“Well, you might not, but I do.”
“You mean, it’s really a hardship having a beautiful busty woman pawing after you every chance she gets? I get it Jay, you’re an attractive guy in the NHL, what girl wouldn’t want to? Honestly, I don’t blame the girl.” I don’t mention I’d rather scratch her eyes out than try and be nice about her right now, but I don’t want to sound like I’m being needy or think I have some claim to him since we’ve been hanging out.
He tips his head then, his eyes searching mine for something unspoken, a hidden truth that perhaps he thinks he can uncover. But I won’t give in, even to Jay. “Jade, please, hear me out.”
I shake my head, my smile a wobbly resemblance to what it was before; joy. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face during the game and when he came jogging out of the locker room. “There’s nothing to say, it’s fine, I get it.”
He tugs at my arm so it juts me forward to him. “I don’t want her, I told you that before.”
“And I told you I don’t care.” I try to pull back, and it’s not that he has a strong grip on me, it’s more that he’s persistent and follows my movement. As I step back, he takes a step forward.
“I don’t want to end your trip like this.”
I try to blink back my stupid emotions, ones I’ve been trying to hide this whole time and try a smile, even if it feels suddenly oddly placed on my face. “How were you wanting to end it?”
He tilts his head again and wraps his arm around my waist, actively pulling my body toward him. A little squeal forms in my throat as the closeness takes me by surprise. But at the same time, it ignites the fire in my burner that I thought had just been extinguished seeing Janey and him together. Her long hot-pinknails trailing around his waist and squeezing him tight. “Like this.” He pushes my back into the wall, his tall frame blocking everything out from all sides. He dips his head, the damp of his hair brushes my forehead as he leans into me. I gasp, a firm grip on his sleeves as I cling onto him for all I’m worth. His warm lips find mine and he soaks up any further words or sounds I might have with the graze of his mouth and then a firmer press.
I’m frozen against the wall, his presence consuming me in the most delicious way I’ve ever encountered. I love the way I feel so safe with him. His scent tingles me from the insides, like the spicy concoction is kissing me all over, touching every part of my body. Little sparks go off deep inside my core, igniting what I felt that night in the bar, feelings I’ve been fighting ever since.
When my brain kicks in and tries to keep up with the rest of me and what’s happening, my lips move against his. The plush press of his mouth is like a whole new discovery, one I really want to get on top of, or under, it doesn’t even matter.
The way our mouths ignite, neither of us pulls away, and when he switches sides without breaking the kiss, I get lost in it. It’s the kind of kiss that sweeps you up and takes you on an exciting, intoxicating ride, one that you don’t ever want to end because it feels so good and so freeing.
His hand finds my ribs and rubs over my tunic, our breaths colliding, my body a furnace.
It’s a small cough in someone’s throat that breaks our reverie and we both stop-mid kiss and turn our heads at the same time to see Marcy has almost collided into us. She holds her hand to her chest and presses her lips together, fighting back a smile.
“I’m so sorry—” I start.
Jay doesn’t move an inch, he keeps one hand on my hip and the other pressed into the wall next to my head. “Marcy,” he says with the kind of calm assurance that I’m sure he’s practiced over the years.
I push my palm into Jay’s chest. “Jay,” I mutter under my breath.
She shakes her head with a faint laugh and dodges around us, making her way into the restroom.
“You do realize we’re causing a hazard right here.”
I watch as Jay’s tongue touches his bottom lip, sucking it under for a second while he takes a deep breath and finally rights himself, standing up straight. “The only hazard was getting caught, Baby.” He reaches up to touch my face, soft fingers trail along my cheek, finding the ends of my hair and brushing them away. “And fuck, I liked doing that.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he places his finger there and I’m tempted to suck it into my mouth but somehow refrain. I mean, we are in a public hallway after all.
“Did you like it too?” he asks.
The bob of my head tells him everything he needs to know. His smile could light up any dismal Seattle sky. “A little too much.”
“They’re the words I like to hear.”
“We should go back to the players’ lounge,” I whisper, all flushed and hot from the top of my head down to my toes, and it’s all because of him. I don’t want to leave in case we burst the bubble we just created, but we can’t stand here all night either.
“Fine, but I’m not done yet.”
My heart skips out of time – a quick, gentle thrum – telling me I want that too. His fingers lace through mine, tugging me along with him as we walk back to where all the bustle is. “I’d be sorely disappointed if you were.”
CHAPTER 16
Jay
I see nothing else for the remainder of the evening except for Jade and only her. Even when the guys all insist we grab a bite together because it’s Jade’s last night before she leaves. I want to whisk her away and explore that beautiful perky mouth a little deeper, but I don’t know for sure if it was a one off. Okay, so it’s technically the second time, but who’s counting? All I know is it was something I’ve been dreaming of for months, and I want her so fucking bad.
