"Hey!" I whipped around, only to find a tall, broad-shouldered figure standing directly behind me, casually spinning my basketball on his finger.
Lucian.
He stood there, maddeningly calm, his violet eyes locked on me with a gaze that made my pulse stutter.
His white hair fell across his forehead in perfect, lazy strands, and he had that infuriating half-smirk on his face, like he knew exactly how to get under my skin.
"Practicing already?" His voice was low and smooth, carrying just enough of a teasing edge to make me grit my teeth.
"Don't tell me you're nervous about me being here."
"I'm not," I shot back, crossing my arms. "Give me the ball back."
His smirk deepened. "Come take it."
He casually started dribbling the ball, moving closer to the basket. He jumped, dunking it with a smoothness that made me want to roll my eyes right out of my head.
"Oh wow," Ava whispered behind me. "He's good."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered.
