Chapter 14
JETT
The farther I get from Ethan, the more I’m questioning my sanity. I should’ve known better than to let him egg me on like that.
Why the fuck did you kiss him?
Because I had to. There was no other way to shut him up and… yeah, that’s not it.
I wanted to kiss him. I should regret it, but I don’t.
Funny how I imagined that he’d be the one freaking out afterwards, but it turned out to be me. Only because it was the hottest kiss of my life. Actually, the way we came together was the hottest sex of my life. Totally incendiary.
And it can never happen again. I’ve already spent way too much time thinking about him, and it would serve no purpose. He’ll be on to his next conquest and that’ll be that.
I get back to the dorm, and when I step into the bathroom, my reflection makes me pause.
There’s no mistaking what I’ve been up to; my lips are red and swollen, my cheeks are flushed, and there’s a hickey on my neck.
Fuck, I didn’t even realize Ethan had marked me.
I run my finger gently over the bruise and goosebumps erupt on my skin.
Ignoring my reaction and my disheveled appearance, I take a quick shower and slap a ton of moisturizer on my face to ease the redness. After slipping on a pair of jeans, I throw on a black turtleneck sweater to cover the love bite, grab my denim jacket and my bag, and head into town.
By the time I make it to Boots—forty-five minutes later—the guys have already finished eating.
There’s no sign of Ethan, and my stomach drops out. It’s probably hunger pains.
“Where did you and Ethan disappear to?” Archie asks me. “We thought you were right behind us.”
“We were. We had to stop and… uh… talk for a bit, and then I had to head back to the dorm because I forgot something. That’s all.”
Archie’s eyes narrow as he studies me. Shit. I pull the menu up in front of my face and study it like I need to memorize the contents to pass a test.
“I thought Ethan was joining us for a bite?”
I shrug.
“He said he was going to, but I guess he changed his mind.”
“I didn’t.”
Ethan’s sudden voice has my heart kickstarting again.
I lower the menu to watch him take the seat opposite me, and oh my God, looking at him is like looking in a fucking mirror because there’s no mistaking what he’s been up to.
His swollen lips curve in a sinful grin, and I squirm in my chair, remembering how his mouth felt on mine.
His mouth, his hands, his body. Like he owned me in the best fucking way.
No one’s ever kissed me like that, like he couldn’t get enough.
“Sorry I’m late,” Ethan adds as he takes off his bomber jacket. “I caught up with a friend and I lost track of time.”
“A friend?” Hudson asks.
“Yeah, you know, a friend with benefits.”
I take a sip of my water and pray that my face doesn’t give me away.
Wait, Ethan didn’t meet up with someone else after me. Did he?
“That explains the hickey on your neck.” Archie chuckles. “Do we know her?”
Ethan’s responding laugh is deep and dirty and the sound makes me shiver.
“No, they’re shy.”
Not “she” but “they.” I start choking, and Archie pats me on the back.
“Sorry.”
I cough and clear my throat. I get concerned looks from my teammates, but I wave them off.
“Give us the deets, man. We’re living vicariously through you,” Hudson admits.
“What do you mean?”
Iggy starts to laugh.
“We’re superstitious athletes. That means no sex until after the regatta tomorrow.”
“Really? We have the same unspoken rule in hockey. Not that I haven’t broken it a few times. I think I play better after the fact.” Ethan smirks at me. “What about you, Jett?”
“Next topic, please.”
“I think Ethan’s right.” Archie nudges me. “Case in point: you’re so out of sorts lately. It’s time you got laid.”
I ignore my friend’s suggestion and frantically look around the restaurant.
“Where’s the server?”
“Maybe we could set you up with someone,” Jackson offers and turns to Ethan. “Or you could do it. You know everyone. I’m sure there’s a hot guy you could find for Jett.”
Ethan nods.
“I’d be happy to.”
“No way,” I hiss.
“He is testy,” Ethan replies with a smug grin.
He reaches across the table and takes hold of my hand. What the hell is he doing?
“Don’t worry, Sugar. I’ve got the perfect man for you.”
I wait for him to remove his hand, but it doesn’t happen. Jesus. I don’t want to cause a scene, but if he keeps touching me, everyone’s going to know what’s really going on. Or, they’ll know what happened, past tense.
To make my point, I glare at Ethan in warning, but all he does is smile in return.
“Fine. But he better be a guy who’s looking for a relationship,” I insist. “Not a hookup.”
Ethan’s face pales. Ha. Score one for me.
“You’re full of shit,” Archie teases.
I finally pull my hand away from Ethan’s.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
The truth is, I’m not looking to date again. It’s not worth the hassle. For what? For someone who’s going to gaslight me, tell me I’m mediocre in bed, and then cheat on me? No thanks.
Hudson leans forward.
“Don’t listen to him, Ethan. Jett doesn’t need another Renner situation, just a guy who wants to have a good time, no complications, no stress.”
“I can speak for myself, thanks.”
Ethan raises one eyebrow.
“What do you want?”
You.
No. I need to forget about Ethan and everything that happened on that trail.
“Same as you. A friend with benefits.”
My admission isn’t a lie. I’d like to have no strings fun. Only, I want that with Ethan.
“Then you’ve come to the right man,” Ethan preens.
“Can we get another chair for his ego?” I announce loudly, and everyone at our table laughs.
