But then he let her hips go, slowly running his hands up her ribs. She wasn’t sure what he was doing, but his hand knocked into her left breast. Suddenly, the little kiss cloud he was intoxicating her with was gone, and reality set in.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she took in long pulls of air. With a goofy grin on his beautiful face, he cupped her face before saying, “I didn’t mean to do that. Not yet, at least.”

Desire swirled in his eyes. His head dropped in for another kiss, but she backed away out of his arms and put her hands up to stop him from coming for her. “This can’t happen.”

“Why?” he asked, his arms out. “Please don’t lie and say you didn’t feel every bit of that.”

Her eyes clouded with tears, and she wanted nothing more than to hide. “It doesn’t matter what I feel, Karson. This won’t work. Please stop following me. Please just leave me alone.”

And with that, she turned and took off toward her dorm, thankful that he didn’t follow her.

"Well then,” Karson muttered as he stood in the snow and watched Lacey run from him. It was obvious that she didn’t want him to follow her. He saw the tears in her eyes and didn’t understand what was going on, but he wasn’t giving up. After a kiss like that and the way she felt in his arms, he’d walk through fire for that girl. He knew it was crazy, but he couldn’t help what he was feeling. She was just so unbelievable. Not only was she gorgeous and funny, she was driven. What eighteen-year-old girl wanted to help women who have had to lose their breasts to cancer feel sexy? It was mind-blowing. She was amazing, and Karson had every intention of making that girl his.

He understood that his life was up in the air. The scouts from the game a couple of weeks back loved what they saw and said that they would be in contact with his dad, who was also his agent. His dad felt good and believed that he’d go first or second pick for the draft. His dreams were coming true, but nothing would be right unless Lacey were there with him. He knew that there was a good chance she wouldn’t leave Chicago, and that was fine. He’d do a long-distance relationship with her. He’d do anything just to know she was his.

He was moving fast, but that was just how he was. He always just jumped in and worried about everything else later. But his feelings did scare him. He felt a bit like he was obsessing over the gorgeous blonde who reminded him of a tall Tinker Bell, but he couldn’t help it. Everything he learned about her, he liked, and he felt like a stalker with how much investigating he had done on her. It was completely innocent; he just wanted to know her and show her that he was the man for her.

“Why are you watching a girl run? Wait, that’s a dumb question. You’re my horndog brother, that’s why.”

Karson laughed as he glanced over at his baby sister. Kacey smiled up at him, her brown eyes shining through the falling snow. She wore a puffy red jacket and a large, knitted hat, with her long brown hair falling along her shoulders.

“Shut up,” he barked at her as Lacey disappeared into the quad.

Kacey laughed as she shifted her hockey bag up on her shoulder and switched her stick to the other hand. “No, but really, what are you doing? It’s freezing out here.”

“I’m stumped. That girl is running from me, and I don’t know what do it about it.”

“A girl, run from you?” she teased, “That’s odd, what did you do?”

Glaring at her, he said, “I didn’t do anything but tell her she should give me a chance. I’m a catch, you know. Girls like me.”

“Yeah, dumb ones. I like her already. She’s obviously smart.”

“I don’t like you,” he declared.

“I love you, too. So anyway, I see that you are in deep with this girl. Here is my suggestion—romance her a bit. Don’t just expect to show up and have her fall for you. Good girls take time to get.”

Eyeing her, he asked, “How do you know I’m in deep?”

“Because I know you; you don’t chase after girls. She’s special, so don’t give up. I bet you she won’t know what hit her once you turn on the King Charm. Can’t wait to meet her.”

With nothing but a nod, Kacey started for the rink as Karson took in everything she just said. He knew that Lacey was special, and the more he thought about it, the more he knew Kacey was right. He was in deep, over a girl he just met, and he wasn’t the least bit worried about it. She had his heart, and he wasn’t going anywhere until he had hers.

For the next week, he continued to show up at the places she was. The only problem was that now, she wouldn’t look at him. She didn’t even acknowledge him. Sitting in the cafeteria, his mind was muddled with thoughts of Lacey. He was sure after a week of seeing her every day, multiple times, would have her wanting to be with him, but it wasn’t working. She wasn’t affected by his charm at all. It was discouraging, but Karson was a winner and he was going to freaking win.

“Yo, King!”

Karson looked over from where he was reading to see a few of his freshmen teammates coming toward him. This meant they had some information on Lacey. Closing the book, he sat up.

“She sings with the Catappellas and is performing tonight in Bradford Hall at six,” Devin said, with Johnny bouncing beside him.

Checking his watch, he saw he had an hour before he had to get over there. “Cool, thanks, guys.”

“No problem,” Johnny said before they both walked away.