Make Your Move (Aston Archers Hockey #1)

Prologue

Nash

Six Months Ago

I shouldn't be staring at my sister's best friend, but I can't seem to take my eyes off her.

Riley moves her body across the dance floor, holding up the bottom of her lilac dress so she's careful not to step on it. She lost her heels at some point in the evening and now she's dancing around with bare feet. The music pumps through the speakers and I lift my glass to my lips to hide my grin. The cool liquid tingles my tongue before it burns my throat on the way down.

"You and Riley, huh?" Lincoln questions me as he bumps his shoulder against mine. I glance over at my best friend and my eyes travel across his Armani suit before landing on his dark eyes.

I shake my head at him, pushing away the lingering thoughts of her in my brain. "We're just friends."

"Famous last words," he says with a chuckle as he takes a sip of his own drink. He gives a subtle shake of his head as his own thoughts swirl around in his mind. “Does your sister know you have a thing for her best friend?"

Lifting an eyebrow, I give him a look. “Not sure what you’re talking about because I don’t have a thing for her.”

Lincoln shrugs with simplicity like it's nothing. "Fair enough," he says as he looks out at the dance floor, tilting his head to the side as he watches Nova and Riley. “So, you wouldn’t mind if someone else asked her out?”

The thought has my blood boiling. My jaw clenches and I glare at the side of Lincoln’s face. His movements are slow as he turns to look at me and his face cracks as his gaze meets mine.

“Well, never mind that idea.”

His laughter fills the air as Nova and Riley both saunter over to us. Lincoln steps away from me, immediately moving to Nova as she wraps her arms around the back of his neck. He sweeps her off her feet, whisking her onto the dance floor without another glance in my direction.

"I like seeing Nova happy," Riley says softly as she links her arm through mine and rests her cheek against my arm. The top of her head is just beneath my shoulder. She lets out a soft dreamy sigh as she watches Nova and Lincoln dancing across the floor.

Her hands warm my skin through my dress shirt. "Are you happy?" I ask her as I turn my head to look down at her.

Riley pulls her face away from my arm, her soft green eyes slowly searching mine as a smile lifts the corners of her lips. Taking a step away from me, her hand slips into mine and she tugs me toward her as she begins to walk backwards to the center of the room where everyone else is dancing. "Dance with me?"

I can't help myself as a smile moves across my mouth and I follow after her.

I don't really dance, but for Riley, I will do anything she asks me to do.

She starts to shift her hips, her shoulders dipping as mischief dances in her eyes and we step into the center of the room. We're in the middle of the crowded floor and no one seems to notice us. I don't really notice any of them as our surroundings begin to fade away. The music shifts from a faster paced song to a slow one. Riley reaches for me with her other hand and I grab her, tugging her towards me. She tilts her head back to look up at me as my hands fall on her waist. Her hands are soft against the back of my neck as she laces her fingers together and holds onto me with her body flush against mine.

Her lips part slightly and my eyes drop down to her throat as I watch her pulse moving erratically beneath her skin. "Thank you," she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as we move in slow circles.

My gaze steadily trails up her neck, over her jaw line and across her high cheekbones before resting on her eyes. "For what?"

"For dancing with me," she says softly as her eyes burn holes through my own. Her plump lips are tinted pink and they move over her straight white teeth as she smiles sheepishly. "I know you don't like to."

"I do with you."

Her eyes widen and surprise passes through them. She leans into me more, enveloping me with her warmth. I could stay here forever with her. My gaze is trained on her mouth as she drags her teeth across her bottom lip. My fingers tighten, digging into her flesh instinctively as I hold her against me. I force my eyes back to hers and I can feel the heat from the flames in her irises as she stares back at me.

"Nash," she whispers, my name rolling off her tongue like that's exactly where it's supposed to be. My face inches closer to hers. I watch her eyelids flutter shut, her breathing hitching as my mouth is about to graze hers. "What are you doing?"

Something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

“Should I stop?”

Riley pulls back, her gaze meeting mine. There’s conflict mixing with lust and guilt deep in her irises. “I’m seeing someone.” She pauses, her lips parting as if she’s going to say something else. Sadness and regret wash over her expression as she stays silent.

My breath catches in my throat. There it is. The painful reminder that Riley Harris has life outside of these four walls. The reminder that I have no idea what she’s been up to because I’ve been so focused on keeping my distance from her. She’s only here as my plus one because Nova insisted I bring her to the Aston Archers Gala.

“I don’t see him anywhere,” I murmur, my eyes dropping to her lips and back to her eyes. It’s an asshole move, but fuck it. I’ve been watching Riley from the sidelines since she moved to Aston when we were teenagers and became best friends with my sister.

We’ve been doing this stupid fucking dance around each other for too long. There’s always been a magnetic force between us and I’ve tried to ignore it. I’ve tried to fight it and I’m tired of denying myself.

Riley rolls her lips between her teeth, biting down as hues of pink dance across her cheekbones. My gaze is drawn to her mouth, watching as she releases her lips with the softest pop. As my eyes travel back to hers, there’s an instant ignition of the fire in my veins when I see the way she’s looking at me.

Lust, want, need.

“I need some fresh air,” she tells me, her voice the softest melody against my eardrums. She lifts up onto her toes, her chest brushing against mine as she brings her mouth to my ear. “If you decide to follow me, I won’t be upset about it.” She pauses, her teeth nipping at my lobe. “Don’t let anyone see you.”

