Chapter 7

I padded across the carpet to the door in the corner, far away from the others. The pizza box was still proudly displayed in the center. Why that hadn’t been fixed yet was beyond me. Didn’t Scotty’s dad pay for this place? Surely a replacement wasn’t that expensive.

Staring at the door, my heart was beating wildly because I knew this conversation was do-or-die for Dash and me. I just wished we lived in an alternate universe where Dash wasn’t Cade’s best friend, and we could be together. Hell, at this point, I’d settle for one night with the guy just to see if it would help get him off my mind.

I raised my fist but hovered it over the door for a few seconds. Where do I even knock with all the cardboard in the way? I chose a spot under the box and bit my bottom lip, trying to suppress a nervous giggle because I’d somehow managed to get to Dash’s dorm undetected.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I rocked on my toes, hoping that would get rid of the anxiety building in my bones. Then I played with my hands, crossing and uncrossing my legs like I needed to pee. I couldn’t stand still, knowing that Dash was just on the other side, waiting for me.

I was being ridiculous. For all I knew, he just wanted me over so he could tell me he wasn’t interested. It wasn’t like I was coming here to get something from him. That would never happen, and the sooner I got on board with that, the easier my life would be.

When he opened the door, I immediately smiled. I couldn’t help it. It was a side effect of being around him.

“Dash,” I whispered sharply. “Can I come in before anyone sees me?”

He looked surprised, almost like he forgot that we’d agreed to meet. Granted, it was nearing midnight, so maybe he thought I chickened out and wasn’t coming.

When I heard footsteps shuffling behind him, I peered over his shoulder and could have sworn my heart broke so loudly that everyone in the dorm heard it shattering on the floor.

Right behind Dash’s wide frame was a girl.

Not just any girl.

Sienna.

The same girl he was speaking to at The Draft. She flicked her perfectly curled dark hair out of her leather jacket before adjusting the front, so it sat straight. I hated how beautiful she was because it made me feel so inferior. Of course, he was secretly seeing her. I was nothing compared to a confident, sexy, and vivacious girl like Sienna.

I tipped on my toes before saying, “You know what? You look busy. I think I’m going to head out.” I used my thumb to point behind my shoulder and offered him a smile. It was forced and awkward, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances.

“Madison. Wait,” he said before I could get more than a few steps through the common room, and I immediately stopped at his command. “Can we talk?”

Oh, so now he wanted to talk. When he had the upper hand and a girl in his room. I bit my bottom lip because it suddenly hit me. Dash must have wanted me to see them together. He did have a secret girlfriend and he thought this was his way of letting me down gently. Oh, how I yearned for my bedroom where I could cower under my covers and not see anyone for the next three weeks .

“Sienna was just leaving,” he said with enough gruffness to sound angry. But then again, maybe it was me he was angry with since I technically ruined his booty call.

Sienna nodded and skipped out, only looking up at me for a split second before shuffling past.

I couldn’t help myself; I watched her go the whole way, analyzing her every move, her every breath, just to figure out what she had that I didn’t.

Everything.

She was everything.

Tall. Perfect legs, perfect body, great style.

“Madison?” When I finally brought my attention back to Dash, his brows were lowered, and he watched me with intent. “Did you want to come in?”

Ha. What a loaded question. Did I want to come in? Of course. But what for? I had no idea. So, I set myself up for the notion that it would be so I could apologize for kissing him when he clearly had a girlfriend, and then I could somehow get around his crushing rejection.

Dash stepped back, allowing me space to enter his room. The minute I walked beyond the threshold, I was immediately hit by his woody cologne, which wrapped around me the same way I’d wish he would.

His dorm room wasn’t huge, but it was bigger than mine, and he was one of the lucky ones who had an adjoining bathroom. So at least he didn’t have to share a shower with forty other hockey players. I guessed that was a privilege he earned because he was an upperclassman.

“Take a seat.”

I looked around, slightly bemused, because the only two places to sit were either his bed or his desk chair. Did I want to sit on the scene of the crime? Although, the bed was still made and there wasn’t a crinkle in sight. I must have interrupted them before they’d had a chance to sleep together.

