Chapter 26

With my head hung low, I tentatively stepped out of my bedroom and into the dorm hallway. Thankfully, it was still early enough that no one was around. I needed the quiet to get out of here with no one seeing my red, raw eyes from crying myself to sleep last night.

I glanced at my phone on the desk before closing my door. I turned it off before going to sleep and planned on leaving it like that for the rest of the day because I didn’t see the point in taking it with me.

Why have it when the only person I wanted to talk to was also the only person I was too afraid to get a message from?

Dash had been hounding me with calls and texts, and if I were a better person, I would have answered and heard him out. Scotty raised a lot of good points during our chat, and after some thinking, I decided I needed to focus on myself for a hot second instead of everyone else. I’d been so hell-bent on getting Dash’s attention that I’d failed to see the bigger picture with all of this. I failed to remember who I was.

So that was what I was doing right now .

Focusing on myself because no one else was.

I needed to take a breath, and make sure that I was doing the right thing for me.

Putting my sunglasses on, I pushed through the doors and walked out of the building before tucking my hands in my sweatshirt. With my head down, I hoped I could get a coffee and walk to class without anyone seeing me.

“Madison.”

Really? I stopped and huffed out an annoyed breath because I couldn’t even make it two feet out of my dorm before Dash found me.

“Madison’s not home right now,” I said with pointed annoyance, refusing to look back at him because I knew the minute I did, I’d fall into his arms, and he’d see I’d been crying the entire night.

Walking faster, I hoped I could shake him off and maybe hide in a bush before he could see, but unfortunately, the campus was impeccably landscaped, and I couldn’t see a bush big enough for me to hide in.

My eyes were red-rimmed, my body felt exhausted, and all I wanted to do was stay in my dorm for at least two weeks. Having to see Dash wasn’t something I wanted to deal with.

His heavy footsteps loomed closer, so I picked up my pace, refusing to look back.

“Madison. Stop.”

His voice was urgent, but I obviously ignored it because he had a hell of a lot of explaining to do. It wasn’t until I looked over my shoulder that I slowed, realizing that running from Dash was pointless. The guy’s stride was at least three normal steps, and he seemed to have a knack for chasing me down. It didn’t matter where I hid, he’d always find me.

Sill staring at the ground, I accepted my fate and turned to face him. I needed to get this over with. There was always a feeling in the back of my mind that Dash and I could only end in disaster. I’d just hoped I was wrong. But now that I’d seen the truth, there was no point in delaying the inevitable heartbreak that was coming my way.

When his feet came into view, I tipped my chin, surprised to see that his hair was a mess and he had obvious dark circles under his eyes. He looked just as exhausted as me .

“Madison,” he said when he finally got close enough, and surprisingly, he bent forward, wheezing from the chase.

“Wow, Big Man. Really? Chasing after a five-foot-four girl has winded you? Aren’t you supposed to be an elite athlete?”

Still taking deep breaths, he shook his head, laughing. “Don’t start with me, Madison. You know speed isn’t one of my strong points.”

“That I do,” I mumbled sarcastically.

Dash lifted his head, looking at me with bloodshot eyes for the first time. I didn’t want to admit it, but there was a smell lingering between us. My nose twitched as I took in his rumpled clothing, and I couldn’t let it linger. “Dash, you stink.”

He laughed bitterly. “Hard to take a shower when you’re sleeping outside on a bench.”

My brows furrowed, and I looked into the distance, seeing the small bench just outside my dorm. “Wait, you actually slept on the bench? I thought Todd and Aster were exaggerating when they told me you wouldn’t leave last night.”

“You weren’t answering my calls or texts. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe wait for me to contact you like any other normal person would do?”

“I think we’ve established that I’m not a normal person when it comes to you, Madison. Besides, I know you. You were never planning on calling me back again.”

I pouted my lips out and tipped my chin up, trying to seem defiant, but feeling like I was about to crumple into nothing. “You’re right. I have no reason to call my brother’s playboy best friend.” I took him in, curling my lips with disgust. “I should have known that you were seeing other people. It was just so obvious, but I was blinded by how much I liked you.” I pushed him a little, trying to get my anger across. “You told me Sienna was just a girl looking for a story. I didn’t realize that story was in your pants.”

He stepped back, surprised at my outburst. “She is looking for a story, and she found one.”

“Oh, let me guess… she found out you have a twelve-inch cock?”

“I don’t—” He shook his head, growling in frustration. “ You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

He got his answer when he saw my angry scowl.

