Free Loveless by N. Isabelle Blanco Page B

to attack.
    I barely stop myself from arching toward him, reminding myself that we’re in public.
    That his best friend just landed on the mat and is smiling at our exchange like the birth of baby Jesus is taking place right before her eyes.
    “Uh, no?” I ask, hoping he’ll buy my answer.
    Those firm, thick lips curl into that mischievous smile of his, and he leand a breath closer, the scent of his cologne surrounding  me. “You cheated, Paige.”
    “I—I’m sorry?” Fuck. Forget the people. Don’t care. I raise my hands to pull him on top of me. Just one little kiss. One deep, little kiss.
    “Oh, baby. You will be.” He yanks me up by the harness, forcing me to stand on unsteady legs.
    “So . . . “ Sophie sidles up to us, the very picture of innocence. “I’m assuming Paige is coming out with us after this, right? I reserved our area for 7:30pm.”
    Elijah seems to snap out of it, his expression becoming shuttered, his body tensing.
    I open my mouth to back out.
    Sophie grabs me, urging me back toward the wall. “You know what, Eli? You don’t have a choice in the matter. She’s coming with me. You don’t like it, you can go home.”
    “I wasn’t going to say no, stupid!”
    I laugh, refusing to analyze the odd relief I feel at his reply.
    Sophie winks at me.
    “And you would really dump me for her? Where the fuck is the loyalty?”
    Sophie and I laugh together.
    That earns me a light spank that makes me gasp again, and considering he did it right in front of Sophie, I have to wonder: Is he this openly flirtatious with all the girls he fucks in front of his friend? Is that why he seems not to care?
    Oddly frustrated, I push the thought to the back of my mind and focus on beating his ass again. Without cheating this time.

ten
    Elijah
     
     
     
    I have a problem on my hands.
    A huge one.
    Sophie not only has a name now. She has a face, an age, place of employment.
    She’ll have Paige’s entire biographical account by the end of the night if she has her way.
    And based on the fact that my testosterone levels are through the roof, every instinct demanding that I bend Paige over and show her not to fuck with me, my impulse control is shot. Non-existent. I’ve been too blatant in my desire for Paige, and Sophie watched the whole time, cataloging every little weakness.
    Sophie now knows who my “fuck-buddy” is.
    I’m never going to hear the end of this.
    Considering Sophie’s track record, mom will know about this by the end of the weekend. She’ll be planning a wedding by the beginning of the next.
    Fuck my life.
    I should’ve put up more of a fight, not let Paige hang with us. Odd thing is . . . I saw her expression when she thought I was shutting her down and I couldn’t do it.
    Even weirder, I wanted to hang out and rock-climb with her. I haven’t met a lot of girls that are into the sport, and it was a surprise to see that she’s actually good at it. I haven’t had so much fun in a while.
    Not that I’ll admit that to Sophie. She’ll either kill me, or run to my mother that much faster. 
    The magnitude of my problem really hit home, though, when both girls left to the locker rooms to get ready, talking and giggling like old friends the whole time.
    Paige might be cool with things ending between us once we have sex.
    Sophie on the other hand? The woman is going to kill me. Now that she and Paige have warmed up to each other, nothing will stop Sophie from being friends with her, which means I’m stuck.
    Stuck seeing Paige at work once it’s over.
    Stuck seeing her around because my best friend is a bloody traitor that decided to forget our connection in favor of estrogen-loyalty.
    I go into the locker rooms and shower, changing into my outfit for the night—dark blue jeans, another white t-shirt, and my black boots. Since I’m a guy, I’m ready to go twenty minutes before the girls are, and I have no choice but to wait for them at the entrance to the gym.
    They emerge from the