Walking into the bar with Simon and Greyson, we find an open high-top table since the bar is already full by this time of night. Our practice ran a little late and this was the place all our teammates frequented after practices and games. And since it’s a Friday night, it only seemed fitting to come here to have a few drinks.
What I didn’t expect to see was Eden…
We order our drinks and I don’t make a move in her direction—not yet, at least. She didn’t see us when we walked in and I’ve never seen her here before, so I can imagine that we’re the last people she’s expecting to see. Instead, I sit back in my chair and drink a few beers with the guys, watching her from a distance.
Eden is sitting at the bar with Winter, but it isn’t long before Winter is talking to the guy sitting next to her. Simon and Greyson are talking about some chick from their one class, but I have them tuned out and neither of them seem to notice. I can’t seem to take my eyes away from Eden as I watch her in curiosity.
She’s sitting at the bar, slowly sipping her margarita as she looks around at the different people surrounding her. It’s almost like she’s not really here, though—instead just lost in her own head and consumed by her own thoughts.
What I wouldn’t give to see what’s going on in that pretty little head of hers…
We order another pitcher of beer and I can feel the alcohol already working its way through my system. I’m not drunk, but I definitely have a nice buzz going, judging by the way my body feels warm and I feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. Although, I must admit, I’m bothered by the way Eden looks right now.
She still looks around at the other people, almost like she doesn’t feel like this is where she belongs. And even though she puts up her wall of ice whenever someone attempts to get close, she looks fucking lonely. It’s not something I’ve ever seen on her before. It almost looks as if the light in her eyes has dimmed, and I don’t like it.
I want to see them shine, even if it’s with irritation and it’s directed at me.
“I’ll be back,” I tell the guys as I rise to my feet. Greyson simply nods, since he never likes to get involved in anyone’s business. Simon raises an eyebrow, his gaze following mine as I nod to Eden at the bar. I don’t miss the crooked grin on his lips as he shakes his head and directs his attention back to Greyson.
Leaving the two of them at the table, I make my way over to the bar. Eden doesn’t notice me as I step up behind her. Leaning in close, my chest brushes against her back as I inhale her faint vanilla scent.
‘What are you doing here, pretty girl?” I whisper, my voice only for her to hear. Her body stills for a moment, her hand still wrapped around the stem of her glass.
“Hayden,” she murmurs as I move beside her and slide into the now empty seat next to her. Eden looks over at me, her honey-colored eyes meeting mine. “Are you stalking me now?”
A smirk tugs on the corners of my lips. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Her eyebrows tug together, her eyes glazed over slightly from the alcohol in her system. “What does that even mean? How was I supposed to know you would be here?”
“Because we’ve been coming here for years. It’s where all of the guys usually go after practice or home games.”
“Well, sorry,” she clips, her tone sharp as the venom drips from her fangs. “I didn’t realize you owned the place, King.”
Her comment throws me off. Winter still hasn’t noticed me sitting here and is too immersed in flirting with the guy beside her to even have a care. Does Eden feel that out of place right now that she needs to lash out at me?
“Can I ask you something?” I throw out to her before taking a sip of my beer.
Eden stares back at me for a moment. “I guess.”
“What did I personally do to you to make you hate me so much?”
Eden’s eyes widen for a moment, like my question came completely out of left field. I’m not saying that she’s my favorite person or even that I want to be friends with her. I have no problem admitting that she’s fucking gorgeous. There’s something about her that keeps my attention and that’s more than I can say for any other girl.
She shrugs dismissively. “Nothing, I guess. I just know who you are, I know your type, and I want nothing to do with someone like you.”
“Fair enough,” I agree with her, simply because I know that isn’t what she wants. She wants me to argue back with her, to defend myself, but what’s the point? Maybe Simon and Sterling were right and I just need to leave the damn girl alone.
I don’t think that’s possible.
“You don’t like me, I’m fine with that,” I tell her as I reach out to brush a piece of hair away from her face. Her skin is warm beneath my fingertips as I sweep them across her cheek and behind her ear. They linger for a moment before I drag them down the side of her neck. “But why does your heart race every time I touch you? Your breathing grows ragged and shallow. The pink tint on your cheeks. Whether you want to admit it or not, I have an effect on you that you can’t resist.”
Eden narrows her eyes for a moment before swatting my hand away from her. A chuckle falls from my lips as she picks up her drink and takes a long sip. “Careful, King,” she warns, her voice husky and betraying her words. “Your arrogance is showing.”
“I can show you more than just my arrogance, baby,” I murmur, leaning closer to her, watching her throat bob as she swallows hard. “All you have to do is just say the word.”
Her nostrils flare as she inhales deeply and clears her throat. “I told you that was a one-time thing, Hayden. It was a mistake and it never should have happened.”
“And what did you learn from your mistake?” I ask her, still in her space as her scent invades my senses. “Did you learn how much you love making them with me?”
Her lips part slightly, a ragged breath slipping from them as her eyes bounce back and forth between mine. I watch as her chest rises and falls with every shallow breath she takes, like the oxygen is slowly being drained from the room and she can’t get enough of it.
“What do you want from me, Hayden?” she questions me, her voice thick with lust as a fire burns in her eyes.
Leaning back, I grab my beer and lift it to my lips, watching her as she watches me. “One more night with you, Eden. I had a taste of you, but I haven’t had my fill.”
Eden stares back at me, her eyes slightly widening as my words sink in. I watch her throat again as she swallows hard, before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. I want so badly to pull it away from her with my own mouth instead.
“One more night?” she responds, her voice quiet and her eyes hooded.
I nod, my eyes never leaving hers. “Give me one more night to fuck you out of my system and then we can act like this never happened. You can go back to hating me and we can go our separate ways.”
“No strings attached, Hayden. If I agree to this, it doesn’t mean we’re friends or anything like that.”
“Trust me, I’m not looking for a relationship or even a friendship,” I assure her, even though the words taste bitter on my tongue. There’s a part of me that wants to melt away her frosty exterior, but if she’ll give me one more night in exchange for nothing, then I will take what I can get.
“Good,” she muses as the corners of her lips lift upwards. “Because tonight feels like the perfect night to make another mistake with you.”