“She couldn’t find anything on me, so she found a story on your brother instead.”

I rolled my eyes in disbelief. “Sure. I bet that’s exactly why you were dragging her into your room last night, too.”

“It was,” he refuted. “I was dragging her in there because she was refusing to tell me what she knew about Cade. I needed to threaten her but couldn’t exactly do that in front of the rest of the hockey team.”

With my arms now folded, I watched Dash’s expression change. There was something in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before. Desperation, maybe? Exhaustion was probably more likely.

“What did you do? Threaten her with your sword because, frankly, that thing could poke an eye out if you’re not careful.”

Dash grumbled, running a hand through his hair before shaking his head. “You make me crazy, Madison. I have no interest in Sienna. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, and I had you right in the palm of my hand, but I somehow fucked it up because I was trying to protect your brother.”

“Protect him from what? Cade’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”

“Scotty told me that you spoke to Cade last night, so I’m sure you understand how incapacitated he was. There was no way he could deal with Sienna on his own. I urgently needed to find out what she knew because there’s a very real chance it could be about his extra-curricular activities.”

He didn’t need to elaborate. I knew what my brother did in his spare time when he thought no one was watching. I also knew that it could get him in huge trouble with the NHL if he was ever found out.

“Did she know anything?”

Dash shook his head. “I don’t think so. She mentioned a couple of names, but that was it. I think she’s still trying to figure out the story, which means Cade and I have time to stop it or find something else for her to focus on.”

I raised my brow, my lips turning up. “That’s an awfully convenient excuse, isn’t it?”

“Madison, think about it for a second. If I was trying to hide something, don’t you think I would have been able to do it? I’ve managed to hide us pretty well.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? That if you were cheating on me, I wouldn’t know because you’re better at hiding it?”

He growled, dropping his head. “What can I do to get you to believe me?”

I thought back to Scotty’s words from last night. He told me to hear Dash out and had essentially vouched for him. Scotty had nothing to gain by asking me to do that, so why was I still reluctant to listen?

“Don’t you get it? You’re the only person in this world that I want to be around. I hate the fact that I didn’t try to date you in high school. I hate that you ever thought dating Henry would make you happy. I hate it that you can so easily flirt with every other guy on campus and not see that it makes me want to kill them. I hate that whenever I look at you, all I want to do is kiss you until you can’t remember your own name.”

Well, that reluctance was starting to fade. Dash’s harsh breaths were all I could hear as he looked around, making sure we were still alone. My mouth dropped, but I didn’t know what to say. That was the most Dash had ever spoken about anything, let alone his feelings, and out in public no less.

“You’re the only reason I broke Henry’s nose. It was all for you because you deserved so much more than him. You deserve more than me, but I’m too selfish to let you go.”

“Why does it feel like you’re going to rip your shirt off and turn green in a minute?” I tried to soften the tension with a joke because I’d never seen him so intense.

“Madison.” It was another growly warning, which seemed to be all he did with me these days. “I just want to talk to you.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?”

“Yes, but sometimes it feels like we’re not saying anything.” He reached his hands out to touch me, but I took a step back. He sighed, dropping his arms, and seemingly giving up. “Look, I just want to have a conversation with my girlfriend. Alone.”

With pinched lips, I looked at him, confused. “Girlfriend? Thought you didn’t want to do that until you told Cade about us. Which you’ve been too chickenshit to do, might I add.”

“So, we’re having this conversation here? In front of everyone? ”

“There’s no one around, Big Man. It’s just you and me.”

“I wasn’t chickenshit. The minute I finished with Sienna—”

I raised my hand and cringed at the mere mention of her name. She made me feel desperate and stupid, and I hated that. “Can we please stop talking about Sienna?”

“Absolutely.” Dash pulled his phone out, showing me a note on his screen. “I’d been planning all the things I was going to say to your brother for weeks. I finally cut it down to a few minutes, and after having a heart-to-heart with Cade, I told him.”

The words took a few minutes to process, but when they did, I yelled, “What?! You told my brother about us?”

I took a step forward, and for some reason I raised my hand, ready to slap him in the chest, but Dash caught it with ease, holding my hand in the air as he looked down at me. “I thought that’s what you wanted me to do?”

“Yes, before Sienna.”

Dash growled. “Stop talking about her. She means nothing. When are you going to realize that there is no one else? There never has been. No other girl compares to you because, for some asinine reason, my heart only beats when it sees you smile.”

