2. Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Jaxon
T he roar of the crowd from the Grizzlies game still echoes in my ears as we step into Blue Line, the bar's familiar musk and dim lights wrapping around us like a second skin. I'm surrounded by bunnies, and not the cute fluffy kind. No, these are the kind of bunnies who will do just about anything to get in your pants.
They’re all vying for my attention with too-tight dresses and eager eyes. Normally I’d be all over that shit. Hell, I wouldn’t even wait till I got home, probably taking one of them to the back hall or the storage room that’s never locked. But not tonight.
None of them hold a candle to her—Holly Hawthorne.
"Jax, you're not even listening, man," Cameron laughs, nudging me with his elbow.
I flick my gaze to Cam, and then it goes right back to Holly. She's across the room, sipping on something that looks like liquid gold in the low light. The way she tosses her chin-length blond hair over her shoulder and laughs at something on her phone—it's like she's in slow motion and the rest of the world just blurs around her.
I can’t take my eyes off her. I don’t even want to.
"Can't blame him," Deacon chimes in, his voice smooth like whiskey. "She's got that vibe—like she's not even trying, and still, damn..."
"Sweet and sexy," I mutter, more to myself than to them.
"Got that innocent look that makes you think of...well, not-so-innocent things," Deacon adds with a smirk.
"Guys, we shouldn't be talking about her like that." Cam's the voice of reason, but even he can't peel his green eyes away from her.
"Can't help it," I admit without shame. Flashes of our flirty exchanges light up my brain—a touch here, a laugh there. It's like a game we've been playing, except none of us knows the rules or how to win.
All week, the three of us have been dancing around her trying to figure out this new dynamic. Sawyer asked me to watch out for her. I don’t think this is what he had in mind. Fuck, he’d remove my balls with his skate blades if he knew half the shit running through my mind.
"Careful, man. You know she's Sawyer's sister." Cam's warning cuts through the hum of my thoughts. “She's off-limits, remember?”
"Tell me something I don't know," I say, frustration edging my words. It's wrong—God, it's so wrong. She's my best friend’s little sister, and now she's the voice of our games. But damn if she isn't temptation personified. She's off-limits. As untouchable as a Stanley Cup dream—but just as alluring.
But I already have a Stanley Cup under my belt. Maybe I can have her too.
She takes another sip of her drink, her pouty lips wrapping around the glass, and I can’t help but wonder what they would look like wrapped around my cock. I feel that familiar pull in my gut—that dangerous thrill of wanting what I shouldn’t have.
"Rules are made to be broken, aren't they?" Deacon winks, but I can see the caution in his eyes.
"Damn right, they are," I murmur. But as the heat of the room presses in, the reality of our situation sets up like ice.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
"Jaxon Raleigh, king of bad ideas." I chuckle dryly, tossing back what’s left of my drink.
I weave through the crowd, the buzz of post-game adrenaline still thick in the air. Blue Line's dim lights cast everyone in a forgiving sort of shadow, but Holly? She's all bright spots and clear lines, even from across the room.
I need a new drink. What a perfect excuse to sidle up next to the sexy little thing and see how this plays out.
"Bro, we need to talk," Deacon mutters, hooking an arm around my shoulders and steering me back toward a secluded corner where Cameron leans against the wall, his gaze following her like a hawk.
"About?" I play dumb, but the look Deacon gives me cuts through the crap.
"You know what: Holly," he says, and that one word is heavy with a thousand unspoken thoughts.
"Look, I know the deal with Sawyer..." My voice trails off as Cam runs a hand through his hair, a telltale sign of his own internal battle.
"We're all thinking it," Cam finally admits, eyes locked on mine then shifting to Deacon's. "Sawyer is family, and we made him a promise. But damn man. I want her. I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Cam’s already one step ahead.” Deacon laughs. “He got to touch her sexy little panties, didn’t you, big guy?”
“So, we all want her?” I ask.
The three of us stand there, caught in an unspoken agreement. Holly Hawthorne is stunning—a walking contradiction that hooks you deep. And we're all snagged on the same line.
“Sharing’s never been our issue. I know I’ve been jerking off to thoughts of her all week, so you’ll get no complaints from me.”
“It’s Sawyer’s sister. One night of debauchery with the three of us feels…wrong somehow. But I’m not sure I’m thinking with the right head here.”