I pointed at his black bed cover and asked, “Is here okay?”

He nodded.

It felt awkward, but to be honest, that wasn’t new. There was always this weird tension brewing between us, which I’d taken to be sexual tension, but now I was much less confident in that assessment. My luck, it was just an unrequited crush that I should have let go of a long time ago.

As I sat on the bed, Dash took a seat in his desk chair a few feet away and placed his hands over his stomach. Watching him twiddle his thumbs, I decided to break the silence. “So, you and Sienna?” I raised my brow because she had suddenly become the most important topic of conversation for me.

Dash rolled his eyes, huffing out a breath as he looked at his door in annoyance. “Sienna’s just a reporter after a story, and I’m not willing to help her find one.”

“You sure about that? She looked pretty cozy in here, like she’d been here before.”

“That’s because apparently, she had. She was snooping. Unfortunately for me, the lock on my door is fucked, and somehow, she knew. She’s looking for dirt and seems to believe I’m hiding something.”

“You are. Me,” I said with a grin. It was supposed to be a joke, but the way he looked at me made me realize it wasn’t funny. “Although she saw me walk in here. Do you think she’d say anything?”

“Sienna is trying to become a bona fide reporter. She’s not going to write about idle gossip. She wants juice. A story that’s never been seen before, and she’s not getting one from me.”

My smile quickly faded, and I nodded. Dash had always been the no-nonsense kind of guy, and I used to tease him about it, but right now, nothing felt particularly funny.

“But Sienna wasn’t what you came to talk about, was it?”

“No. You’re right.” I raised my hands and pressed my lips together because I was the one making a fool of myself here. Sienna and Dash didn’t matter. Dash didn’t want me. He made that clear, so now I had to say my peace to move on. If that was even possible at this point. “About the other night.”

“What about it?” He was looking at me as though he was bored and this conversation meant nothing. I shouldn’t be offended, as that was his normal facial expression, but it was making me feel tiny in this context.

“I kissed you.”

“And you slapped me. Twice.”

“And you don’t think that’s something we should talk about?”

“Nope,” he quipped. “Not really.”

I chuckled bitterly. “Are you serious?” When he didn’t answer, I knew he was. I played with the ends of my hair, thinking about how to word my next sentence. Finally, I dropped my shoulders and said, “I think I need to apologize. I let my schoolgirl feelings get the better of me. I guess I was just running on adrenaline, and I took some bad advice from those football players. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

There. Getting it out wasn’t so bad. In fact, it felt a little relieving.

“What did they say?” His voice startled me. It was so low he was nearly growling.

“Huh?”

“Do I really have to ask again? What did those football players say to you?”

“Nothing.”

“It was clearly something if it gave you the courage to kiss me.”

So, this was how it was going to go? I could feel my face flushing with embarrassment because I didn’t want to tell him that the football team convinced me that he might actually like me.

“It wasn’t them. They didn’t say anything. I’d had too much to drink.” He was still glaring at me, and I’d lost my nerve. Talking to him wasn’t erasing any of my feelings. It was only highlighting them. “You know what? I’ve had too much to drink right now too.”

I stood without thinking, and headed straight for the door, because I would die of embarrassment if Dash told me the football team was wrong about his crush on me. Like literally, I would expire on the floor, right now, and then there would be an awkward conversation with my brother as to why I was sprawled out on the carpet, dead for no apparent reason except embarrassment.

“Madison,” I heard him drawl out in annoyance as I skittered past. I couldn’t look back. Not after everything.

“I know, I know. I’m just the embarrassing little sister.” I tried my best to sound lighthearted, like I was laughing it off, but I was certain Dash knew me better than that. Instead of worrying about it, I focused on the blue lettering of the pizza box taped on the door. I was getting out of here if it was the last thing I did.

“Madison.” He spoke again, but I was too off in my own rambles to really take heed of what he was saying .

When I got to the door, I turned around, thinking one final apology might make me feel better. “It’s stupid. I should remember that I’m always going to just be the little sister. And that should be fine.”

“Madison,” he said much louder now, which made me jump, and when I glanced up to look at him, I realized just how close he’d gotten. My knees were knocking against him, and he was staring down at me, all brooding and angry. It was hot and terrifying at the same time. “Will you listen to me?”