I shut my mouth, staring at Dash with confusion. “Have you been drinking?” This wasn’t like him. Not at all.

“No.” Dropping our hands to his heart, Dash pulled me closer. “I told Cade about us, but he was so drunk, he’d fallen asleep before he heard it.”

Again, I couldn’t help but feel disappointment at those words. “Why does every part of this story lead to another convenient reason for Cade still not knowing about us?”

“No. It’s actually very inconvenient, because I decided I really wanted to surprise you on our date tonight with that news.”

I pushed out a laugh, looking to the side. “You still think we’re going on a date tonight?”

“Do you really think I’m going to give you any other choice?”

With our hands still resting on his chest, he interlaced our fingers, and dropped his forehead to rest on mine.

“Dash, we’re in public.”

“I know. ”

He dipped down so his lips ghosted mine.

“Then you might want to back away.”

“I’m never backing away from you again, Madison.” He caught my lips with his, and when he kissed me, I felt it all the way down to my toes. I knew at that moment that he wasn’t lying. I could feel it with every swipe of his tongue and every squeeze of his fingers. This was it. I was it.

As he pulled away from me, his dark eyes took me in. “It’s always been you,” he whispered. “I’ve never seen another girl except for you, and I never will.”

“Ditto.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head a little. I’d always want Dash, and the idea of holding back to make a point felt ridiculous considering how he just laid out his feelings to me. “Guy, of course. I’ve never seen another guy except for you. Well, unless you want to count Henry, which I still view as a severe lack in judgment during my teen years. Or Tate Sorenson, but I guess you’d call him a celebrity crush more than a reality thing. Also, I think he’s like ten years older than me, so it’s not like it would work out, anyway.”

Dash’s hands cupped my face, forcing me to stop talking and focus my attention on him. “Madison, will you please let me take you on our first date tonight?”

That was all he had to say to take my breath away.

“Yes,” I said without hesitation.

“Great, then I need you at the hockey dorm at seven.”

I looked at him quizzically. “The hockey dorm? What about the rest of the guys?”

“They’re going out for some surprise birthday party for Scotty.”

“And you’re not? Won’t they be angry if you miss it?”

“No. I’ve attended too many parties over the last few months. Scotty will understand. He probably won’t even notice I’m not there once he realizes that Erik managed to convince the girl he likes to come.”

“He has?! And you don’t want to be there to see how that goes down?”

“Like I said before, Madison, you’re all I want to see.”

My lips quirked the tiniest bit as I tried to hold back my smile, but it wasn’t working. There was just something about the way he talked, all gruff yet assertive, that made me melt.

“Okay. I’ll come over tonight, but until then, I’ve got class. Care to walk me?”

“Gladly.”

Unlike yesterday, Dash offered me his arm, and I looped my hand through it, happy that it felt like he was almost proud to show us off to the rest of campus.

When we passed other students, he didn’t hide or cower away from anyone, and I liked that feeling. This was his apology, and I was happily accepting it.

Standing in the hockey common room, it was the first time I’d ever felt out of place. Usually, I was here to see my brother, but tonight, I was here to have a date with Dash, and it was just us.

Well, I thought we were on a date, at least. It didn’t feel like the kind of date I was expecting. I couldn’t lie. I’d just assumed when Dash invited me up here that we were going to have filthy, dirty sex all night, so I didn’t bother wearing panties. Now, as I admired the perfectly set dinner table, I was feeling bad for completely misreading his intentions, and a little cold.

With the kitchen island acting as a barrier between us, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Dash was standing on the other side, reading off a handwritten recipe, making me dinner, which was in itself swoon-worthy, but he was also wearing this black leather apron that was doing things to me it shouldn’t.

I was hot, and Dash didn’t help the situation when he licked some sauce off his thumb.

Rubbing my thighs together, I pushed the fabric of my miniskirt down and made my way over to the kitchen. Taking a seat on one of the barstools opposite Dash, I leaned over and watched him tend to the rice. “Smells delicious,” I drawled out, and he responded with a usual grumble.

“So, are you sure you’re okay with missing Scotty’s party?”

“Yes.” Short and to the point. I was getting the distinct feeling that he didn’t want to talk, which was fine. He probably needed the quiet to concentrate, and I didn’t want to get in the way.

Pushing myself off the barstool, I let my hand brush across the countertop as I explored the room while Dash was busy. A large wicker basket caught my interest, so I strolled over and opened the lid. “What’s this basket for?” I asked, pulling out a rubber duckie and making it squeak.

