date with Ryan and Lila one night this week.”

“What?” Lila and I say simultaneously.

“You’ll double date with Ryan and Lila,” she repeats.

“What?”

“You. Will. Double. Date. With. Ryan. And. Lila,” Kay says slowly, pronouncing each word perfectly.

“I heard it the first time,” I say through clenched teeth. “No offence, Lila, but if there’s anything worse than dating Braden Carter, its double dating with Ryan.”

“You’re actually kinda lucky it’s Ryan,” Lila muses. “He’s a pain in the ass, but Aston is way worse.”

“This is true,” Kay agrees. “But Aston is one hot mofo.”

“I thought you preferred girls?”

“I do. Doesn’t mean I don’t like a bit of-”

“Okay!” I interrupt to Kay’s laughter. “When is this date happening? I need to mentally prepare myself.”

“And text Bray back,” Megan replies.

“Oh, yeah.” I unlock my phone and look at the screen. “Um, what do I say?”

They all sigh. “What did he say?”

“Asked me what I was doing.”

“Then tell him you’re free.”

“Okay.”

Morning ? nothing planned. You?

I press send and shrug. “Seems easy enough.”

I was hoping to see you. Maybe we could redo the coffee thing? he replies.

I’m sure we can. Meet you there in a half hour?

See you then.

“I’m meeting him at Starbucks in a half hour,” I announce.

“I’m coming!” Megan caps the pen and grins.

“Doesn’t that defy the date thing?” Lila raises an eyebrow.

“No.”

“How doesn’t it?”

Megan sighs and rolls her eyes. “Me and Bray are like family, right? Everyone always thinks there’s something between us – and there absolutely is not, like, ew – so by seeing the three of us together, everyone will know they’re serious. They’ll see that there’s nothing between me and Bray, that there is between him and Mads, and that she accepts the closeness of our non-related brother-sister relationship, therefore solidifying the belief that Braden and Maddie are dating. Seriously dating.”

“But there’s nothing between us.” Confusing. Remind me why I’m doing this again?

Because I hate everything he represents to females. And he’s a good kisser.

And that’s totally contradictory.

“You know that. I know that. Lila and Kay know that, but, Mads, Braden doesn’t.” She straightens out her outfit.

“Neither does the rest of campus,” Kay finishes. “So, to the rest of the world, there is something between you.”

“Great.” I sigh. “You couldn’t challenge me to something easy or fun, could you?” Because I absolutely did not have fun last night. Dammit.

“Never.” Lila taps a message out on her phone. “Everyone’s going to the beach tonight. Another chance to spread the word that Braden Carter has been reeled in.”

Kay grins. “Spread the word? I’m on it.” She grabs her cell, and I shake my head.

“Shall we leave them to it, Megs?” I stand up and grab my stuff. “They look like they have it under control.”

Megan’s light blue eyes sparkle. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Fourteen – Braden

I hear Megan’s laugh before I see her and Maddie round the corner. Company. Brilliant. I know what she’s doing here. Meggy will give me the creepy silent 411 with her eyes-thing she does.

Ignoring my best friend of a lifetime, I focus on Maddie. If I was going to fake date someone, then f**k me, I chose a gem with her. Her figure is obvious even in a denim skirt and simple shirt – she’s not skinny and she’s not overly curvy. She has a perfect mixture of toned muscle and curve that has me itching to run my hands across every inch of her bare skin. That kiss last night didn’t help matters. I felt that damn body against me.