“O-Okay.”

Dash watched me for the longest time before letting out a long, slow sigh. “Madison,” he drawled out my name again, and I wasn’t afraid to admit how much I liked it. It was like audio porn.

“Yes, Dash.” I swallowed, staring into his deep brown eyes, already feeling like I was drowning in his mere presence.

“I don’t know how to say this.”

“Then don’t say it.”

I leaned onto the back of the door, annoyed that I brought all of this on myself. How was I ever going to look at Dash again without thinking about this moment? Without knowing that I embarrassed myself in front of him? He would be in my life forever because he was Cade’s best friend, and I would always be the girl who had a little crush on him. Humiliation flared through my body, and I could feel my cheeks heating. This was really it. Dash and I were never meant to be, and this was the end of that dream.

“Don’t break my heart. Please.” My voice was a soft whimper, and I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact like it was a knife about to stab me.

I felt him shuffling forward, his body brushing against mine, and I could already tell what was about to happen. He was going to try to comfort me. Comfort me . Was there anything more mortifying than being consoled by the guy you loved who didn’t love you back?

His hand rested on my shoulder, and it was then I realized that I was sobbing silently to myself because this had all become too much.

This couldn’t be happening.

I was more embarrassed now than I’d ever been with Henry, and he’d cheated on me in front of the entire school. Now, it was just me and Dash, and yet, it hurt so much more because he meant so much more to me .

Dash’s hand stroked my arm, his thumb making small circles by my elbow. There, we had it. The consoling had commenced, and I was almost certain my heart was on the floor decimated by the impact.

“Madison,” he said more forcefully this time, and I’d prepared myself for the worst. He was going to tell me that I never had a chance with him, and that he just finished getting his dick sucked by the most beautiful girl in this college, or something like that. I sure was a glutton for punishment, wasn’t I? Maybe I should just leave before he could say anything. Wouldn’t that be better?

“You know what?” My voice was croaky, and I couldn’t bear to look at him. “I think I’m just going to go.”

I stepped to the side, but Dash held on to my arm a little tighter. “Madison.”

I raised my hand. “Shh. It’s okay. I get it.”

“No, you clearly don’t.”

I slunk out of his hold and turned so I could leave. As I opened the door, Dash’s hand slapped the wood above me, slamming it shut.

I stared at the cardboard taped to the door, still too afraid to look at him, so I started talking to myself. If I got close enough to the old pizza box, would I be able to smell the cheese from it? How long ago did they have this pizza? Did cardboard that thin hold any kind of soundproofing qualities? My stomach bottomed out, and my eyes grew wide because I suddenly realized that anyone outside could hear us.

“Do you ever listen, Madison?” Anger dripped from his tone, and I couldn’t figure out why he wanted to add to my torture. I just wanted to go and cry in a corner, but he wasn’t going to let me do that, was he? “Turn around.”

The command sent the tiniest of sparks through my spine because even though I knew there was no hope for us, my body couldn’t help but respond to his growl. It was just so hot.

I dropped my back onto the wood and stared at Dash’s wide chest. He was breathing heavily, and his arm was still on the door, caging me in.

“Look at me, Madison.”

“I don’t want to.” I sniffled, knowing I sounded pathetic, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like I was fifteen again with no chest and braces, trying to get the attention of my brother’s best friend, knowing deep down that it would never happen.

With his hand still against the wood, he used his other to tip my chin up. When I finally looked at him, a single tear rolled down my cheek, and I bit my lip, hoping the pain would stop the heartache of him crushing my soul when he rejected me.

Dash watched the tear trickle down my face and cupped my cheek, wiping it away with his thumb. He stared at me for what felt like hours, but it was probably only a few seconds. Either way, I was in agony.

“I’m sorry, Dash.”

“Do you ever stop talking?”

“Not when—”

Then something wholly unexpected happened.

Dash kissed me.

I repeat, Dash kissed me.

Not like a friendly goodbye peck, either. It was a full-on, angry kiss. Almost like he was letting his frustration out on me. It felt like I’d been struck by lightning because my body had never been so shocked. His arm was looming over me, balancing against the door as his large hand cupped my cheek, holding me in place while his lips crashed against mine.

