Daring the Defender (Wittmore U Hockey #3)

Chapter 24

24

S helby

If I thought I could just pretend like the deadline for returning home wasn’t fast approaching, I woefully underestimated my mother’s persistence. Out of patience with my need for space and time, she’s been calling every day, usually more than once. There’s no discussion, just a reminder of my flight the next Saturday, the engagement party the following week, and the many details that need to be addressed the instant I get off the plane. Never mind the unpleasant fact I’d broken up with David. This was just a minor inconvenience that would resolve itself. After all, a promise is a promise.

I don’t know if it was her doing or if David sensed some disturbance in the universe when Reid and I had sex, because after weeks of not hearing from him, he called as well. His message was long and rambling, with a quasi non-apology.

Too bad I’ve been too busy floating on an orgasm induced high to respond.

In fact, I blame the most recent one, provided by Reid’s tongue in room one-ten, for fogging my brain so much that I answer the phone on my way to the Badger Den without checking the name on the screen.

“Shelly-bean!”

“Daddy?” My father’s voice is a shock. He usually leaves the phone harassment to my mother due to his busy schedule.

“You’re a hard girl to catch,” he says, going straight for the guilt.

“I’ve been busy.” I take a deep breath and steady myself. “I have a job.”

“I’ve heard.” The disapproval is noted. “A waitress in a sports bar?”

“Hockey primarily. They’re very supportive of the team.” I step around a pothole filled with dirty rainwater. “Axel knows the owner,” I add, which I know in my father’s eyes doesn’t mean much. “But they serve good food. It’s a nice place.”

‘Nice’ may be a bit overkill for a place with sticky floors and smells like decades of sealed-in fried food, but it’s not like he’d ever step foot in a place like the Badger’s Den so a little embellishment won’t hurt.

“Shel, I’ve tried to be understanding about your need for reflection. You’re not the first young person who felt the pressures of adulthood too soon. The need to take a journey, spread your wings, and consider your future is ingrained and there are many passages in the bible to support that. I have prayed for your mother to have patience, and I have prayed that you would see reason.”

“Daddy–”

“I need you to listen and not speak.” His tone is sharp. Stern. I’ve rarely been on the other side of it, but I’ve heard him speak this way to my brother more times than I can count. “I can appreciate that this moved faster than you were ready, but as your father, it is my role to protect you and make sure that you are positioned for a good life. That doesn’t just include the man you bind yourself to for eternity, but it includes the smaller things. Where you live. How you live–”

“Are you going to pick out the wallpaper the way you picked out my ring?” I can’t take it anymore. “I’ve given you everything since I was a child, Daddy, but not everything–every decision–belongs to you.”

He sighs. “The home was a gift. A surprise. I’m sorry you can’t see that. The ring? I thought you would like it. David is a good man, but admittedly, not the most creative. He comes from a good family, will be a responsible, safe, respectable, god-fearing husband to you and a worthy addition to Kingdom. Rejecting him is like rejecting me.”

His words cut. Years of belief and loyalty war against the new found freedom of the past few weeks. “Is that how you really see it?”

“Of course.” His tone softens. “And it’s how I raised you to see it too. I’m not trying to control you, Shelby. I’m trying to protect and guide you, like I always have. Your mother? She just wants to make all of this as special as she can. It’s important to her. Come home and work things out with both her and David. He loves you and has been patient, but a man can only take so much defiance.”

His tone may be soft but his words land hard, like a punch. Tears build in my eyes and I brush them back, hating that it’s so easy to get this reaction out of me. Why do I care what he and my mother and David think about me? Why is the temptation to go back to the familiar so strong?

“We’ll see you this weekend,” he says, then ends the call.

As uneasy as I feel from the call, one thing is certain. That wasn’t a request. It was an order.

It’s a long shift after the phone call with my dad, but at least the bar is busy. Wittmore isn’t playing but they are showing another game, and that brings in the locals wanting a place to hang out and watch. The constant stream of orders, delivering food and drinks, and the sound of the game give me plenty of time to consider all the things my father said.

And just how pissed it makes me.

“Two bottles of Honey Dew,” I tell Mike as I pass the bar, and then to the kitchen I toss out, “and a basket of cheesy fries. Extra cheese.”

“You’re a ray of sunshine tonight,” Mike says, filling up one glass and then the other.

“I haven’t seen a piece of the sun in two weeks,” I reply, leaning against the counter. I’ve grown to love Wittmore, but this weather sucks.

“She’s just sad that she’s leaving us in a few days.” Josie swoops around the bar, tossing empty bottles into the recycling. “No wait. That’s me.”

I give my friend a sad smile. That’s how I feel about everything. Sad and a little angry.

Leaving Texas was big. Refusing to come home when my mother told me to, was bigger. But speaking to my father and defying him directly? That’s huge.