He looked up and shook his head, letting out a low rumble of laughter. “Scotty introduced it when we moved in. He calls it the basket of doom. He hates messes, and it’s the only way to keep this place looking good. We shove everything in there that’s found out here, and if it isn’t claimed in two weeks, it’s thrown out.”

Just as he finished, I pulled out a purple lacy bra and cringed. “Guessing no one is going to claim that.”

“You don’t want to know where that was found, but I’m guessing it’s a friend of Erik’s since most of the girls he sleeps with like being watched,” he said before stirring the rice.

I raised my brows and dropped the bra back in the basket before placing the lid on top. That explained why I saw Erik out here sleeping on the couch that last time. Wincing, I really hoped I hadn’t walked in on a freshly fucked Erik. I shivered, trying not to think about it as I walked away from the basket.

Strolling around the couch, I let my fingers dance across the fabric as I made my way to the TV. It wasn’t on, but there was a little picture beside it, and it was the first time I’d gotten close enough to see that it was a team photo from last year. Dash was in the back, towering over everyone and scowling. The uniform made him look menacing, and his height only added to it.

“Dinner’s ready,” he said, and by the time I’d gotten to him, the food was already on the table and Dash was holding out a chair for me. Pushing my skirt down one more time, I gave him a small smile before sitting. He kissed the top of my head as he tucked me in. “I hope you like it.” His breathing was jagged, and he let out another low, almost anxious chuckle. Was Dash nervous?

As if my heart couldn’t warm any more for this man, it almost felt like it was melting from his behavior. I was the one causing his nervousness and that was something I never thought possible. With Dash Bridges, no less.

“I’m sure I will. It looks delicious.”

Dash seemed calmer now as he sat opposite me, reaching for his fork .

“Cheers.” I raised a glass, and although surprised by my gesture, he dropped his fork and followed along. Bringing his glass to mine, they clinked together. “To us.”

He tipped his chin in acknowledgment, and after taking a sip of his wine, he went straight to eating as if I weren’t here. He was hoovering up his dinner, and just as I was about to take my first bite, I dropped the fork onto the plate because I wanted to say something.

With my hands braced on top of the table, I let them dance across the wood before asking, “Do you think this is weird?”

“What?” He stopped himself from taking a bite and looked at me.

“You and me being on a date.”

He coughed, seemingly annoyed at my question. “No. Why? Do you?”

“No. Um, it’s just…” I was squirming in my seat, not really sure how to broach the subject. “You’re not talking.”

“I don’t talk much.”

That made me feel bad. I wasn’t trying to suggest Dash should change. I knew who he was when I first approached him, but I guessed I was just expecting something a little different.

“I know, but you went to all this effort to cook for me, and you’re even skipping Scotty’s party to be here, so it kind of feels like you might want to talk more instead of just getting to the point.” He kept staring at me and it made me nervous. I couldn’t help myself; I kept talking. “But if getting to the point is what you want, I’m not wearing panties, because I kind of assumed you’d want quick and easy access. Just so you know.”

He closed his eyes and breathed in, and I knew I had struck a nerve. “You aren’t wearing panties?”

“Nope,” I popped out with a big smile.

He pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I knew I should have taken you out to a restaurant for dinner. That shit is too tempting.”

I instinctively crossed my legs, sitting up straighter. “But you didn’t take me to a restaurant. Why?”

“I didn’t because I wanted it to be just us. Like you said. I wanted to get to know you out of the context of everything else.”

“Well, I’m here now, Big Man. I’m yours for the taking, so take me.” Lifting my fork, I took a bite of the risotto and let out a hum of approval .

He paused, then shook his head with a smile. I loved that I could break the tension between us so easily. I playfully knocked his foot with mine from under the table, and when I moved my foot back, he followed, leaving his leg in between mine. Like he didn’t want to stop our connection.

“Later. Let’s enjoy our meal first.”

“Oh, I agree.” I took another bite and closed my eyes to savor the taste. “This is the best dish anyone has ever cooked for me.”

“Thanks,” he grumbled, chewing the risotto with little enthusiasm. What was wrong with the compliment? “It’s my mom’s recipe.”

Oh.

Keep it together. I didn’t know much about Dash’s mom, but I knew she passed away right before he moved to Connecticut, and that it was a topic he never talked about.

“Did she teach you to cook?” I asked as I took another bite, hoping that hid my nervousness about asking.

