Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
With classes and a full training schedule for us both, Brogan and I haven’t seen each other most of the week. But I think my plan is working in my favor because she’s texted me first on multiple occasions this week.
We have joked around and even called on the phone while walking between classes a few times. I never really wanted a girlfriend before, but I think I’m finally getting the appeal. She makes my life exciting with her constant sass, but she’s also someone I can open up to about things like my grades stressing me out.
She is so much more than I gave her credit for that first night, and I’m starting to find I really like all the sides of Brogan Astor. Which is why I cannot wait to see her tonight for the Halloween party. No matter how many times I asked, she refused to tell me what she’s going to be dressed as, but she promised it was something special just for me.
Speaking of my little spitfire.
“Hayes,” I hear her holler over the crowd of people. When I turn, my heart literally skips a beat.
God damn. I bite my fist, watching as she crosses the room in her sexy costume.
Is she wearing a bathing suit? It looks like a baby pink one piece suit that does a terrible job of holding her tits. They’re one jump kick away from popping out. I need to get a look at her backside because there is no way those black fishnet stockings are covering her ass cheeks the way stockings should. I dig the pink bunny ears and a black bowtie around her neck, though. And don’t get me started on those black heels. I’m not opposed to her wearing those and using my hands tonight.
Fuck. How the hell am I supposed to have a good time while every man in this house ogles her?
Part of me wants to go downstairs and grab a jacket from my room, so I can wrap it around her. The other part of me just wants to take her away from the party all together.
I’ve missed her like crazy andbased on the excitement in her eyes as she approaches, I’m confident she missed me, too.
“Damn,” I drawl, stroking my chin as my eyes drink her up. “That costume should be illegal.”
“I’m glad you like it. Any idea what I am?”
“Ugh,” I side-eye her. “A sexy bunny, obviously.”
She shakes her head, a grin on her lips. “I’m a puck bunny. Your puck bunny.”
Jesus. If she wasn’t already appealing enough, she just got a hell of a lot sexier.
Her hands immediately land on each of my arms, her eyes roaming up and down my body. “Your costume is the one that should be illegal.” She nibbles delightfully on her bottom lip. “I think a priest may be my newest fantasy.”
“Well,” I lean close and whisper in her ear, “what do you say we make that fantasy a reality? Tonight’s the night, Legs.”
That’s right . Tonight is the night she either walks out of my life for good with the revenge she so desperately craves. Or, the tides turn in my favor and she’ll finally realize she wants to be with me instead.
“That it is,” she says enthusiastically. “How are you feeling about it?”
I shrug, looking past her. Like any guy would feel when he knows he’s about to fuck the girl of his dreams for the first time since realizing she’s the girl of his dreams.
“Just ready to get this over with,” I tell her.
“Wow, Hayes.” She smacks my arm playfully. “You sure do know how to turn a girl on.”
“Oh, you’re gonna be turned on alright.” I wink at her and pull her a little closer. I’m not ready to get the sex over with; I’m ready for our deal to end, so I can see if this is real or not.
This girl has no idea what’s in store for her.
I might not have a history of good relationships, but ask any girl I’ve ever fucked and they’ll openly admit it was the best sex they’ve ever had. I bet Brogan would even agree. Tonight will be no different; however, I plan on taking my sweet ass time as I savor every second with her.
“Be right back,” she says, “I need a drink.”
As she goes to walk past me, I throw my arm out, catching her around the waist. “Oh no you don’t.” I spin around and turn her with me.
She growls in response. “I can’t get a drink?”
“Not alone you’re not. This place is crawling with horny men who wouldn’t hesitate to smooth talk a girl like you into their bed.”
She plants a hand on her hip, taking a stance. “Men like you?”
“Exactly.” I hook an arm around her neck and curl her body into mine and walk with her to the kitchen.
“You do realize I’d have to be willing in order for them to get me in their bed unless they drug me or something?”
“And that level of trust in mankind is why I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight. Understood?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she murmurs.
I bite my fist again and growl. “I’m gonna need you to repeat that later tonight.” Adjusting my pants, I attempt to conceal the erection she just gave me.
We walk into the kitchen and it looks like half the party is in here. A group has gathered on the back deck, surrounding the kegs of beer. On the counter, there are endless bottles of liquor and a line of people waiting to get to them.
“Liquor or beer?” I ask Brogan as I lead her to the front of the line.
She picks up a bottle, and after examining it, she sets it back down and picks up another.
“This.” She passes me a pint of cheap white rum. I hold it up, reading the alcohol content, and when she’s not looking, I pour a half shot worth into a plastic cup. I want us both to be fully present tonight, which is exactly why I’m only drinking water. I fill the rest of the cup with room temperature Coke , leaving enough room for a couple ice cubes, then once it’s mixed, I hand it over to her.
With her drink in hand, Brogan wanders aimlessly, chatting with random people as she sips her drink.
Sticking to her side, I watch her like a hawk.I’ve never felt the need to protect someone to the extent I do with Brogan. Just the thought of lecherous eyes watching her—or worse, some touching her—gets me heated.
As the night rolls on, all I can think about is how badly I want to get the hell out of here and take her back to her dorm.
Avery’s already made plans to stay here with Evan, so we’ll have the room all to ourselves.
