The Love Game (The Game #1)(17)
Author: Emma Hart

“Hey,” I groan. “No distracting me with kisses.”

He pulls his head up and grins at me. It’s a kind of sexy grin, and one I’d melt at if it was anyone other than Braden. Yes – Braden. Playboy, player, user of women for his own pleasure.

Yep. That did it.

I slide to the side of him and sit up, shaking sand out of my hair.

“Watch where you’re flingin’ that shit.” Kay bats at my hair. “That could take my eye out. It’s a lethal f**kin’ weapon, Mads!”

“Oh, shut up, you.” I flick her with the ends my curls and notice the others have disappeared. “Where did everyone go?”

“They went to get food from the barbecue while you and Casanova were sucking face.”

I shake my head. She can be crude sometimes, but it’s just her. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Hey, Kay.” Braden leans round me. “Isn’t that your friend over there? Darla or whatever she’s called?” Oh, great.

Kay huffs. “If you wanna be alone, just say.” She stands, gives me a playful salute, and saunters off to where the blonde bombshell that is Darla is standing.

I turn my face and look out past the fire and the partying to the water as it rolls up the sand. It’s always the same at the parties. Whether it’s a frat party, a dorm party, or a beach party. I always feel like the only one not enjoying it.

After six months of following my old best friend round them while she chased after my brother, only to get her heart broken, can you blame me? No. I don’t blame me either.

“You’re somewhere else,” Braden observes. Remembering I hate him would be so much easier if he wasn’t already so tuned into me.

“Just thinking,” I reply, keeping my eyes trained on the clear blue sea. “You don’t have to stay here, you know. You can go find the guys.”

“No.” He leans against the tree and pats the space next to him. Sigh.

I crawl backwards and sit next to him, curling into his side as he wraps an arm around me. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he lifts my legs so they’re resting over his. He brings his knees up, and I’m wrapped around him like a blanket. His cheek leans against the top of my head.

I can feel the eyes of people from the party on us. It’s making my hairs stand on end, making me want to get up and run away from this whole fake production.

But then – then there’s a little part of me enjoying it.

Chapter Sixteen – Braden

I learned three things last night.

One, Maddie Stevens fits in my arms perfectly. Two, I want to f**k her, badly. Like, really f**kin’ badly. And three, her hair smells like apples.

It’s been nine days since Ryan and Aston challenged me to make Maddie fall in love with me, giving the limit of a month to do it. I won’t need a damn month at this rate. She’s falling – and she’s falling hard and fast. I give it ten days, and I’ll prove to them I can do it and then I’ll walk away from her.

Because, let’s face it, if I was a falling in love kinda guy, I’d fall in love with someone like her. Under that curvy body, fiery hair, and behind those pretty green eyes is a girl unlike anyone I know. I’m also pretty damn sure I won’t meet anyone like her either.

And that’s the problem. When she smiles at me, really smiles, I can see her turning me into a falling in love kinda guy. That makes her dangerous, too f**kin’ dangerous, and I gotta get her in bed and walk away before it’s too late.

She’s tapping a message out on her cell with her brow furrowed as she walks around the corner towards me. Her hair is swept to one side, hiding her face from the rest of the world. I step out from where I was waiting in the stairwell and grab her hand, twirling her into me.

She looks up at me with wide eyes and leans against my chest. “Dammit, Braden! You have to stop doing that to me.”

“Doing what?” I grin down at her.

“Scaring me,” she huffs, pocketing her phone.

“Everything okay?” I push her hair back from her face.

“Yeah, just my brother.” She frowns again and shakes her head. “Doesn’t matter. He’s just being his usual stupid self.”

“Sure?” I smooth the frown lines out with my thumb.

“Yep,” she says brightly. A little too brightly. She smiles but there’s no light in it, not like there was last night. And I’ll be damned if I wanna find out what’s going on instead of wanting to f**k her in every possible way right now.

It’s because she’s Megan’s friend. That explains the whole caring thing that’s starting to go on here. Of course.

I kiss her forehead and link our fingers. We leave the stairwell and head towards the campus cafeteria. It’s not the best food in the world, but I know she has a class in half hour. I swear she takes every damn class possible.

We follow the line through and find a small table in the corner. I’ve already noticed she hates being the center of attention.

She’s picking at her food and barely eating any of it. I want to talk to her, but I haven’t got a clue what to say. I must be the most insensitive guy ever, but feelings have never mattered much to me. To me, the only feelings that mean anything and are real are in the bedroom.

Until I look into Maddie’s sad eyes. Then her feelings are very, very real.

Instead of talking, I settle for sliding my hand across the table and taking hers in mine. I’ve seen guys do it in those stupid movies Meggy’s made me watch. Maddie looks up and gives me a sad, worried smile and I figure it’s comforted her some.

What the f**k do I know?

“Hey, Braden.” A girl with long, blonde hair approaches me. The perfect distraction.

If I wasn’t in this f**king fake relationship.

“Hi?” I reply. I’m pretty sure I should know her name, but I’m drawing a blank.

“So I was wondering if you were free tonight. We could, y’know, pick up where we left off last time?” She twirls some hair round her finger and juts out a hip.

Fuck. Why does this shit keep happening?

“No, sorry.” I say, feeling Maddie’s eyes on me. “I’m not available anymore.”

“What do you mean, not available?” Blonde girl looks between us. Are all the girls I sleep with blonde? Shit.

“As in, I have a girlfriend.”

“Who happens to be sitting right across from him,” Maddie mumbles. There isn’t enough ‘shits’ for how I feel right in this moment. Why is it always chicks that can mess up my carefully laid plan?

“Oh, yes. I didn’t notice you there.” Blonde girl turns to Maddie. “I mean, you’re not his usual type, honey.”

“Maybe that’s why I’m his girlfriend, and you’re a discarded weekend f**k whose name he can’t even remember, honey.”