“Kind of,” he said quietly. “After she died, every Sunday, my dad and I would try to make one of her recipes.” He gestured to the handwritten note on the countertop in the kitchen. “Dad said it didn’t matter how hard we tried, it never tasted the same, but sometimes having the smells in the house made us feel like she was still around.”

My chewing slowed because that was the most heartbreaking sentence I’d ever heard. Dash usually hid his feelings, but he opened up so quickly about this. With me, no less. I felt this burning desire to go over and hug him, but I didn’t think he was done yet, and I wanted to give him the freedom to talk for once.

“She passed away right before I met Cade.” Dash didn’t look at me, he was just staring at his food as though it would have all the answers. “When I moved to Connecticut, it was for a fresh start, so I didn’t tell him about her at first.”

“Why not?”

“Because I didn’t want him to know. People change when they find out you’ve been hit with a tragedy. We ended up becoming that family in our town. You know, the ones with the tragic story, and people are so thankful that it didn’t happen to them. I was treated as this poor little kid who would never grow up under a mother’s influence because mine got cancer. I was that story parents told their kids at night, reminding them to be grateful for what they had because poor Daniel Bridges just lost his mom.”

“Dash,” I breathed out, my heart feeling heavy.

He glanced up, his eyes dark and serious. “That was when I started hating people. No one understood me, and I couldn’t figure out how they didn’t get that. We just wanted to grieve on our own and not be reminded of our tragedy every day.”

“I’m sorry.” Tears threatened to fall, but I held them back because I didn’t want him to think I was just as bad as those people. I wasn’t upset over what happened to Dash, I was upset over the little kid that everyone seemed to forget was just that. A little kid.

“Don’t be. My dad and I moved to Connecticut for that very reason. We didn’t want people to feel sorry for us. We needed a fresh start.” There was a whisper of a smile on his face. “And Cade was that for me. I still remember the first day I met him. I was on the ice, trying to practice my skating because I was so slow, but I couldn’t catch a break because there were two older guys circling me. At one point, they tripped me up, and I was lying on the ice, ready to go home. But then brother glided over, knocked those two guys out like it was nothing, and then held his hand out to me. Once I was back on my skates, he berated me and told me I should get in the hockey net because that was the only way I was ever going to make it onto a hockey team.”

“What an idiot.”

“No. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. He was the first person to treat me like I was just any other kid, and I liked that the only reason he wanted to help me was because he wanted us to get into the NHL together. I never thought it would actually happen, but I guess his determination pushed me to want it too. I had no drive at that age, and my dad was busy with work or grieving. It was your parents that drove me to games and kept my life going while we tried to repair ours.”

I swallowed because the gravity of the situation started to take hold. This was the reason why he didn’t want to betray Cade. Their bond ran much deeper than I realized. Still staring at his risotto, I noticed the fork in his hand was shaking.

Instinctively, I pushed my chair out, walked over to him and sat on his lap. Dash’s breathing was slow and methodical as I brushed the hair out of his face. “I didn’t meet your mom, but I’m sure she would have been proud of the man that you’ve become. You’re dedicated, strong, determined, and you treat people right. I’ve never met someone I look up to more than you, and not just because you're ridiculously tall.”

He couldn’t look at me for a second, but when he did, I saw raw sadness in his eyes.

“You think?” He cracked a smile, trying to break the heaviness in the room.

“Definitely. You’re caring and focused, and when you care for someone, you put everything you can into making them happy.”

“Thanks.” He flicked his gaze down, taking a minute before looking back at me. “I think she’d like you too.”

“Really?” I said, cringing. I’d never met a boyfriend’s mother before, but I always figured I wouldn’t make a good impression. “I bet she’d think I talk too much.”

His smile grew wider, and those deep brown eyes of his started to lighten. “Nah. She’d like you. You make me smile.”

Resting a hand on my chest, I said dramatically, “I do?”

He chuckled and squeezed my thigh. “Yeah, I love the way you ramble.”

“Oh, thanks.” I sat up straight, trying really hard not to be offended because Dash had just spilled his guts out to me, but geez. Couldn’t I have gotten one compliment? Like he could have said my hair looked nice, or something, but rambling? No one wants to be told they ramble.

“Hey.” He kissed the side of my neck, drawing my attention back to him. “It’s a good thing. You make it so I don’t have to talk to people.”

“Oh, so, you like me talking?”

He smiled with a side smirk. “I love it. You fill the silence with something I want to hear.”

My heart fluttered, and if it were possible, it would have fluttered out of my chest at all the things Dash was saying to me. I just couldn’t believe I was here.