And it doesn’t sit right with me.

None of this does.

“I’m going to miss you, girl,” she says, wrapping her arms around me. “And if you ever want to come back, just tell me, and I’ll make Mike give you a job.”

Mike rolls his eyes at Josie’s confidence but he doesn’t disagree. He just pushes the beer toward me and I carry them out to the customers.

When the game is over, Mike cuts me loose, and I grab my stuff from the back. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I call out, “Night everyone,” and head to the door where I’m surprised to see Axel waiting.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, taking him in.

“Why do you think something’s wrong?”

“Because your jaw is so tight that there’s a big knot at the back and that tells me you’re freaking out but trying to stay calm,” I push past him, out into the cold night. So. Freaking. Cold. “So what is it?”

“Can’t a guy come walk his sister home from work?”

“Yes, but I know that’s not why you’re here.” After the call with my Dad, I’m expecting the worst. “Spill.”

“I heard something today.”

“From Dad? Because–”

“No. Not from Dad.” He gives me a look, like he has questions but he continues on. “I heard you were on campus. Kissing Reid.”

“What?” I miss a step, literally almost falling off the curb. Axel grabs me before I can fall, and keeps me upright. “Who told you–”

“Doesn’t matter.” he shakes his head. “I came to you to ask for the truth. Were you on campus today with Reid?”

I take a breath, looking down at his hands as the wind whips my hair around my face. No scrapes or bruises on his knuckles, which can only mean one thing. He hasn’t seen Reid yet–or Reid lied. “Yes. I was on campus. Yes, I saw Reid. Yes, I kissed him on the cheek.”

“What the hell, Shelby?”

“It’s not a big deal. I saw him talking to that girl–the ex. Darla?” I ask, playing dumb. “I’ve seen her picture in some socials. He looked uncomfortable, like he needed an escape, and I decided to give him one.”

“By kissing him,” he accuses.

“ On the cheek.” I roll my eyes. “And acting like I was his new girlfriend. It was no big deal, I was just trying to be a friend helping him out. Nothing inappropriate.”

That is the biggest lie of all lies ever told, because after that Reid took me down to room one-ten and showed me how much he appreciated me stepping in to save him. He was very, very appreciative.

Despite the freezing cold, my body is now officially warmed up. I look over at my brother. “Please tell me you didn’t do something stupid. Like break his face.”

His handsome, gorgeous face.

“No.” He sounds bummed about it. “Nadia convinced me to talk to you first.”

“Thank god for having a reasonable, smart, girlfriend in your life.”

“She’s awesome, right?” A grin quirks the side of his mouth. “So what was Darla saying to him?”

“I’m not sure, but he looked pissed. And sad.”

“Fuck, I hate her.”

“She didn’t seem great.”

“She’s arrogant, and led him on for way too long. They constantly broke up and got back together. It was pretty obvious to all of us that she was going to break his heart, but he couldn’t see it.” He leads us up the path that goes toward Shotgun. “It sucks, because Reid really struggles with the concept of being good enough, and with Darla, he wasn’t. Never could be.”

“That’s awful.” I think on it, then ask, “Why wouldn’t he be good enough for her?”

“I think growing up in foster care was rough. In and out of all those homes,” he glances over at me, “can you imagine?”

I shake my head. “No.”

Our family may not be perfect but we were definitely stable. Predictable, even. It makes me think back to what my father said today about David. Stability is one of the attributes my father sees in him.

“He craves what we had, I think. Two consistent parents. One home. A family that is always there for him. He thought he could have that with Darla, which probably isn’t her fault. She’s just living her college life and thought Reid would be a fun guy to date. But he got serious–fast–and she played along even though she knew she wasn’t going to stick around.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and gives me a pointed look. “My boy got played. Hard. I worry about him as much as I worry about you.”

“Which is why you really don’t want the two of us...” I let the sentence linger.

“Exactly.” We walk up to the Manor. “You’re both awesome, but you’re also both going through some shit that needs to be sorted. Nothing good is going to come from the two of you rebounding off the other.”

I stop at the bottom step of the porch. “But if we weren’t rebounding you’d be fine with it?”

“Oh hell no.” He cackles–a belly laugh, really. “Absolutely, positively, hell fucking no.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a dirtbag hockey player, Shelly, and we’re all scoundrels. Reid’s one of my best friends, but if I find out he ever touched you for real, your ass would be on the first plane back to Texas before you could even blink.”

“What about him?”

“Oh, I’d kick his ass,” he assures me, “but not until after the season is over.”

I think for a moment, consider confessing everything, just to blow his mind. But I have no doubt he’s serious about the plane. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

He shrugs.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Sure.”

“How would you feel about me not leaving?”