“What’s up, Madden?” my boy Lenny says as he walks toward me. “I heard Coach gave you hell again this morning. Something about a fight at Piggy’s Saturday night.”
“Eh...” I drag my hand through the air. “It was nothing. Just a little bar brawl.”
“Tell me it wasn’t Kamden Donnelly?” Lenny makes a fist and slams it into his palm, repeating himself. “Tell me it wasn’t him, Madden.”
“In the flesh.” I try to wave it off, but Lenny takes Kamden seriously. As he should because he is a thorn in my side.
“Goddamn,” he growls. “I think it’s time we put that kid in his place. He’s been causing too many problems. And to report you to Coach when the season is in full-swing. That’s some bullshit.”
“As I’ve said before, he’ll get what’s coming to him.” I untwist the cap of my water bottle and take a long swig.
“What’s coming to him is an uppercut straight to the jaw.” Lenny bends at the waist, balls his fist and fakes an uppercut. “That boy needs to quit trying to break our best center.”
I laugh at him, rolling my eyes. “Nothing that fucker does can break me so don’t go getting your ass in trouble trying to stop him. ”
Finch joins in and the three of us are standing around bullshitting when I realize I’ve lost Brogan.
“Fuck,” I grumble. “Have you seen Brogan?” I ask the guys as I scour the room.
“She was just here a second ago,” Lenny says.
“Haven’t seen her all night,” Finch adds. “What’s up with you two anyways? You got a thing for this girl, or what?”
Without responding, I walk away, but I hear Lenny say, “I’d say he’s got it bad. I’ve never seen our boy so uptight over a girl.”
He’s not lying—I do have it bad. Which is exactly why I’m frantically searching the crowded room for her. It’s only been ten minutes tops. She couldn’t have gone far. So why the fuck can’t I find her?
I live in this house with thirty-two guys, and I barely know half of them. The ones I have met are notorious for their womanizing ways. And that’s just the people who live here. This place is swimming with creeps.
I need to get out of my own head. She’s probably just chatting in a corner with Avery somewhere, talking about me and how charming and sexy I am.
Loud hoots and whistles flow from the kitchen and something in my gut tells me I need to get in there. The music is nearly deafening, so much so that it’s hard to tell if my heart is thudding or if it’s the bass vibrating in my chest.
My eyes quickly scan the kitchen and I catch sight of Brogan’s friend Lucia dancing in the center of a group of guys. As I’m making my way over to her, I spot a pair of pointed pink bunny ears near the door to the deck.
Cupping my hands around my mouth, I holler, “Brogan!”
My words are lost in the noise, so I eat up the space between us, dodging bodies and spilt drinks. “Brogan!” I try again to no avail.
When she turns to the side, I'm certain it’s her, but as my eyes drag down her body, they land on a pair of fingers clutching her wrist.
Anger boils inside me, my vision tunneling as I push my way through the swarm of drunk idiots.
As I draw near them, my mind goes blank and all I see is red. With my adrenaline soaring, I curl my hand into a tight ball and connect it with the back of the guy’s head. The impact reverberates through my body and my knuckles sting from the force of the blow. It’s not until the douchebag stumbles to the right and I get a look at his face that I realize it’s Kamden’s roommate, Jeremiah.
His jaw ticks with intent and he steels his shoulders and barrels toward me. I see him coming, though, and just as he’s about to throw his body into mine, I jump to the left and dodge him. He goes crashing into a group of girls and lands on the floor with a thud. Their drinks go flying and each of them keeps him down by kicking him and screaming at him.
Knowing he’s taken care of and won’t jump me from behind, I turn back to Brogan…who is fucking gone again. What the hell!
I’m back to searching for her again when someone grabs my hand. My eyes shoot to the left and I sigh in relief when I see her. “Jesus, Legs. Where the hell have you been?”
She raises my bloodied right hand and presses a kitchen towel to it. “Are you okay?” she asks with worry in her expression.
“I am now. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“Who? Jeremiah?” She shakes her head and laughs. “No, he didn’t hurt me. But I’m sure he’s in some pain after getting slapped across the face by me, then punched in the back of the head by you.”
“You slapped him?” A proud smile spreads across my face.
“Damn straight I did. He was trying to get under my skin by telling me Gabby stayed with Kamden the last two nights. As if I give a shit. Then he proceeded to call me a whore, a bitch, oh...and a clout chaser. So I slapped him. Then he grabbed hold of me and started spewing threats. That’s when you stopped him.”
Heat rushes to my face again and I clench my sore fingers, groaning through the pain. “He’s lucky I don’t break his fucking face right now.”
I look back at where he was lying and see him sitting with his back against the wall holding an ice pack to his head. It’s not often I sucker punch a guy; in fact, I frown upon it normally. But things have changed since Brogan came into my life, and if you touch her without her consent, it’s a sure-fire way to get an injury from a D1 hockey player.
Brogan tucks the corner of the towel around my hand so it stays in place. “Forget about him. Much like Kamden, he’s not worth it.”
I shake the towel off my hand and let it fall to the floor. “Let’s get the hell outta here.” With my hand on Brogan’s waist, I lead her out of the kitchen. But not before driving the toe of my shined-up black shoe right between Jeremiah’s legs. He grabs his crotch and moans in agony before falling onto his side. “I dare you to speak to her like that again, let alone put your hands on her. Fuck around and find out. Your boy sure did.”