your face in it every time I beat you.”
Kylie’s expression charged with competition. “I’m going to take you down, Ryan Watkins.”
Ryan wiggled his eyebrows and winked. “Bring it on, Ki.”
She hopped out of the car and raced to the front of the building. Ryan followed her inside. She pointed to the pinball machines. “Arcade first.”
He purchased tokens and escorted her to a racing game. “Okay, you’ll control one car. I’ll control the other. We’ll race around an obstacle course. Understand?”
Kylie lifted her eyebrows. “No speeding tickets?”
Ryan laughed. “Nope.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Good. I don’t want to risk my job, you know.”
“Just play.”
They raced, and Ryan beat her easily, even with his effort to let her catch him. “We can go on to miniature golf.”
“Let’s play again.” Kylie’s eyes lit with pleasure.
“I didn’t know you were so competitive.”
“I’ll beat you yet.”
They played again, and Ryan still beat her despite slowing down at many places.
“One more time.”
Ryan chuckled. “Okay.” The cars raced down the arcade freeway. He shifted his gears and turned his wheel with his car easily taking the lead. “Ready to call it quits?”
“Never.” Kylie giggled, then leaned over and tickled his ribs.
“What are you doing?” He swerved and his car plunged into the guardrail.
Kylie’s car moved slow and steady but stayed on course. He turned his around and hit the gas again. She leaned over and tickled him once more.
“Kylie!”
She laughed as her car passed the finish line first. “I won! I won!” She pumped her fist in the air.
Ryan growled and grabbed her waist, pulling her toward him. She lifted her gaze to meet his, and Ryan longed to lean down and kiss her lips. He grazed her cheek with the back of his hand, and her eyes closed for a brief moment.
“You cheated,” he whispered as he lowered his lips toward hers.
A push from behind knocked him into her, severing the moment. “Sorry!” a boy yelled, as he chased another child to one of the games.
“Ready for me to beat you at miniature golf?” Kylie smiled like the Cheshire cat as she reached up and twirled the bottom of his hair with her fingers. Surprise welled in her eyes. “I can’t believe—I’m sorry. . . . I’ve wanted to feel your hair—oh, my.”
She turned away from him but not before he saw her neck and cheeks blaze red. He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go play.” He led her to the shack where they picked out their golf clubs and ball colors. She put her ball on the tee, and he strolled up behind her. “You can play with my hair anytime you like.”
She gazed up at him and wrinkled her nose. “You’re trying to break my concentration, aren’t you?”
Ryan touched his chest and tilted his head as if he had been wounded. “The things you accuse me of. I’m hurt.”
Kylie rolled her eyes and swung her club. The ball launched through the air and hit the green of the second hole. She covered her mouth. “I guess I hit it too hard.”
“You think?” Ryan laughed. He retrieved her ball and showed her how to hit it. By the time they’d finished, Kylie had beaten him. They walked back to the car, and Ryan relished the great time they’d had.
“It was pretty hard playing bad enough to let me win, wasn’t it?”
“I’d say.”
Kylie giggled. “The mark of a true man.” She laid both hands on her heart. “He lets the lady win.”
“It’s true.” Ryan pulled into her apartment’s parking lot and walked her to the front door. “I had a really good time, Ki.”
Kylie closed her eyes. Her tense stance had returned. Ryan brushed a wisp of hair behind her shoulder. “I’d really like to do it again sometime.”
“Ryan.” He watched her take a few quick breaths. “We can’t.”
“Why?”
“I need. . .” She looked up but not at him. “I need more. I just want to be friends.” She turned away, opened her door, and slipped
Kylie’s expression charged with competition. “I’m going to take you down, Ryan Watkins.”
Ryan wiggled his eyebrows and winked. “Bring it on, Ki.”
She hopped out of the car and raced to the front of the building. Ryan followed her inside. She pointed to the pinball machines. “Arcade first.”
He purchased tokens and escorted her to a racing game. “Okay, you’ll control one car. I’ll control the other. We’ll race around an obstacle course. Understand?”
Kylie lifted her eyebrows. “No speeding tickets?”
Ryan laughed. “Nope.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Good. I don’t want to risk my job, you know.”
“Just play.”
They raced, and Ryan beat her easily, even with his effort to let her catch him. “We can go on to miniature golf.”
“Let’s play again.” Kylie’s eyes lit with pleasure.
“I didn’t know you were so competitive.”
“I’ll beat you yet.”
They played again, and Ryan still beat her despite slowing down at many places.
“One more time.”
Ryan chuckled. “Okay.” The cars raced down the arcade freeway. He shifted his gears and turned his wheel with his car easily taking the lead. “Ready to call it quits?”
“Never.” Kylie giggled, then leaned over and tickled his ribs.
“What are you doing?” He swerved and his car plunged into the guardrail.
Kylie’s car moved slow and steady but stayed on course. He turned his around and hit the gas again. She leaned over and tickled him once more.
“Kylie!”
She laughed as her car passed the finish line first. “I won! I won!” She pumped her fist in the air.
Ryan growled and grabbed her waist, pulling her toward him. She lifted her gaze to meet his, and Ryan longed to lean down and kiss her lips. He grazed her cheek with the back of his hand, and her eyes closed for a brief moment.
“You cheated,” he whispered as he lowered his lips toward hers.
A push from behind knocked him into her, severing the moment. “Sorry!” a boy yelled, as he chased another child to one of the games.
“Ready for me to beat you at miniature golf?” Kylie smiled like the Cheshire cat as she reached up and twirled the bottom of his hair with her fingers. Surprise welled in her eyes. “I can’t believe—I’m sorry. . . . I’ve wanted to feel your hair—oh, my.”
She turned away from him but not before he saw her neck and cheeks blaze red. He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go play.” He led her to the shack where they picked out their golf clubs and ball colors. She put her ball on the tee, and he strolled up behind her. “You can play with my hair anytime you like.”
She gazed up at him and wrinkled her nose. “You’re trying to break my concentration, aren’t you?”
Ryan touched his chest and tilted his head as if he had been wounded. “The things you accuse me of. I’m hurt.”
Kylie rolled her eyes and swung her club. The ball launched through the air and hit the green of the second hole. She covered her mouth. “I guess I hit it too hard.”
“You think?” Ryan laughed. He retrieved her ball and showed her how to hit it. By the time they’d finished, Kylie had beaten him. They walked back to the car, and Ryan relished the great time they’d had.
“It was pretty hard playing bad enough to let me win, wasn’t it?”
“I’d say.”
Kylie giggled. “The mark of a true man.” She laid both hands on her heart. “He lets the lady win.”
“It’s true.” Ryan pulled into her apartment’s parking lot and walked her to the front door. “I had a really good time, Ki.”
Kylie closed her eyes. Her tense stance had returned. Ryan brushed a wisp of hair behind her shoulder. “I’d really like to do it again sometime.”
“Ryan.” He watched her take a few quick breaths. “We can’t.”
“Why?”
“I need. . .” She looked up but not at him. “I need more. I just want to be friends.” She turned away, opened her door, and slipped
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