Dash leaned in and kissed me, long and slow, and that did everything to confirm that he was telling me the truth.

Pulling away, he rested his forehead against mine. “I still remember the first day I met you, you know?”

“You do?”

“How could I forget? Isn’t that what you called a core memory before? It’s etched in my brain forever. Your mom invited me for dinner, and you were there, talking about some TV show you were obsessed with.”

“Sharks.” It was all I had to say to confirm that I remembered that day too. “I loved sharks.”

“I know. The goblin shark was your favorite, right?”

“You remember?”

“Oh, yeah. I remember every single fact about sharks you said that day. No one else was listening, probably because they’d heard it a thousand times, but I did. You had this light, airy way of talking that made me feel comfortable, and completely forget about everything bad going on in my life. Even then, there was something about you that intrigued me. I just didn’t know what it was. At the time, I assumed it was to do with your unabashed confidence.”

My eyebrows drew together. “Unabashed confidence? I wouldn’t say I had that then.”

“You did. When it came to school, you and Tiff were taking classes above your grade, and outperforming people like me. It was only after Henry was an asshole that you decided to show everyone else what a badass you were. You gave no fucks after that and just did whatever the hell you wanted. That was when I knew I was wrecked for any other girl because who else could be as good as you?”

Pushing him gently, I laughed and turned away, trying to hide my blushing cheek. “Oh, Big Man. You’re a charmer when you want to be.”

Dash took the opportunity to kiss the spot right behind my ear. I melted. He just felt so good. So right. His breath skated across my ear when he said, “And you’re sitting on my lap, not wearing panties.”

His hand grasped my thigh as he worked his way up to the edges of my skirt. I swatted him away and moved off his lap. “As much as I want to have some fun tonight, my risotto is getting cold, and it’s too good to go to waste.”

He watches me as I skipped back to my seat, plucked my fork from the table and started to eat.

When I finished chewing a bite, I said, “I also want to apologize to you.”

“For what?”

“Kissing you at The Draft and teasing you until you had no choice but to go behind my brother’s back. I realize now the gravity of your friendship, something I’d never really appreciated before, and I wouldn’t have pushed so hard if I’d known how important Cade was to you.” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, holding back a smile. “Well, I should say probably, because I know I would’ve gotten drunk at some point this year and asked to make out with you, anyway.”

“You didn’t make me do anything. I could have said no.”

“I’m not so sure. I was all over you at The Draft. I was worse after it, and I kind of tricked you into sleeping with me a couple of weeks later.” I sucked in a breath, really starting to evaluate how bad my actions were.

“How did you trick me?”

“I told you it was just one night, knowing full well I’d want more.”

“And I accepted the one night, knowing full well that I was going to try to get another round in the morning.”

“You were?” I raised my brows in surprise. “Well, crap. Now I feel bad that I left you.”

“No, you shouldn’t. You needed to leave.” He swiped his napkin across his lips and placed it on the table. “We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t.”

“What makes you think that?”

He shrugged. “I figured I got my taste, and that was it. That was all a guy like me deserved.”

“A guy like you deserves everything. Like I said before, you’re loyal, dedicated, and your calf muscles are huge. I mean, seriously, what do you do to make them look like that? It’s not normal.”

“Tend a goal every day of the week.”

“Well, that’s not something I’m going to do. Maybe I could tend your bed instead?” I popped the last forkful of food in my mouth.

“Your brother might have something to say about that,” Dash muttered. He had a habit of bringing up Cade at the most inappropriate times, but I’d lay off him for now since we were still eating. “Do you want seconds?” he asked.

“Nope. I’m full.” Standing, I pushed the chair in and walked over to the couch, toying with my dress straps.

“What are you doing?” Dash asked, watching me curiously.

“Getting ready for my dessert.” I winked, pulling one of the straps down, revealing my shoulder. Without another word, Dash followed me. His mouth immediately dropped to my collarbone so he could kiss my now exposed skin.

I thought he might push me onto the couch, but when his hands wrapped around my waist, and he hauled me over his shoulder, I squealed, desperately trying to keep my skirt from riding up.

“Dash! Where are you taking me?”

His palm rested on my fabric-covered butt as he squeezed my left cheek and walked to the other side of the dorm. “Taking you to my room because I don’t want anyone spoiling my dessert.”

I squealed again when he managed to push the fabric of my skirt up so high that my ass was on show. He playfully slapped one of my cheeks and then kicked his door open.

This was going to be the start of a long, fun night.