He leans against the bannister. “You know I like having you around, but Mom isn’t going to back off on this.”

“Since when do you think someone should do what Mom says?”

He grimaces, but his issues have never been with mom. He and Dad are the ones that haven’t ever seen eye to eye. “I think it’s good you’ve broadened your horizons, but if you want this to be a long term thing, then you’re going to have to go back and deal with everything. I didn’t run away. I made a choice, had a plan, worked my way out of Texas. I’m graduating in a few months which means that even if you could stay, it wouldn’t be with me, we’ll all be moving out.”

He’s right, I have no long term plan. No education. No real job experience other than a part time waitress making tips.

“Right, I understand.”

“But I’m not kicking you out either. If you need more time, you can stay with me and the guys. It’s just–”

“Mom.”

He chuckles darkly. “Yep.”

I nod, and head up the stairs, trying to pretend the world isn’t closing in on me.

“I just have one question,” he says, catching up to me. “What were you doing on campus today anyway?”

I sure as heck can’t tell him I was meeting Reid for an in between class hook up.

My new ability to think and lie fast astounds me. “I heard a rumor the taco shack on campus has the best nachos in town.”

His eyebrow arches. “And?”

“Eh.”

“Shitty, right?”

We both laugh, because these people up in the arctic have no clue about real Mexican food. Axel steps ahead of me and opens the door.

The first thing I see is Reid and Jefferson on the couch playing video games. Reid looks up at me, his brown eyes warming. The second? Over on the kitchen table, a giant bouquet of flowers.

“I forgot,” Axel says, pulling his hat off his head, making his hair stick up more than normal. “Those came for you.”

“For me?” I ask, a hollow feeling spreading in my stomach.

“Secret admirer?” Jefferson calls out.

I have a feeling I know who the flowers are from. They’re pink roses, which aren’t my favorite, but like my father said. David isn’t the most creative.

Everyone is watching, so I pick up the little envelope and open it.

Can’t wait to see you this weekend. I know once you’re home we’ll work this out.

–Love, David

Instead I glance at Axel. The sad smirk tells me he’s already guessed.

“So?” Jefferson asks. “Is this the second secret relationship we learned about today?”

“Second?” I ask, shoving the card in my jeans pocket.

“Yeah, Reid’s got his new girl.” He punches Reid in the arm. “Gigi or something.”

“Oh,” I say, floundering for words. Reid’s expression is carefully crafted into something unreadable. If I hadn’t already talked my brother off the ledge about us being together, I’d be more concerned. “Mine isn’t really a secret. It’s my ex. David.”

“He wants you back.” Reid suddenly chimes in.

“I guess.” He doesn’t know about the calls. The pressure I’m under to return home and make things go back to how they were before.

“Makes sense,” Jefferson says, turning back to the game. “You’re cute as hell. He’d be a fool not to chase you down.”

Axel snorts. “I’d love to see David chase anything other than my father so he can kiss his ass.”

“Ax!” I admonish, but he’s not wrong. “If y’all are done dissecting the love lives of everyone in the house, I’m going to shower, and go to bed. It’s been a long day.”

Skirting past the TV, I go into my little room and grab everything I need for the shower. Lifting my towel off one of the bike hooks, I pause, thinking of how much I love this crappy, cold porch. A lot of things happened here in a really short time. Most of it because of Reid.

On the way to the stairs, I have to circle around his side of the couch. As I pass I feel the heat of his fingers graze my leg. A shiver rolls along my skin and it lingers until I’ve got the hot water running, filling the room with steam.

I turn on some music and prop the phone on the little shelf next to the shower. This house is old, but the water pressure is amazing. A strong steady beat. I’ve just put my head under the stream and grabbed the bottle of shampoo, when I hear a soft click and see a shadow move on the other side of the curtain.

“Ax?” I wouldn’t put it past him to invade my privacy.

A hand grips the curtain and I drop the shampoo with a clatter–a scream on the tip of my tongue.

Reid’s face appears, eyes hungry and sweeping over my body. “You really should lock the door, GG.”

I make a futile, ridiculous, attempt to cover my body. “ You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”

“I wanted to see you.” His voice is low, and I’m mesmerized by his tongue darting out and licking his bottom lip. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”

My nipples harden just from the way he looks at me–the way he talks to me. This isn’t a man who is going to send me pink roses and a half-hearted apology. This is the man who is going to do everything in his power to get to me and claim me as his own.

“Where’s my brother?” I ask, watching the way his fingers toy with the zipper on his hoodie.

“Video call with Nadia.” His hoodie falls to the floor. “I turned on a documentary and shut my bedroom door.”

“Jeff?”

The T-shirt goes next, and my fingers curl just wanting to touch him.

