My breath hitched. “I… I can’t.”
He nodded. “Right, your rules.”
“Right.”
For the first time, I hated my rules.
THIRTEEN
JAX
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.”