Obviously, I didn’t let this opportunity go to waste. Pushing myself onto my tiptoes, I threaded my hands through his hair and pulled a little. He groaned into our kiss, urging me to open up for him.

I wanted to giggle with excitement, but that was hard to do when Dash’s tongue was pushing into my mouth. The tingling feeling it sent to my core made me dizzy, and I felt like I might burst when his tongue flicked against mine. Would it feel like that if he was licking me down there? I was getting ahead of myself, but how could I not? Dash Bridges was kissing me like I was his only oxygen.

I fell back against the door, too weak to hold myself up, and Dash followed suit, relaxing his entire body against mine. The weight of him felt so good. I groaned as my head fell back onto the cardboard, probably making my hair smell like pizza, but I didn’t care because not only was Dash Bridges kissing me, but I could feel something very hard and long rubbing against my stomach, and I was more than certain it wasn’t his cell phone.

Sprawling his expansive body over mine, the kiss became feral. A hot hunger and an angry heat was coursing through the both of us.

I knew it.

I KNEW IT.

Dash felt the tension between us, too, and he was trying to fight it as much as I was trying to force it out of him.

I didn’t know where this was going to end, but as his hand dropped from my cheek to my hip, and he dragged his lips down my neck, I was more than a little excited to find out.

“Dash,” I whispered because it was the only thing I could get out.

He brought his mouth back to mine and nipped at my bottom lip before soothing it better with a few soft kisses. He was so assertive. Taking everything he wanted from me, and I was letting him. I’d only ever dreamed about seeing this side of Dash, so I was making a conscious effort to commit the entire thing to memory just in case it never happened again.

“Madison,” he growled out, his lips still sealed across mine. My legs were trembling, and when his fingers pressed into my hips, I was almost certain I was going to have an orgasm right then and there.

Biting his bottom lip, I pulled my head back until it knocked against the door and took his lip with me. Then I popped it out with a smile, admiring my handiwork. Plump and red, his lips were addictive, and I wanted to dive right back in.

“Madison,” he whispered a little more clearly this time.

“Yes, Dash?” I heaved out because in the heat of the moment I’d almost forgotten to breathe.

His eyes looked at every point of my face, almost as if he was trying to memorize it. “Your brother’s going to kill me.”

Groaning, I pushed him, but only slightly because I didn’t want him going too far. “Don’t bring him up now.”

I snaked my hands down to his chest and gripped his black T-shirt, drawing him back to me so I could kiss him the way I always wanted to. I wasn’t the most experienced when it came to following through with a make-out session, but being here with Dash was giving me a crash course in just how good a man could make you feel if he wanted to; and he was making sure I’d ace this class.

His hands roamed my body, searing me with burning heat at every point they touched. My cheeks were flushed, and I was hornier than I’d ever been, acting on instinct since my brain was so foggy with arousal.

My hips rolled against Dash’s thigh, and he knew I needed relief, but he seemed reluctant to put his hands where I needed them most. That didn’t stop him from teasing me, though. His fingers gripped my hips, his kisses became savage. It felt like he was releasing ten years of pent-up frustration on me right now.

And I was here for it.

Hard muscles against soft curves never felt so good.

Tipping my head back, I closed my eyes and did everything in my power not to moan, but I couldn’t help it. If it wasn’t my voice, my body was reacting to him. He was just so good with his hands, which were now cupping my ass as he pushed me up the door, so my center was aligned with his.

Again, I nearly giggled in excitement when he dropped his hips so I could feel the hard bulge in his jeans. It was wild and feral and so not Dash.

“Don’t stop,” I urged, feeling my climax building just through dry humping alone.

“I’m only just getting started,” he said as his lips skated across my collarbone. I pulled at his hair, venting my own frustration that it took all these years for him to touch me like this because, clearly, we both needed it.

His hand stilled at the end of my sweatshirt. His kisses stopped before he brought his mouth to my ear and whispered, “Is this okay?”

“More than.”

