MUSIC POUNDED IN THE CLUB, and Alex hung off my shoulder, drunk off his ass, his speech slurred when he said, “Fucking great game tonight. That goal was epic.”
“Thanks, man.” I guided him to a stool and propped his back against the wall in hopes he didn’t tip over. We’d just finished our third away game in an undefeated series. My heart was still pounding from my tie-breaking goal. The entire team was at the bar, and puck bunnies lined up everywhere, hoping to take a player home.
I just wanted to get the fuck out of here. If it wasn’t for the guys insisting, I’d be in my hotel, bugging the shit out of Sid right now.
A girl stepped into my side at the same moment my phone rang. I picked up the second I saw Trouble written across the screen.
“Hey,” I shouted over the music but couldn’t hear her reply. “Sorry, it’s hard to hear in here.”
“I said great goal tonight.” Her voice was strained; she must be practically yelling.
My thumb rubbed over my bottom lip. “So you watched, then?”
I thought I heard her laugh, but it was hard to tell. I was already walking toward the exit to hear her better when the girl beside me squeezed my arm.
“Hey, do you want to come to my place?” She was raised on her toes, so close she practically spoke directly into the phone.
I pulled it away from her and told her to back off. The last thing I wanted was some random hookup. I didn’t stop walking until I was in the night air behind the club.
“Hey, Trouble. Can you hear me now?”
“Yeah, I can hear you. I was just calling to say good game tonight. Enjoy your win. You deserve it.” Her voice was strained, and a radar flashed in my mind that something was wrong, but she’d already hung up before I could say anything.
“Hey, buddy. Where the fuck did you go?” Lucas held open the back door, looking at me expectantly.
I shot off a quick good-night text to Sid before answering, “Had to take a call.”
Lucas gave me a knowing grin. “Sidney.”
“Fuck off, man.”
“Hell, no. I’m enjoying every second of this.”
I headed inside but couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed. I headed back to the hotel before the guys and sent Sidney another text, but she didn’t answer. She was probably just asleep. I told myself that again before I passed out.
I hadn’t seen Sid since she saw the posts about Selena. Fuck, it might’ve made me a bad person, but I loved seeing the jealousy written all over her. It took everything in me not to kiss her and break her fucking rules right there in the hallway.
Anthony’s black Volkswagen Golf that Sid had been borrowing pulled into our driveway, but she didn’t get out right away.
My fingers tapped against the windowsill. “What’s she waiting for?”
“Talking to yourself, man?” Lucas asked from across the room.
“Fuck off.”
When it became painfully clear she was debating ditching me, I jogged to her car and tugged her door open.
“Hi.” She lifted herself out, looking anywhere but at me.
“You’re late.” My voice was rough as I took her in. I stepped closer until my toes brushed hers and waited until she met my gaze.
Her eyes danced between mine and my mouth. I bit down on my lower lip and watched her throat bob with her swallow. God, this girl was hard to resist.
“Yeah, I took a wrong turn and ended up going in circles, but here I am.” Her voice was high, but she stood straight and walked forward, forcing me back. I plucked the bag from her shoulder, noting her tight jeans that showed off her strong, lean legs and a knitted sweater hugging her curves. Clearing my throat, I led her into our house.
“Hey, Sidney,” Alex said as he walked in from the other room. His voice was playful. “I hear you’re here to tutor our boy.”
She laughed as her eyes met mine. “You’ve got it backward.”
“Fuck, I would’ve gotten a tutor if she’d been half as hot as you.”
I smacked Alex on the back of his head. “You can fuck right off.”
“Careful, your jealousy’s showing.” Alex shot me a knowing smirk.
Lucas came up to us. “My girlfriend, Piper, told me you were in the same class together a few years back.” He slid his hands in his pockets, continuing. “She said you helped her out with some notes, but she wasn’t sure you’d remember her.”
I sucked in a breath as a full-blown smile took over Sid’s face. “Are you kidding me? She’s the sweetest. Tell her hi for me.” The way she said it, with such genuine enthusiasm, had us all nodding.
“Will do.” Lucas beamed. He was easy. Compliment his girl and he was a pushover.
I liked her being around my friends. Instead of giving her space, I took two steps into her until the side of her body touched my chest. I sucked in a breath when Sidney leaned against me, and her scent surrounded me. I was sure it would be years before I could smell an orange and not think of her. Wetting my lips, I slid my hand down her arm until my fingers threaded through hers. Her hand twitched, but she didn’t pull away.
“Good to see you, Sidney,” River shouted and waved from the couch, barely taking his eyes off the game. Meanwhile, I couldn’t move mine away from her.
“You can’t just squirrel her away in your room,” Lucas said, clapping his hand on my shoulder.
“Watch me.”
“Bye, Sidney. You let me know if he gives you any problems,” Alex winked.
Her palm was delicate in mine as I led her up the stairs. My room was nothing special. There were hockey posters on the walls, a rack with medals on display, and notepads stacked on the desk corner.
Stopping at the threshold, she hesitated to come in, and her teeth gnawed on her bottom lip. I held back a groan and pictured running my finger along her mouth to release her lip.
I dropped her bag on the bed, breaking the tension, and started pulling out binders. “Relax, we’re just studying. I promise to stay on my side.”
