Matchplay A New Adult Romance - By Dakota Madison Page 0,49
give that duty to the smartest freshman.”
He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss. “Thanks for coming. I know this isn’t your thing.”
Not my thing was really an understatement but I let it go. Then I caught sight of Evan out of the corner of my eye and cringed. I braced myself for whatever nasty thing I knew he was inevitably going to say.
Aaron saw my expression change before he saw Evan. I thought Aaron was going to say something to me but Evan stepped up next to him.
“Hey, Buddy,” Evan said as he patted Aaron on the shoulder. “Glad to see you made it. And brought your lovely girlfriend with you.”
I didn’t like the emphasis Evan placed on the word girlfriend. He managed to make it sound dirty.
“So, will Rainy and her family be joining us in Aspen this year?” Evan asked.
I could feel all of the muscles in the hand of Aaron’s I was holding immediately tense. When I looked into Aaron’s eyes, he was shooting daggers at Evan.
Aaron had said nothing to me about Aspen. Not that I had expected him to. We hadn’t really talked much about the winter break, other than our trip to St. Petersburg.
Evan continued, “I guess it would be a little awkward with Keira and her family being there.”
I froze. Keira? Who the hell is that? I tried pulling my hand from Aaron’s but he held it even tighter. I
wanted to escape from Evan and The Clubhouse but Aaron wasn’t going to let me go this time.
“What do you want Evan?’ Aaron said coolly even though I could see his face was full of tension.
“Nothing, Man. Just trying to make small talk. See what plans your girlfriend had for break.”
“I’m taking Rainy to Florida for a few days then I’m flying to Aspen. Rainy wants to spend time with her dad. They’re very close.” Aaron continued glaring at Evan.
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you on the slopes when you get there.”
“I guess,” Aaron said coldly as Evan turned and walked away.
I tried pulling my hand from Aaron’s again but he continued to hold me with a firm grip. “I’m not letting you run away,” he whispered to me.
“Wouldn’t that be easier?” I whispered back. “Then you could be on your way to Aspen with Evan and Keira.”
Now Aaron was glaring at me. Without saying a word, he pulled me through The Clubhouse and out the door. He continued pulling me until we were well away from everyone in the middle of the now empty campus.
When Aaron turned to face me, his eyes were on fire. The intensity of his gaze nearly frightened me.
“There is no one I want to be with but you. Got it?”
I gulped then nodded.
“Evan is a complete and total asshole.”
I nodded again. That wasn’t news.
“He’s messing with you to get to me.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Like me, he had two brothers, who were also in The Clubhouse.”
“And let me guess,” I interrupted. “They were also Presidents.”
Aaron nodded. “Evan and I have known each other for years. Our parents travel in the same circles.
He’s always felt a need to do everything better than me. He’s sup er competitive. Golfing, skiing—you name it—he’s always trying to one up me. The only thing he couldn’t do was become President of The Clubhouse and it’s been eating him up all year.”
That still didn’t explain anything about Keira. I wanted to ask but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“I know you’re wondering who Keira is.” He sighed. That probably wasn’t a good sign.
He continued. “The Whitley family owns half of the state. They’re very well established and well connected. Keira is their only daughter. She’s a senior at Yale. Our parents always assumed that the two of us would get together once we both graduated from college. A marriage between the two of us would bring together two of the country’s most influential families. Keira has made it very clear that she is interested in pursuing a relationship with me but she’s just not my type.”
“And why is that?”
Aaron looked at me with an odd expression. “Because she’s not you,” he said matter-of-factly.
The fact that Aaron could have the daughter of one of the most influential families in the country and he wanted me instead was a bit hard to swallow. I wondered how I could ever measure up. As much as I
loved my dad, he certainly wasn’t influential, not even in our own community or at his job. He was