As his fingers tickled under my sweatshirt, I could hardly breathe, and any chance of gaining my composure was lost when he sealed his mouth against mine. His hand landed on my lace bra, and small sparks of pleasure danced across my body because his cock was rubbing against my jeans, hitting me in just the right spot.

His huge hands explored my chest before he brushed his thumb across my nipple. I wanted to take in a breath, but Dash’s tongue pushed into my mouth before I could. As his thumb tweaked my nipple over and over, I thought I was losing my mind because it was the most pleasure I’d ever felt.

I couldn’t hold it back anymore. There was too much stimulation, so I tipped my toes, trying to outrun the feeling burning in my core. I was getting so turned on that there was a very huge possibility I could come from this alone. I couldn’t do that. Not when girls as hot as Sienna were sniffing around him.

But then he did something so unholy that I had no chance of recovering. He dropped his other hand to my hip, skating it across the apex of my jeans, right over my center. I couldn’t feel much except for his warm heat and tickles against the jean stitching, but it was enough.

With every little push, I was screaming for more in my head but trying my best to keep it together, hoping he couldn’t see just how close I was to climaxing. He’d barely touched me, yet I felt like I was falling into oblivion.

Maybe I was.

“Dash, that feels so…”

Closer. Closer. Closer.

I winced, ready for the inevitable crash, unsure how we would move forward after this.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Dash pulled his hand from my center and smothered my mouth, quieting my moans. I opened my eyes in shock because the bang reverberated through my entire body, dowsing the tension like a fire hose.

“What the hell are you guys doing in there?”

I crushed my eyes shut.

No. No. No.

This couldn’t be happening.

Cade’s voice wasn’t even muffled through the cardboard, and it immediately killed the mood. Any high that I was riding was well and truly gone. Dash had stilled a while ago, but his other hand remained on my nipple because he was too afraid to move it. Hell, there was a very real possibility that Cade would hear the ruffling of my bra if we weren’t careful.

“It sounds like you’re individually plucking each hair out of your ball sack. How many times do I have to tell you? Wax every time, dude. The ladies will thank you.”

I cringed because this couldn’t be happening. Did my brother really just ruin my first sexual encounter? Of course he did. He was the thorn in my side when it came to Dash. He was always going to be right there. Getting in the way.

Dash didn’t respond to Cade. He just stared down at me, his eyes getting wider and breathing heavier by the second. It was as though everything he’d just done had finally hit him. When no one responded, Cade mumbled something before I assumed walking away, leaving Dash and me on the other side of the door, silently staring at each other.

After a good five minutes of what felt like not breathing, Dash finally stepped back, removing his hand and body from me. He was caught up in his own thoughts, and I knew I’d lost him. So close. I was so close to getting what I wanted. My body ached for him, but I couldn’t figure out a way to make this work.

“It was only a kiss.”

“It wasn’t just a kiss, Madison. You know that.” That sentiment was supposed to be in my head, but apparently, he heard it.

The way he said my name, all gloomy and angry, made me feel hot all over again, and it was then that I decided that I might need therapy to discuss this obsession. It wasn’t normal.

“What was it, then?” Yeah, I put it out there because I didn’t want to be caught with the wrong idea again.

“It was everything.”

That was it. His short and sweet answer to our kissing dilemma.

“And…” I closed my eyes because I could feel the weight of his crushing blow about to come down . And it can’t happen again. I was waiting for those words, but he didn’t say anything. I opened one eye just to make sure he hadn’t left the room, and then the other.

Dash was only a few feet away, but it felt like the Grand Canyon was between us. What could I say? I wanted him, that much was obvious, but he wasn’t willing to take the chance to be with me because of my last name, and I couldn’t think of any way around it.

“And?” I prompted, pushing Dash out of his own thoughts.

Dash watched the door in case more noise from the party penetrated into the room. It was getting late. It would be quiet soon, but that didn’t stop the fact that he’d come to his senses about me. Any sliver of hope that we could be together was blocked by my brother.

He shook his head, taking a step toward me. Placing his hand on my arm, I whimpered because I suspected he was going to take us outside and admit everything to Cade. He was just that kind of guy. Too noble for his own good.

“I can’t talk to you in this room when everyone and their mother can hear,” he grumbled before guiding me into his bathroom, and once we were both in there, he shut the door.