"Definitely not," Deacon agrees, a ghost of a smile lifting the corner of his mouth. "But she's...different."
"More than different," I counter, leaning back against the cool brick wall. "She's a game changer. Sawyer's sister. Our broadcaster. It's not just a bad idea—it's the worst."
I’d say I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I do. It's desire—reckless, relentless desire. And it's leading me straight to Holly Hawthorne.
There is so much that can go wrong here, so much at stake. I should be running in the other direction. Instead, I’m adjusting my half-hard dick and debating if I can even wait until tomorrow to go after what I want.
Because I want her. Plain and simple.
"So what's our play?" Deacon's gray eyes are calculating, already plotting the moves he wants to take.
"Full offense," I say, pushing off from the wall. "We go in together. No secrets, no holding back."
"Are we seriously considering this?" Cam asks, but his eyes betray him; they're already lit up with the fire of the hunt.
"Looks like it." Deacon's voice is calm, a stark contrast to the beat of my heart, loud in my chest.
"Tonight?" There's a finality in my tone, a decision being made despite the alarm bells ringing loudly in my head. “One night. We get it all out of our system, and we all move on.”
"Tonight," they echo, and we straighten up, a united front ready to face the most dangerous game we’ve ever played.
"Let's make our move," I say, and we step out of the shadows, drawn to the light that is Holly Hawthorne.
The bar's neon lights cast a kaleidoscope glow over Holly's face, her blue eyes sparkling like the ice back at the arena. She stands alone now, her laughter still ringing in my ears even though she’s all the way across the crowded room. The beat of the music thrums through me as I take that first step, flanked by Cam and Deacon.
Fuck, she’s beautiful. She’s not like the puck bunnies hanging on our every word. There’s no skin-tight dress or caked-on makeup. She’s not begging to jump on my dick in hopes she can ride it into a better life. This girl is real. And that should terrify me.
Instead, it just makes me want her more.
"Hey," I say, keeping it simple as we close the distance.
"Hi, Jaxon," Holly says, her smile warm, unaware of the storm she's about to be caught in. I see the flash of desire in her eyes before she shutters the emotion. Yeah, she’s feeling this too. The question is, what’s she going to do about it?
"Fun game tonight." Deacon leans against the bar casually, like he's talking about the weather instead of the firestorm inside us.
Fuck. Now that we’re close enough, I can smell her. She has this sweet vanilla and cinnamon scent that I just can’t get enough of. I shove my hands into my pockets to keep myself from reaching out for her. But I can’t stop the way my body sways in her direction, desperate for just one touch.
"Your plays were...impressive," Holly adds, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink.
"Thanks, Hol," Cam chimes in, his grin easy but his eyes intense. "But we've got something more...exciting to discuss."
Her gaze flicks between us, curious, a touch of caution there too. Smart girl.
"We've been thinking—" I start.
"Fantasizing is more like it," Deacon corrects with a half-smirk.
"About what?" The question slips from Holly's lips, innocent but edged with the knowledge that something is up.
"About you," Cam says bluntly. "About us."
"Us?" Her eyebrows knit together, the blush deepening.
"Here's the deal." I lean closer, lowering my voice. "We're into you, Holly. All three of us. And we know it's complicated. But we can't shake this...tension."
"Sexual tension," Deacon clarifies, as if it wasn't clear already.
"Right." Cam nods. "And we have a proposition for you."
"Go on..." she prompts, her breath catching slightly.
"One night," I say, watching her closely. "No strings, just us and you. Together. One night to get this crazy chemistry out of our system."
"Think of it as...an exclusive interview," Cam adds with a playful wink.
"Very exclusive," Deacon interjects.
Silence hangs for a heartbeat, two, three. Then Holly bites her lip, considering. Dangerous territory, but here we are, laying it all on the line.
"Are you sure? This could get messy," she says, eyes searching each of ours. “And, I’ve never…”
"Life's messy," I answer truthfully. "But this feels...right."
"Could be fun," Deacon says with a shrug, as if we're suggesting a midnight skate.
"Intense," Cam adds, his voice low.
"Intensely fun," I finish, hoping it sounds more convincing than desperate.
Holly looks at us, really looks at us, her gaze piercing. Then, slowly, the corner of her mouth lifts into a coy smile. "One night," she echoes, and it's like a green light flashing “go” in my head.