She dropped back down onto her bare feet, her arms abandoning my neck as she took a step away and spun on her heel. Her dark hair shifts around her back, falling in soft curls down to the center of her back as she leaves me in the middle of the dance floor by myself. I watch her, my gaze following her as she grabs a flute of champagne from one of the server’s trays and she ducks out through the back door that leads to the patio.

Pushing through the people around me, I break through the crowd, stopping just on the edge of the dance floor as I see the door shutting behind her. My eyes survey the room, making a mental note of my sister and Lincoln. I almost kissed Riley in front of everyone and didn’t think about Nova or Lincoln seeing us. I can’t say for certain, but I doubt my sister would appreciate me making a move like that on her best friend.

So, the last thing I need is for either of them to see me following Riley outside.

Caleb and Carson notice me as I walk past the bar and they both hold their glasses up as they see me. I grab a drink from a server, making the same motion before draining the liquid in one swift gulp. After setting it down, I disappear through a group of people, slipping out into the cool air of the night.

The patio is lined with lights hanging along the perimeter of the surface. There’s two guys standing over to the side smoking a cigar and I duck into the darkness, stepping along the side of the building. Riley’s standing along the wall, her head tipped down as she twirls a ring on her middle finger. She doesn’t notice me at first and I allow myself the opportunity to absorb the sight of her.

God, she’s breathtaking.

Riley’s head abruptly lifts, whipping to the side as she sees me. At first, she looks surprised, her eyes wide and lips parted. Her face relaxes, her eyes softening as the corners of her mouth lift upwards. “Hi.”

“Hey,” I reply, my voice hoarse and thick with need as I close the distance between us. I don’t stop until my feet reach hers and I’m invading her space. There’s no hesitation as I plant my hands on the sides of the brick wall beside her head, effectively caging her in. “You’re going to get cold out here without a coat.”

She tilts her head to the side, mischief dancing in her eyes. “I have a better idea,” she murmurs as she lifts her hands to grab the lapels of my suit jacket. “What if you keep me warm instead?”

There’s no hesitation as my mouth drops down to hers in an instant, claiming her lips with my own. Riley’s grip tightens on my jacket as one of my hand falls down to her waist. Pressing my body against hers, I pin her to the wall and my other hand slides along the back of her neck. She tastes like champagne—like the stars.

She kisses me back with a burning intensity, with a need that rocks me to my core. My cock is already hard, straining against the zipper of my dress pants. The silk material of her dress is thin beneath my palm and I feel the warmth of her body warming my fingers. I resist the urge to rip the material away.

Riley slides her tongue along the seam of my lips, desperate for more. Instinctively, my lips part, granting her access as our tongues dance together. She’s a whirlwind and I’m swept away in her, tasting, touching teasing. Just on the other side of the wall is a building filled with unsuspecting people.

The scent of her perfume invades my nostrils and I inhale deeply, savoring every piece of this moment with her. Riley’s hands abandon the lapels of my jacket and she pushes her hands through my hair, gripping the locks as she holds onto me, our mouths melting together. A soft moan escapes her as I reach for the straps of her dress and begin to slide them down over her shoulders.

We’re both breathless as I break away from her, my lips trailing down the side of her neck and across her collarbones.

“This is a terrible fucking idea,” Riley breathes, her hands slipping out of my hair before they begin to make their way down my torso.

I lift my head away from her, my lips parting slightly as I stare at her. There isn’t a single hint of regret in her expression. “Do you want me to stop?”

Riley trails her hands along the waistband of my pants, slowly inching closer to my belt. “No,” she murmurs as she undoes my belt, letting it fall open before sliding the button of my pants through the hole. “I’d prefer if you don’t.”

My mouth finds hers in an instant and a groan escapes me, rumbling in my chest as she slides her hand beneath the waistband of my boxer briefs. The tips of her fingers brush against my cock.

“Nash, are you out here?”

My heart stops in my chest and Riley momentarily freezes. She quickly pulls her hand from my pants and I take a step away from her as she moves away from the wall. Her lips are swollen, her hair disheveled and her dress hanging from her shoulders.

I move quickly to fix my pants and shove my dress shirt back inside my waistband just as Carson walks around the corner of the building. He stops when he sees the two of us, his eyebrows pulling together as his eyes adjust to the darkness and he realizes what he’s seeing.

“Oh, shit.”

Fuck.

“Hey Fordy,” I say, the words catching in my throat as I offer him a smile. “What are you doing out here?”

“I came out here looking for you…” his voice trails off as he looks to Riley who’s fixing her dress and then looks back at me. “I can see I’m interrupting something.”

“No. Nope, you weren’t interrupting anything” Riley tells him, letting out a soft, nervous laugh. “There’s nothing to see here.” She looks at me, her expression unreadable and nods. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Nash.”

She walks between Carson and I, her movements hurried as she swiftly disappears around the corner of the building. I don’t know if I feel more turned on or more ashamed of what the fuck just happened. I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away like that with her.

The silence stretches between Carson and I before he finally speaks. “What was that?”

My eyes slice to him. “Nothing,” I tell him, my voice gruff. “It was nothing and you saw nothing—got it?”

Carson stares at me for a moment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Without sharing another word, I get my shit together and my clothing back in order before we head back into the Gala. From across the room, Riley’s gaze meets mine. In a crowded room, somehow she always seems to have my attention. Her stare lingers for a beat before I’m pulled into a different direction, severing the moment, but it doesn’t sever the memory lingering in my brain.

A secret Riley and I shared.

A secret my sister can never find out.