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“I’m really nervous. If we go together, it’ll be better. Please… you don’t even have to actually do it, if you change your mind at the last second.”

I hesitated again, having already decided that acting was something I’d left behind in California.

“Please. I don’t want to go alone,” Aisha added.

It was impossible to say no to her big, brown eyes.

“Okay, fine. But you go first, and then I’ll decide whether I do it or not. Deal?”

“Deal.” Aisha smiled, just as Marcus came into the room and clapped his hands.

“VIP ladies, the game is ready… Come with me.”

Brody

Two partiesin one weekend wasn’t my speed, but Cal wanted out of the house, now that the enemy was living with us. Marjory seemed to have made it her mission to “bring Cal out of his shell,” and now he had no peace at home. I couldn’t say I blamed him.

Getting roped into a team-building exercise wasn’t what I’d expected of a frat party, however. A line had to be drawn somewhere in this madness.

Marcus, thorn in my side and determined fucker, had talked the entire team into playing something. When I entered the den, there were two lines of people in the room, women on one side, guys on the other. So essentially, it was the team and the girls who loved them. Great. Marcus was wandering up and down, holding a long black piece of fabric.

Fuck, could I still leave?I had to grab Cal and get the hell out of there.

“Now, Brody, we’re going to start with you, since this is a team-building exercise, and you’re one of the new guys,” Marcus announced.

“Yeah, and singling out the new guy is definitely the way to make him feel welcome.”

Marcus laughed and slapped me on the shoulder. “Glad you get it. Unless you’re too pussy to play?” he goaded me.

“What’s the game?” I ground out. Fuck, he was annoying.

“Blind body check. Super simple. Your partner has to guess who you are. Here, put this on.” He handed me a strip of material.A blindfold?

Silence fell around us. Our little game had drawn attention. The Ice Gods got attention wherever they went, and I had quite the reputation myself. Both me and Cal were well-known hockey players in the small, insular world of college ice hockey. Everybody loved fucking drama. All eyes were on us.

“Okay, sure, Bailey, since it floats your boat that much… why don’t you do it?” I challenged Marcus.

He raised an eyebrow at me and then shrugged, stepping forward to tie the blindfold.

“Kinky… I like it, but don’t get any ideas, Sinclair, I’m spoken for.”

Just before he tied the blindfold and the world went dark, I saw Cal slip in from the patio and watch me with an inscrutable gaze.

“Here, drink this, the game will be more fun,” Marcus said and pressed a shot glass into my hand.

Fuck it.

“Trying to get me drunk? Don’t forget your pretty little professor,” I murmured.

“She’s my fiancée, asshole, and don’t worry, I’m just trying to loosen your tight ass up,” he said.

His friends broke into laughter. He even pulled a chuckle from me.

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re not my type,” I said, drawing more laughter from our spectators.

“That came out wrong, but whatever, let’s play. I’m going to go and bring the rest of the players in.”

I waited, feeling dumber by the second for agreeing to this. Just when I was about to pull the bloody blindfold off and leave, I heard Marcus cajoling people into the room.