Ethan offers me his middle finger.
“What time is your competition tomorrow?” he asks.
“Nine.”
“That’s early.”
“The water’s always calmer in the morning,” Hudson explains. “We’re racing against Boston U, Maine State, and U Conn. It’s gonna be great.”
“I’ll be there,” Ethan insists. “I’ll bring some of the Cougars to cheer you on.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Dane’s coming anyway because of Jackson. And what about afterward?”
“Lin said we’re meeting up here for a post-race celebration,” Hudson explains.
“Can I come too?” Ethan asks.
“Why not?” Hudson replies.
I offer my friend a warning look, but Hudson ignores me.
“Cool. I won’t stay long, though. We’ve got hockey practice at one. But I’ll be watching the race for sure to cheer you on.”
“That’s great,” Archie replies.
It’s anything but.
“And then after, we can find a guy for Jett,” Hudson teases. “Maybe he’ll get lucky.”
“Whoever he is will be lucky alright,” Ethan mutters.
He’s staring at me like I’m on the menu. I reach for my drink again.
“Hey, Jett, you should practice your flirting game on Ethan,” Iggy suggests. “He can give you pointers.”
“On how to pick up a guy?” I scoff. “Doubtful.”
“Why not?” Ethan encourages. “Hit me with your best line, Sugar.”
“No.”
“Come on. Be a sport.”
I lean forward and motion for Ethan to do the same.
“I don’t want to play this game with you.”
Ethan’s eyes light up.
“How do you know until you try?”
My teammates start laughing, but I know Ethan’s not joking. How the hell do I deal with this? Fuckboy is supposed to go away now that he’s had his fun, not hint that he’d want a repeat. Especially not with me.
“Can you help me out too, Ethan?” Iggy calls out from the other end of the table.
“Any more requests and I’m going to have to start charging.”
I shake my head.
“For what? You haven’t taught us anything. You’re just insufferable.”
“Fuck, I love it when you use big words.” Ethan chuckles. “Insufferable, irresistible… aren’t they the same thing?”
Thankfully the server arrives and interrupts our conversation to take my order and Ethan’s. Most of the guys pay their bill and say their goodbyes, leaving me, Ethan, and Archie sitting at the table. Only, Ethan gets up and moves to sit beside me.
“I’m off too,” Archie announces as he throws a twenty on the table. “You two control yourselves.”
“What?”
“Try not to fight too loudly,” Archie explains with a smirk.
My friend knows something’s up, but he’s not one to push me for answers I’m not prepared to give.
“Jett’s warming up to me,” Ethan replies with a wink. “He’s stubborn, but eventually he’ll give in.”
“Fuck off.”
“See?” Ethan grins. “I’m getting to him already.”
I let out a groan of frustration.
“Do you ever stop?”
“No.”
“Enjoy your date—I mean lunch,” Archie adds with a wink before he grabs his jacket and heads for the exit.
“Look what you’ve done,” I hiss.
“So, Archie knows or suspects. What’s wrong with that? Would it be so horrible for you to go on a date with me?”
“Ethan, what are you playing at?”
“I’m not playing at anything.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Ethan slips one arm behind me, over my chair. It’s a pose that’s intimate and one I’m not sure I can deal with right now. Especially when his arm brushes my shoulders.
“What are you doing?”
“I have no fucking clue, but I really like touching you, and I can’t seem to stop.”
“Everyone in here is going to think that, you know, that you and me—”
I’m so flustered and it’s frustrating.
“Are you denying our chemistry?”
His face is way too close and my eyes lower to his lips. Too close. Too tempting.
“That would be stupid.”
“We nearly set fire to that trail. I wonder what’s gonna happen when I get you alone in my bed?”
I’m sweating again, and I tug at my turtleneck.
“What are you hiding under that sweater?” Ethan chuckles.
“You know exactly what I’m hiding. What you didn’t.”
“I’m not ashamed. I like sex.”
“You like bragging.”
“That too.” Ethan shrugs and cups my shoulder. Oddly enough, I don’t pull away. “After we eat, let’s go back to my place.”
“That’s a bad idea. What happened, happened, but I don’t make it a habit to fool around with straight guys.”
“I’m not straight,” he insists.
“Then you’re figuring it out. I’m all for that, but I just got over Renner. I need easy, not complicated.”
“This is sex, nothing else. What’s complicated about that? We fuck this out of our system and then we’re friends. End of story.”
“It’s that simple?”
“Of course. What else would it be?”
I stare into his deep brown eyes. He’s not lying, and yet it feels like he’s holding back.
“Do you always follow your hookups to their practice?” I tease.
“Only ones who make my dick so hard I can’t think straight,” he admits. “Or not so straight.”
Of course our server reappears at that moment, and they quickly set down our plates and take off again.
“Ever heard of inside voice?” I chuckle.
“No such thing. I operate at one level—loud—and that’s it.”
Ethan spends the next half hour talking my ear off and stealing French fries from my plate as we eat our lunch.
He’s not draped all over my chair anymore, but he’s still up in my space.
To be fair, I let him do it. I guess I’m no different from anyone else on campus, because my resistance to his persistent charm is breaking.
Not that it means anything. Like he said, it’s sex. I’ve had a rough month, so why not enjoy myself? If we’re both honest about what we want, nothing can go wrong.
Right?