That I am in love with him.

Or that he is in love with me.

It’s total insanity, but to be sure, I’m taking advantage of the distraction of my friends. That is until it’s time to go to the Gilroy with the guys, because as soon as I see him in the kitchen, I’m breathless. He looks all tall and big and manly and… Ugh, I just want climb up his body to nuzzle my nose in the scruff of his jaw. He meets my gaze, and I think he’s thinking the same thing I am.

Which is a whole lot of sex.

Drinking him in, I grin as he tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans, his beanie hanging low on the back of his head, while his shoulders look like they’re gonna bust out of the jacket he wears.

“I forgot how sexy Jayden was,” Delanie says as she walks past me. “Good job, Baylor.”

Rolling my eyes, I watch as she squeals before running to Jace and wrapping her arms around him, kissing him fully on the lips as if they’ve been dating since forever ago.

“He is mighty fine,” Mandie says from my left, and I grin as he comes toward me.

“Do I look okay?” I ask, my gaze stolen by his as he heads my way. I went out on a limb and wore skinny jeans with a cropped top, not that he can see it, but my hair is down in big, fluffy curls and my makeup is insanely awesome, thanks to Delanie.

“Yes, you’re hot, babe,” she says just as he stops in front of me.

Leaning over, he gives Mandie a sideways hug as he says, “Hey, Mandie.”

“Hey, good to see you again.”

“You too,” he says before his gaze falls on me again. I feel all warm and fuzzy under his gaze, and soon I’m grinning like a fool as he reaches out, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Stunning, as always.”

Wrinkling my nose, I look away, shaking my head. “Shh, Jayden.”

He laughs before looking over at Mandie. “She doesn’t take compliments well.”

“No, not at all, unless she asks for you to give one to her,” she laughs.

“She asks?” he asks, feigning shock. “Really?”

As I roll my eyes, Mandie laughs. “Oh yeah, two seconds before you walked up, she asked me if she was hot,” she says with a wink. “But excuse me, let me get my sister before she stays in to have sex with your brother instead of going out.”

That has us all laughing as she leaves us to go to where Delanie and Jace are now making out. I look from them to Jayden as he says, “So I have to wait for you to ask me to tell you that you look good for you to receive the compliment?”

“No, she’s delusional. Come on, I’m getting better at the whole compliment thing,” I say but his brow rises.

“You are?” he asks doubtfully, and I glare.

“Yes,” I assert, leaning my shoulder into his. “Now, come on, are you ready?”

His eyes move down my body and then back up, and when they meet mine, I can tell he wants to say something, but he nods instead. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Gathering our group, we make the short trek to the Gilroy to find that it is in full party mode. The rest of the team is already here and has a table saved for us. After getting drinks, we meet up with them, and I make quick introductions.

“So who’s single?” Kuntz asks, and I grin as Delanie eyes him.

“Um. Well, Mandie is engaged now, right?” I ask, and she giggles breathlessly, holding up her hand where her ring sits. It’s easy to say she’s excited, but who wouldn’t be? She getting married, and she’s moving to New York with Jason so that he can play for the Rangers. I’m excited for her. “Yeah, so not Mandie, but Delanie… I don’t know, are you single?”

“No,” Jace says, wrapping his arms around her neck, kissing her hard on the cheek. “She’s going home with me tonight.”

“Where?” Jayden asks, laughing when Jace glares at him.

“In our room.”

“And where am I going?”

“I don’t give a shit where, but make yourself disappear.”

“Yeah, okay,” he taunts, shaking his head as everyone laughs.

I smack Jayden’s thigh and he looks over at me playfully while I roll my eyes. “Let him be.”

Leaning over, he whispers in my ear, “If I don’t get to get any, he doesn’t.”

Turning to face him, I ask, “Who said you won’t get laid tonight?”

Pointing at me, he says, “I’m fully taking that as a promise.”

Giggling, I watch as his eyes dance with lust before standing back up to nurse his beer, only giving me a heated sideways glance that has me breaking out in gooseflesh. Breathing in deeply, I lean into Mandie as she leans into me, grinning at me. With her lips at my ear, she says, “You know that y’all act like a couple, right?”

“No way,” I say, looking at her.

“Yes, whoever doesn’t think y’all are sleeping together is an idiot. Sparks fly between you two. It’s sort of a gorgeous thing to behold.” Eyeing her, I take a step away from Jayden, which makes her laugh. “He’s still looking at you with those dreamy green eyes.”

“Whatever,” I say, but it isn’t whatever.

I need to keep this quiet. Dad already sent in his request for some scouts to come look at Jayden and Jace. He told me after practice the other morning, and I can’t do anything to mess that up. Plus with the whole team here, I need them to keep respecting me. We are all working as such a unit now, I can’t have anything disturb that. While it would be best for us to call this off, I know I can’t. Not anymore, but I need Jayden to go into the draft. He deserves it. So maybe I should try to stay clear of him tonight.

But that’s hard when I really only want to be with him.

“Wanna dance?” he asks once everyone starts for the dance floor, and while I want to, I shake my head no.

“Probably not a good idea. Mandie says we look like a couple.”

He looks at me, perplexed. “Aren’t we?”

Giving him a deadpan look, I say, “Yes, but no one is supposed to know.”

He rolls his eyes. “No one cares, let’s have fun.”

When he bats his eyes at me, my resolve flies out the window, and soon he is pulling me onto the floor. I’d blame it on the alcohol, but I know darn well it’s him. He intoxicates me like nothing in this world, and as our bodies move together, the fact that people are probably watching doesn’t even bother me. Nothing does. All that matters is Jayden and his mad dance moves. He dances with ease, he’s goofy and silly but also very serious when he takes me into his arms, moving against me.