Okay, the bathroom was nice. Clean for a hockey player, but it wasn’t a space for two people to be hanging out in. Especially when you were about to get your heart broken.

Dash’s hands skated over my hips, and he lifted me, perching me on the vanity unit before he dropped the lid of the toilet and took a seat.

I wet my lips, looking anywhere in the room except at Dash. I wasn’t going to speak first because if he didn’t want this, then he was going to have to confirm it himself.

Dash rested his elbows on his knees, bringing his hands together in a clap as he blew out a long breath. “Madison, I like you, but—”

There it was again. The unease in his voice. I may not have had a guy break up with me before, but I’d seen enough TV shows to know when he was letting you down gently.

I didn’t want this.

I was almost ninety-nine percent certain Dash didn’t want this either.

So why was he doing it?

Cade.

It was ridiculous. He was willing to ignore the chemistry between us for the rest of his life just because he didn’t want to upset my brother. The same brother who slept with half of Connecticut when he was in high school. Seriously, there were rumors about him sleeping with our friend’s mom, but I digress. I had no business knowing Cade’s sex life, just like he had no business knowing mine.

Not that mine existed.

But the point was that I should be allowed to have one that he didn’t know about. I should be allowed to sleep with the one guy I’ve been fantasizing about and not feel guilty over it. Why couldn’t I get what I so badly wanted this one time?

What if there was another way?

“One night.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I winced because the echo from the bathroom confirmed that I said that out loud. It was just an idea that had been flittering through my head since reading it in a novel last week. A little spark of something that when I went to sleep at night and my hand drifted south that I thought about. If Dash and I only had one night, maybe that would solve everything. We’d either get each other out of our systems, realize we aren’t compatible, or he’d fall desperately in love with me.

Sure, that last one might seem a little optimistic, but why couldn’t it work? One night might be just what I need to dull the desperate ache between my thighs when Dash crossed my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that this was the right thing.

“One night?” Dash repeated, confused.

Well, he hadn’t kicked me out at the mere mention of it, so that was a good thing. I could drop it now, and play it off as some random thought, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to feel him out and get his opinion on it. I’d managed to get him to kiss me after all. What else could I convince him to do with just a little push? “Give me just one night.”

“Of?”

I wet my lips and stiffened my back, in disbelief that I was about to say this but feeling confident that I should. “Us. You and me. Together. For one night.”

I knew it sounded crazy, but it really wasn’t that bad when you thought about it. We both needed this. I needed this, because even if nothing else came from it, at least I tried.

Dash was a quiet guy, but it seemed that I’d stunned him into silence. Stewing in his own broodiness, I watched him lean back and shake his head. “Madison. I can’t do that.”

I couldn’t deny that I was feeling deflated, but it was obvious that was going to be his first reaction. I needed to make the offer more enticing. “ Why not? You just kissed the crap out of me against your door.”

“I did, and that was a mistake.”

“A mistake you’re no doubt going to tell my brother about, right? Well, if you’re going to get punished for something, you might as well go all the way with it.” My logic was flawed. It was like saying you’d already beaten someone up, why not kill them? But it seemed Dash was contemplating the idea, so he might have been as drunk on arousal as me. He took a sharp breath and slowed the rubbing of his hands.

I was getting so jittery and nervous; I was about to pee my pants because, on top of trying to convince Dash, I was low key trying to convince myself that this was a good idea. He just had a girl in his room for crying out loud, and I was desperately trying to convince him to sleep with me because I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Not to mention the tiny fact that I was a virgin.

Was I getting myself in too deep?

Maybe, but it wasn’t like Dash was going to be easy to convince, anyway. Besides, I’d already come to terms with the fact that I’d throw out all my logic just for one night with him. Even if it was the biggest mistake of my life and he broke my heart after. I needed to know what it felt like to be with him. I needed Dash to be my first regret if that was what he ended up being.

“No,” Dash lamented.

“Yes.”

He chuckled humorlessly. “I’m not going to sit in my bathroom and barter over whether or not I’m going to sleep with you, Madison.”

“Then what do you call this?”

“Trying to stop your delusional thinking.”

