Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Noah

I hadn’t even been inside the party for ten minutes when the sinking feeling hit me—I’d seriously messed up. Not because I didn’t want to be here; in fact, I’d been eagerly waiting for this night all day. But every single time my eyes scanned the room, they landed on him.

And the worst part? He wasn’t with me.

No matter how hard I tried to focus on the conversations around me—the laughter, the music, the chatter—they all blurred into a dull hum. My gaze kept drifting back to him. And every time I caught sight of him, someone else was right there, invading his space.

There were those girls, whispering sweet nothings into his ear. One in a dangerously low-cut dress stood so close I could almost count each heartbeat. Then, as if that wasn’t bold enough, one of those girls slipped her number into his pocket—and he didn’t even react. Didn’t slap her hand away, didn’t look at me like I existed. I nearly choked on my drink.

It wasn’t just the girls either. The so-called golden boys, all smiles and perfectly coiffed hair, slapped him on the back like he was their best buddy. They leaned in too close, talking like they owned his attention. My fists clenched at the sight, especially at the ones who weren’t even on my team. We needed every player in top shape if we wanted to win this season.

Sure, he hadn’t blatantly led anyone on. But why the hell wasn’t he pushing them away? Why wasn’t he pulling me aside, kissing me, touching me—showing me the attention I deserved?

My jaw tightened as my temper wound tighter with each passing second. Then, just as I was about to lose it, someone “especially tempting” started talking to me.

At first, I didn’t notice her. My eyes were still locked on him.

I caught the subtle shift in Aiden’s expression—the way his easy smile faltered, how his shoulders tensed slightly, and his eyes sharpened as they fixed on us, as if he was mentally cataloging every move I made. That’s when I finally turned to the woman beside me.

She introduced herself as Lexie.

And damn, she was stunning. Not the kind of beauty that faded under a camera flash—this was sharp, confident, real. Her hair shimmered like strands of sunlight, cascading down her shoulders. Her eyes were a piercing blue, the kind you only see on cloudless summer days. And her curves? They were enough to make most guys forget their own names. But she wasn’t a typical bimbo; there was a sharpness in her gaze that told me she knew exactly the effect she had on people.

I tried to focus on her eyes. Honestly, I did. But her chest seemed to have its own gravitational pull, and I found my attention drifting.

Lexie tilted her head slightly, her smile easy but clearly calculated. “So… Noah, right? I saw you at the welcome party. You didn’t notice me, but I definitely noticed you—with that girl hanging all over you.”

Her tone was playful, but her eyes were sharp, like she was testing me to see if I’d squirm.

I gave a half-smirk. “Guess I missed my shot, huh?”

“That depends,” she said, crossing one leg over the other with effortless grace. “You one of those big-shot quarterback players, or what?”

I shrugged. “That night, I was pretty drunk. But I’m not that type—not unless I’m actually interested.”

Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. “And am I supposed to guess whether I’m the one?”

I leaned in just enough to make her wonder. “Where’s the fun in making it easy?”

I grinned, but it wasn’t really her I was trying to bait. My eyes flicked back to the man across the room, watching like he was about to cross the floor in two seconds flat.

For a brief moment, I toyed with the idea of giving Lexie exactly what she wanted—just to see how my Sir would react.

—

I kept the conversation going just long enough to pick up the important details. Lexie was the captain of the cheerleading squad, originally from Texas, and her father was apparently some big-shot rich guy who sponsored our college team.

Small victory.

I pulled Lexie closer, my hands sliding from her waist down to the curve of her perfect, round ass, every inch of it filling that tight dress like it was made just for her. She leaned in, her scent wrapping around me, her body pressing against mine in a way that should have commanded my full attention.

But as the song ended, I glanced over my shoulder. Aiden was now leaning casually against the wall, watching me with no attempt to hide it—as if he’d stopped pretending he wasn’t keeping score. Our eyes locked, almost by accident, just as his thumb slowly dragged across his lower lip in one lazy, calculated stroke.

What Lexie’s body hadn’t done, Aiden’s silent gesture accomplished in an instant.

Heat surged through me, low and fierce, and I had to pull back before it became obvious how much it affected me.

I untucked my shirt, pretending I was hot, buying myself a moment to breathe before anyone—especially her—noticed the problem pressing against my zipper.

“Wanna get some air?” I asked, turning back to Lexie.

“Sure,” she replied with a smile.

We headed upstairs to the balcony, where the cool night air hit us instantly. The noise from the party faded behind us, replaced by the quiet hum of the city and the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.

Whether anything happened out there or not didn’t really matter. What mattered was that my Sir would be wondering. I’d made a promise to him earlier tonight… but if Aiden and his damn glare wanted to torture himself imagining what I might be doing out here, I was more than happy to hand him the rope and let him pull.

—

Crossing Lines