“It’s not nothing,” I say, putting the ice back on.

“If you want me to be mad at you, it won’t be because of this, it will be because of what you said earlier.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “What did I say?”

“Oh, let’s see – first you said we were moving in together and then you announced to everyone that you were in love with me.”

“Why would you be mad at me for that?”

She sighs and rubs one of her eyes. “Sawyer, you need to tell me when you’re going to do things like that. I need to know how to react.”

I laugh, thinking back on it. She did look surprised. “Okay, I promise to give you a head’s up before I propose.”

Her eyes go wide and she pulls away from the ice pack I’m holding on her face. “What?” she shrieks.

“I’m only kidding, Aspen. I think living together is enough to mollify the organization.”

She blows out a slow breath through pursed lips.

“You look tired,” I say. “But you should keep the ice on your face for a while.” I put a pillow on my lap and pat it. “Lie down on your right side, I’ll hold the ice on you. Another ten minutes should do the trick.”

She looks at the pillow on my lap like it might burn her. Then she hesitantly lies down on it. I belatedly notice what she’s wearing and it makes me glad I have a pillow on my lap. She’s wearing the skimpy Hawks sleeper set I sent over.

She catches me looking at her legs and pulls a blanket over her. “The ice is making me cold,” she says.

It’s a lie. She just doesn’t want me ogling her. But damn, she’s easy to ogle. And she has no idea what I’ve seen. No idea I’ve seen all of her. No idea I know every curve, dimple, and freckle of her body. No idea I dream of her at night.

Her hair is messy from sleep and I can’t help myself when I brush a few strands off her face. She looks up at me with doe eyes and I have to shift her in my lap. Fuck, I want this woman. I want her bad.

“Am I allowed to go out of town?” she asks.

“You want to leave New York?”

“I want to go to Missouri to see Denver. He couldn’t come for graduation and I know he’s lonely. I’d really like to go see him for a week.”

“Is he far from Kansas City?” I ask.

“About twenty miles.”

“Do you think he would want to meet me?”

“Are you kidding?” she says. “It would be his dream come true. Does that mean you want to go with me? But, you don’t get any time off, do you?”

“We have a series there in two weeks. We fly in on a Wednesday and stay through Sunday. If you go out a few days before we do, that will give you some extra time with him. Then you can bring him to the games.”

Her eyes light up. “That could work.”

“Kills two birds with one stone. People will see us traveling together and you’ll get to see your brother.”

“Together?” she asks. “As in you want me to stay with you in your hotel?”

“I think it would be a good thing. Besides, you’ll have just moved into the townhouse, so it makes sense.”

“Alright, but I want to stay with Denver for a few days before you arrive.”

“Just let me know when you want to fly out and I’ll make the arrangements.”

“You don’t need to pay for my plane ticket, Sawyer. You’re paying me so much already.”

“I’m paying. Now shut up about it and tell me about Bass and Brooke. What’s up with them?”

“You noticed, too?”

“Yeah, but I can’t figure them out.”

“I think Brooke is way more into him than he’s into her.”

“What’s not to be into?” I ask.

“I know, right? She’s nice. She’s beautiful. She’s going to be gainfully employed. And she’s got the perfect apartment for him.”

“I saw his hesitation. Why doesn’t he want to live with her?”

“Maybe because he doesn’t want to date her and he doesn’t want it to be weird.”

I brush another stray hair from her face and feel her shiver under my touch. “Maybe it’s because she’s not you.”

“Not me? What are you talking about?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, your roommate seems to be taken with you.”

“Bass? No way. We’re just very good friends. You’re reading too much into it.”

“I’m a guy, Aspen. I know when another guy is into a girl. And he’s into you. Think about it. Since I’ve known you, he’s only taken Brooke out one time, and he seemed more interested in me than her.”

“Well, you are a baseball star.”

“But he can’t score with me. You have to think like a guy here. He’s got prime pus–, uh, he’s got a sure thing, and he doesn’t go for it? The only reason a guy would turn that down is because he wants another woman.”