“Delusional thinking?” I pouted my bottom lip out, pretending to be stronger in my conviction than I was. This was right. We both needed this. Dash just needed a little push, and I was more than happy to provide one. “Maybe you need to think outside of the net for once.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Delusional thinking is at ten years old imagining you can make it to the NHL against so many other people. Delusional thinking is believing that you and your best friend will be able to play for the same team for the rest of your lives. Delusional thinking has gotten you further in life than you think. Do you really call the chemistry between us delusional? Because the way your hand gripped me earlier says otherwise. You feel it. I know you do.”

Dash made an incoherent noise. Not unusual for him, but the way his lips were pressed together made me think I might have been winning him over.

“One night, Dash. Get me out of your system. I’ll get you out of mine, and we can move on with our lives. No one has to know. Not even Cade. You can go on like normal because all of that tension between us will disappear.”

“How much did you drink with Cade before you came in here?”

“Nothing. I’m sober as a nun, and I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever had.”

Dash stood. I was losing him, but I was a fighter, and I wasn’t going to give up. Not when what I wanted was in reach. He wanted me. I felt it in that kiss.

I just needed this. For my own sanity.

Pushing myself off the vanity, I jumped in front of the bathroom door before he could get to it. Dash nearly stumbled into me when I created a human-sized barrier to this conversation ending. In this position, he was towering over me, watching me in disbelief. I was lost for words. “Dash. Please.”

He was silent, but when his hands swept across my shoulders and I felt tingles, there was a tiny bit of hope that he was about to make all my dreams come true.

He bent down, his face coming closer to mine. I was losing my breath and my sanity the longer he made me wait.

“Madison. This isn’t happening. You’re Cade’s sister.”

His eyes softened as my chest heaved.

Cade. Cade. Cade.

He was always talking about Cade, but when was he going to shut up and finally talk about me?

I glared at him, trying to silently communicate that, but he didn’t get it. I was losing hope, but I just had to try one more time.

“If that’s your only excuse for not going through with it, then it’s pathetic.” He moved back, almost surprised at my outburst. I seemed to be doing that a lot with him recently. Maybe I was just tired of sitting around, waiting for something to happen with him. “That feeling in the pit of your chest whenever you think about me, I have it too.”

Dash trained his eyes to the floor, and that was when I knew I was going in the right direction.

“This tension won’t end between us unless we get it out of our system.”

“So you keep saying.”

Dash could easily pick me up and move me out of the way if he wanted to, but he hadn’t. He chose to stand, hovering over me, giving me that sexy, snarly scowl and expecting my panties not to get wet over it.

“You’re his best friend. His teammate. You’re going to be around him forever. Therefore, you’re going to be around me forever. What’s worse? Having to explain why there’s all this sexual tension between us, or getting rid of it, so we can be normal with each other?” His jaw was tight, and I felt his fingers flex against my shoulders, almost like he agreed.

“Let me think about it over the next few days.”

“No.” I was adamant it had to happen tonight, otherwise it wouldn’t happen at all. I wasn’t stupid. I knew that Dash was acting on instinct and with his dick right now. If his brain got involved and started thinking about the consequences, nothing would happen, and I’d forever wonder what could have been.

“Tonight. Give us one night. Get me out of your system.”

His breath was labored now, but I let it sink in because my logic was starting to make sense. So much so that even I believed it was the best course of action. If we got it out of the way, then maybe we could both move on from it. Not that I wanted to move on, but again, if all I was supposed to be was a ‘hit and quit’ then I’d take it.

Dash’s hands were still curled around my arms, and I laughed to myself because here I was again, pinned to a door, waiting for him to make a move. It wasn’t going to happen, so I needed to take destiny into my own hands. Cupping his cheeks, I stood on my toes and brushed my nose against his. “You’ve already kissed me.”

Slowly, I swept my nose across his face until I got to his cheek, then I kissed the corner of his lips. His body tensed, but he didn’t move me away. Again, a good sign. Moving to his other side, I kissed the corner of his mouth. Still no movement, but I persevered. “It will be our little secret,” I whispered before swiping my tongue across my lips, preparing to kiss Dash one final time.

Only I didn’t get a chance.