“In bed,” he says casually, like he’s not driving me wild, “probably jacking off to an Ingrid Flockton concert.”

“Gross.”

The jeans go next, buckle landing with a soft chink.

“You asked.” He’s naked now. Hand dropping to stroke down his thick erection. “And I’d be lying to say that if I couldn’t get to you right now, I’d do the same.”

I swallow, watching him step inside the shower. “You’d be jerking off to Ingrid Flockton?”

“There’s only one woman I fantasize about,” he steps under the water, reaching for the bottle of body wash, “and she’s right here.”

Everything in this moment feels scandalous.

From the slippery heat of the water, to the way our bodies touch in a million different nerve points, to the fact my brother and Jefferson are just outside in their rooms. Reid lathers the blue-green soap into his hands and flattens his palms over my breasts. My back arches, but he slides a hand around my body, drawing me back to him. Leaning down, his mouth claims mine warm, wet, and slick.

I’m most aware of the hard line of his cock pressing into my belly, and I reach down to touch him. “Jesus,” he exhales, hand gathering my hair in his fist. “That feels so good.”

“Yeah?” I can barely speak. I let my hand do the work, stroking up and down his cock.

“Everything you do feels amazing,” he tugs on my hair, “turn around.”

I spin, careful not to get our feet tangled up in the small space. Reid’s hand glides down my back, cupping my ass. The water rushes between us, and he takes my hands and flattens them against the tile. Twisting, I watch him soap up again, coating his shaft.

His cock settles between my legs, sliding in and out slowly. The tip knocks against my clit, sending a dull ache in my lower belly.

“I’m on the pill.” The admission comes out in a rush. He looks surprised. “To regulate my period, so if you want to…”

“Yeah?” His eyebrow arches, but his eyes are glued to my mouth. Tipping my face toward his, he kisses me again. “Because I want to fuck you so bad.”

My body melts and part of me knows that this is because we don’t have much more time together. I want to experience everything I can with him, every last touch and emotion. I let him take over, nudging my thighs apart with his knee. Grabbing me by the hips and tilting my ass so he gets a better angle. I’m putty in his hands, muscles warmed by the hot water. His hips rock, sliding his cock against my pussy, drawing us into a steady rhythm, until his arm wraps around my waist, dragging me hard into his body. The head of his cock nudges my entrance, and in one swift move, he’s inside, groaning in my ear. “You’re so goddamn tight.”

Despite what he says, there’s little resistance, my body ready for him. The angle is different. Deep . Unsteady breaths rush from my lungs as he thrusts into me. I find myself wanting more, wanting him deeper, and shift my body to let it happen. Both of his hands land on my hips, giving me what I want, one delirious punch at a time.

The current of energy between us builds and soon I feel the addictive tingle I haven’t stopped chasing since Reid gave me my first orgasm. “You close?” he asks in a whispered grunt.

I nod, the water, now running cool, hitting my back. I barely notice a different wave washing over me, one that threatens to carry me under. One that I feel in every bone in my body.

Reid comes a split second after me, our bodies in lockstep. It’s different this time, I feel him when he comes, the rush of slick heat making me feel even more full. “Oh god,” I moan, the edges of my vision growing blurry. If Reid wasn’t holding me up, wasn’t keeping me upright, I would have slid to the bottom of the tub.

But he is.

He never lets go of me, not for a moment. Not even after he pulls out and washes us both off with the chilly water. His hands are on me as he bundles me in a towel, wrapping it tight around my body and then pulling me against his chest.

“I know things are weird right now,” he tells me, voice still low. With the shower off, all we have is Ingrid’s voice covering our own. “That shit is up in the air with your family, and your dumbass ex is sending you flowers. He wants you to come home. Like Jefferson said, he’d be a dumbass to not chase you down.”

I tilt my face to look up at him. His hair is wet, water droplets beading at the tips. “Reid, I’m not–”

“I need you to know something,” he cuts me off, “I didn’t expect you. Not when you showed up on the porch. Not when you crawled in my lap and kissed me. Not the first time you wore my jersey. Not tonight. Not any of it. Ever.”

I nod, my throat growing thick with emotion, feeling the same.

“Whatever happens, Shelby Rakestraw, I want you to know that I love you. I want the best for you, even if it’s two-thousand miles away.”

“Reid–” I try again, but he bends and kisses me. Not hard and passionate. Not desperate and needy. Sweet. Gentle. Understanding.

He pulls back and adds, “I won’t beg another girl to stay if it’s not the right fit.” His jaw locks tight. “You taught me that I’m better than that.”

With a towel wrapped around his waist, he exits the bathroom and a moment later I hear his door shut, followed by the click of the lock. I have a million things to say to him, but he’s right. If today has taught me anything, I need to figure out my life, before I hurt anyone else.