She yawns and her eyes grow heavy. “And you know this from experience, Mr. Certified Bachelor?”

I don’t answer her question, mostly because it looks like she’s falling asleep. But the truth is, I do know. I know because when that woman was all over me last week, I couldn’t do it myself. She was ready and willing, and it would have been so easy to lock ourselves in the bathroom like she wanted. But I didn’t. For the first time in my life, I took a pass.

With Aspen’s eyes closed, I can take my time looking at her. She shifts her body and the blanket slips off one of her legs. I follow the curve of her leg up to her thigh where her shorts are riding up and exposing the fleshiness of her butt cheek. It takes all my willpower not to reach out and touch her there.

I avert my eyes, knowing she can probably feel my boner through the thin pillow under her head. When my eyes fall back onto her face, her tired eyes are open and she’s staring up at me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look more beautiful. The ice pack falls out of my hand as I cup her face and bring it up to mine. Then I kiss her.

Our lips are slow to savor each other. Our tongues almost touch when a noise behind me has me releasing her.

Bass clears his throat and pins me to the couch with his fiery stare.

“Sorry,” I say to him. To her. “I guess I forget sometimes.”

Aspen sits up quickly, looking embarrassed. I keep the pillow on my lap so Bass won’t see exactly what she’s doing to me.

“Well, don’t,” he says. “This isn’t a game. This is her life. Aspen, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she says, getting up off the couch. “I only came out for a few minutes because I heard a noise. I’m going back to bed.”

She looks guilty as she walks past him. I wonder why she feels the need to explain anything to him. We’re two grown adults. Maybe she knows he likes her but doesn’t want to admit it. Or maybe she likes him and is waiting for this to be over so they can be together. Or maybe she’s just upset because she let me kiss her.

She should be mad at me. I’m mad at myself. What the hell am I going to do when she moves in and wears that kind of stuff every night? What am I going to do when I know she’s practically naked and in the next room? This is a bad idea. This is a very bad idea.

As soon as they both go back to bed, I hit the bathroom and take a cold shower. Then I slip out and go home.

Chapter Twenty-two

Aspen

I walk into the living room and see blankets folded neatly on the couch. Sawyer’s gone. I’m confused because I thought the whole point of this was for people to see us leaving the apartment together in the morning.

“He’s going to hurt you,” Bass says.

I look over to see him sitting in the dark kitchen, drinking coffee.

I turn on the light. “Why are you sitting in the dark?”

He shrugs. “Why did you let him kiss you, Penny? Nobody was around to see. Do you think he wants you? For more than one night anyway? He doesn’t. He’ll use you like he uses everyone.”

I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit down next to him. “I know, Bass. But I can’t help the way I feel.”

“So you’d sleep with him if he asked? Because that would make you a whore.”

My jaw drops and my blood starts to boil. I can’t believe he said that. “I’m not going to sleep with him, Bass. And if I did, it really would be nobody’s business but mine.”

“So you would.”

“No,” I say, mad that he’d even think it. “He asked last weekend and I turned him down.”

“That was then, this is now. Last weekend you weren’t kissing in private.”

I shake my head, still confused over that myself. “I don’t know what happened. We were tired. We weren’t thinking clearly.”

“Why were you even out there with him?”

“I think he had a nightmare,” I say.

“He’s a big boy, Penny. He can take care of himself. You’re not responsible for him. He’s going to drop you like a hot potato as soon as the season is over. He’s going to break your heart if you let him.”

“What would you have me do? End the arrangement and pay back all the money? Money I don’t even have anymore?”

“If it means protecting you, then yes.”

“I can’t,” I say.

“You mean you won’t. Because you like him.”

I shrug.

“Open your eyes, Aspen. Stop being romanced by the fame and fortune and see what’s right in front of you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Suddenly, he leans over the table and pulls me to him, his lips crashing down on mine before I even realize what’s happening.

I pull away. “Sebastian, stop it!”

“Can’t you see that he’s not the guy for you? I’m right here and I love you.”

“You love me?”