Sidney looked between me and the bed and shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”
She backed herself against the wall with her legs tucked under her, taking up the least amount of room on the bed as humanly possible.
“Put this behind your back.” I tossed her a pillow, and she caught it before it collided with her face, eyes round with shock. She mocked throwing it back, but she placed the pillow behind her and wiggled a bit to get more comfortable. My mouth watered. She had no idea what that little wiggle did to me.
I turned on my playlist, about to get started when Lucas barged in with a tray of drinks. “You guys are actually studying? I’m a little disappointed.”
I grabbed the tray and pushed him out of the room. “Thanks, man. Now fuck off.”
I shut the door in his overeager face, and I turned, walking back to a now smiling Sidney. “One strawberry milkshake, as per our agreement.”
She took it from me and moaned, tilting her head back with the first sip. “Hmm, so good.”
I froze, staring at her. She looked utterly blissed-out, which had me thinking of other ways to keep her looking like this. It was only made worse by having her on my bed.
Mentally giving my head a shake, I sat facing her and propped my elbows on my knees, using one hand to support my head and the other to hold my chocolate shake. We were mirror images sitting this way.
“So you guys are all lined up for playoffs.”
“Not yet. Still a few games to earn our spot. Wait? How do you know that?”
Her cheeks turned cherry red.
“You’ve been watching?” I couldn’t help the surprise in my voice.
“You wish” was her feisty reply.
“Yeah, I kind of do.”
After a few hours and several chapters later, we were completely laid out on my bed, our heads beside each other, surrounded by books and papers. I hadn’t been this relaxed in a long-ass time. She was barely awake, eyes blinking at a slow speed, and she gently rested her head on her arm as if she might drift off.
She looked so fucking exhausted. “Do you want to sleep here? I can sleep in the other room.”
She shifted into a seated position and yawned while shaking her head. “That’s okay. I can drive.” Her eyes were still droopy, giving her a kiss-drunk look.
“I’d prefer it if you stayed. You’re barely holding yourself up.”
She looked at me, deciding that I was sincere and not just horny, and gave me a nod.
“Is there anyone you need to let know where you are?”
Sidney took out her phone and sent a quick message. “All good.”
I handed her my softest shirt and gym shorts. “You can wear these.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes searched for me, and the slightest hint of a smile curved her lip, and then she headed to the bathroom to get ready. I grabbed my spare blanket and a pillow before freezing on the spot. She walked in looking damn good in my clothes. The shirt slid to the side, exposing the soft skin over her collarbone, making me want to lower my head and run my tongue in the dip. She held on to the tangled short strings, not paying attention to me. The shorts were obviously too big for her, and they would have to be tied if they had any hope of staying up. I hummed at the back of my throat at the thought of them sliding down. Her eyes met mine, and I couldn’t resist the draw she had on me. I walked closer, dipping my head to bring my lips just shy of her ear.
“You look like you could use some help.”
Sidney’s skin pebbled along her neck, and a shiver ran through her. “It’s stuck.”
I slid my hands down her arms, moving her hands, and I took the strings in mine. She sucked in a breath as I worked at the knot, quickly opening it. My knuckles grazed across her soft skin. Burning for her, I had to swallow hard to stop from groaning. I pulled the strings tight, riveted by the goose bumps forming under my touch, and my fingers drifted over her skin one last time before I tied a bow.
Sidney was breathing as hard as I was. Her eyes were hooded, and I followed them as they dropped to my mouth. She bit her bottom lip while leaning closer to me.
My thumb ran along her bite mark, pulling her lip free. “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about soothing this spot with my tongue.”
A shiver rolled through her with my words, and my body tensed, mouth watering. I wanted to close the distance between us so fucking bad, but it had to be her. I paused, my mouth hovering over hers, and strained every muscle not to move.
Come on, Trouble. Break your fucking rules.
Her pupils filled her eyes until there was only a golden rim surrounding them. They flicked between mine, searching for an answer while her fingers dug into my chest, pulling me closer while attempting to push me away. I tried to breathe, but it got stuck in my throat, waiting for her. Fuck, baby. Please.
She slowly raised on her toes, her lips barely grazing mine, and she hummed in the back of her throat. I couldn’t stop my hands from closing around her waist and holding her to me, but I didn’t move to close the distance.
She made a needy sound, and my whole world tipped when Sidney pressed her lips against mine. She dug her fingers into my hair, pulling me closer, and deepened the kiss. Her moans evaporated any hesitance felt, and I bit down on her bottom lip like I’d pictured doing a million fucking times before. It was everything I thought it would be but also so much fucking more. I could get lost in the way she tasted, in the small sounds she made when I sucked on her tongue and the way her hips pushed against me, searching for the friction she desperately needed. She gasped, trembling in my arms, and my control broke. I gripped her jaw, tipping her head back to capture her mouth completely, and took over the kiss. Her fingers dug into my hair, tugging me closer, and I rocked into her, eating up the needy sounds she made. Fuck, I wanted her to be mine so badly I thought it might kill me to stop. But I wanted more than a kiss, and I wasn’t fucking this up.
I pulled away and grinned at her frown, walking backward toward the door. “That’s rule number one. Three to go.”
