His hand slides up to his heart, and he presses his palm against the purple hoodie with the Hawks logo on the right corner patch. “Aw, shucks, JJ.”
“You really were.”
“You got five seconds to stop talking to me like that,” he chuckles, running a hand over his damp mane, causing it to ruffle a little, but it drops back to the same place.
I fold my arms across my chest and also lean into the wall facing him. “Really? Or else what?”
Electric blue sparks his eyes as a hearty laugh ripples from his chest. “I might throw you over my shoulder and steal you away for your last night in Seattle.”
My eyes bug wide, I can’t exactly help it. “Steal me away, huh?”
“I can sabotage that flight tomorrow if I really wanted to.”
I reach out and give him a playful shove now. “Now, why would you want to do a thing like that?”
He taps his fingers against his jaw in a playful gesture, his energy tonight is electric. More vibrant than I’ve ever seen, even when we were ice skating that day trying to beat each other.
“Hmm. Let me think…” He keeps strumming his long fingers against his chin while he contemplates, rolling his eyes up to the heavens. “Nah… can’t think why I’d want you to not get on that plane.”
“Jay!” I reach out to poke him in the ribs and he catches my wrist, hot fingers seem to imprint on my skin as they wrap around me.
“Now, now, no need for violence.”
“I’ll get violent in a minute if I can’t get to the ladies’ room.”
He laughs and drops my hand, straightening out as he stands upright, showcasing our alarming height difference. One I was made all too aware of during the dance lessons. Holding up his hands in surrender, the smile doesn’t seem to be able to be wiped from his face. “Alright, alright, I’ll let you pass to the ladies’ room. But, let’s have a drink when you come out, okay? Maybe we can hang out?”
“I’d love that.”
“See you in a second.” He pushes off the wall, but not before reaching for my bobble hat and pulling the front down to cover my eyes. I reach out to swat him again and he laughs, dodgingme and striding off down the hall back towards the players’ lounge.
This man!
My heart is thudding thick and fast. Oh god. I really need to get that under control.
But I can’t fight the urge to want to kiss him. My lips are aching for it. Just like I did that night at the bar. In truth, I want to plaster my body all over him, feel his warm flesh and his touch. Have him hoist me up against the wall and press his hard cock into me.
The thought is a shock because even though it’s been building with Jay, I haven’t felt like doing that with anyone since I broke up with my ex. Somehow with Jay, it doesn’t feel weird. In fact, the more time I spend with him, the more it feels like the most normal thing in the world.
Maybe that’s why I find myself making my way back to the players’ lounge in no time at all, eager to spend as much time as I can with Jay, Beth and my newfound friends in the hockey wives. My feet move faster than I can carry them, but as I round the hallway from the bathrooms, I see two things simultaneously, Jay’s purple Hawks jumper with #88 Jefferson on the back, and a lanky blonde sidling her hands around his waist.
I stop short, my breath caught in my throat like I got something physically stuck there. My heart is about to burst right out of my chest cavity when I see Jay turn and look at her over his shoulder, then, it’s as if he was expecting someone else as he quickly pushes her hands off and steps away from her. I’m not able to hear what he says, but as my eyes wander over to the leggy blonde pouting and batting her lashes towards him, I see it’s that same girl from the rink again the other day when we were skating.
Heat creeps up my body, spreading like a vine from my chest, working its way over my neck and hitting my cheeks with what feels like wildfire. My body feels ablaze, watching her even for a second with her hands on Jay. I don’t have some stupid claim over him, but I don’t like seeing it either.
I know he says he’s not interested in her, but he sure as hell had something to do with her at some point. And while it gives me some satisfaction seeing him brush her away, it still makes me realize a simple fact; Jay is beautiful. He’s a successful athlete playing for the NHL and he’s rich and gorgeous. He’s always going to have some girl fawning over him wherever he goes, he would be used to it by now, and it’s certainly nothing new.
Slowly, I take a step back, unable to find myself, or a steady pace of my heart. I want to get back to the girls, but it would mean passing Jay. Just as I start to turn and head back the way I came, which is stupid because it only leads back to the washrooms, Jay catches my eye. His face crumples a little, the frown forming on his forehead at the realization that I saw that puck bunny pawing after him. He disregards whatever the blonde is saying and pushes forwards towards me but I’m already briskly walking away back down the hall.
“Jade!” I hear him call after me… If I can just make it to the ladies so I can regroup and compose myself… “Jade!”
I feel his hand on my shoulder, just as I round the corner a few steps away from the restroom and I whip around to face him. “Jay.” I try to sound all cool and casual, but my voice seems to have other ideas and doesn’t want to comply with my brain. It comes out with an exasperated sigh, more than annoyance or hurt.What should I be hurt about?
“I’m sorry about Janey. I don’t even know how she got back here again.”
Again? My eyes pop wide as he swipes a hand through his hair. “It’s not what it looks like, she’s clingy sometimes, won’t take no for an answer.”
“It’s fine, I don’t care.” All lies.
