Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
CANE
The flight from Massachusetts to Montana might have been smooth sailing, but flying back has been anything but.
It started off fine. We left Montana on time, but now here we are in Chicago, the same place we’ve been for four hours because our flight keeps getting delayed.
“Bet you’re wishing you’d left yesterday, huh?” Harley says from the seat beside me.
I pat her shoulder. “Nah, Catch. Not at all.”
I don’t think my coaches were super excited about my missing a few practices, but I felt like I had to stay with Harley and travel home with her.
I know what it’s like to lose a dad. She didn’t deserve to fly back to NEU alone.
I’m glad I stayed, too, because even the thought of her hanging out in this airport alone breaks my heart in two.
An announcement comes over the intercom, and even though I can’t remember our actual flight number, when they say, “with service to Boston,” I know it’s ours. And what’s even worse? It’s fucking postponed until tomorrow morning at six a.m., apparently.
“Damn it,” Harley mutters, rubbing her temples before looking at me. “I’m so sorry, Cane. I’m sure you’re ready to be back on campus. I hope you don’t get in trouble with your coach.”
I put my hand on her knee and give it a pat.
“Don’t apologize; it’s not the end of the world.
” I shrug my shoulders, realizing exactly what this flight delay means.
“There’s a hotel right in the airport; we can stay there so that we’re already here for the early flight.
I’m sure there’s a restaurant there too. ”
At the mention of the hotel, her eyes grow wider, and she chews on her bottom lip. I probably shouldn’t be doing shit like touching her too much, but we aren’t back at NEU yet, so maybe the rules don’t apply.
Tilting her chin up, I force her to look right at me.
“I can get two rooms, Harland,” I say sharply, wanting her to know I’d never force her to share a room with me if she wasn’t comfortable. I mean, we did have sex last night and all, but she swore that was a onetime thing.
Even though I’m hoping to repeat it tonight, only this time … maybe it won’t hurt her as much.
But if she wanted her own room, I would get Harley her own room. No questions asked, and I’d just sulk in the privacy of my room, not in front of her.
She thinks about it for a moment before her eyes dance between mine.
“We can share a room, Cane,” she whispers shyly. “There’s no sense in paying for two.” I must smile or show some sort of happiness because her eyes widen. “We are not doing … that again though. Okay?”
“You have a dirty mind, Harley. How do you even know I was thinking about that, huh?” I coo. “And what even is that anyway? Seems to me you had one night with me, and now, suddenly, that’s where your mind’s going,” I tease her, and she smacks me on the arm before folding her arms over her chest.
“Shut up,” she grumbles. “You’re annoying.”
“Yeah, I am.” I nod in agreement. “But I mean it; we don’t have to stay together. Or we can stay together, and I can get two beds, and I won’t look at you when you slide between the sheets in those tiny sleep shorts that make me lose my mind a bit.”
I know I shouldn’t say this last thing. I shouldn’t. I really. Fucking. Shouldn’t …
But, fuck me, I can’t stop myself.
“Or option three … we get one bed. I can show you that sex doesn’t have to be so painful now that you’re … more ready.” I stop, cursing the jolt that shoots to my dick. “Because we aren’t back at NEU yet, so maybe the rules don’t apply for one more night?”
She’s pondering it—I know she is. And sometimes, I can guess what she might say next. But right now, I don’t have a fucking clue what could roll off those perfect lips.
“We can share a room,” she says, “but we’re getting two beds. Because the longer we drag the whole, you know, sex thing out … the weirder it’s going to be when we get back to campus.”
Inside, I’m fucking bummed. But I also know there’s a chance she may change her mind. I hope she does anyway.
So, standing up, I grab our bags and throw them over my shoulder before holding my hand out to her.
“Let’s go. No sense in sitting here any longer.”
HARLEY
I follow Cane, keeping my body beside his as we trudge through the airport, nearly to our destination of the hotel. I can’t believe our flight was delayed until tomorrow, but I’m thankful I’ll still make it back in time for softball practice in the afternoon.
If all goes well.
If I had the money to throw around, I would have told him I would get my own room.
That way, I wouldn’t be tempted at all to climb into bed with him when I see him shirtless later.
Unfortunately, right now, I don’t have extra cash, and after everything the guy has done for me, I would never make him pay for a whole other room just so that I wouldn’t accidentally break my own rule … again.
When we come up on a crowd of people that we need to cut through, Cane’s hand instinctively grabs mine, and he tugs me beside him. I don’t fight it because, honestly, I like the way it feels, knowing he cares enough to want to keep me that close in a crowd.
Just the sensation of our palms touching has my entire body buzzing, and the butterflies in my stomach can piss right off because they aren’t helping me with the boundaries I’m supposed to be keeping up. Not one bit.
When we get to the entrance of the hotel, he drops my hand and pulls the door open, nodding for me to go in first.
Though I can’t pay for myself, I walk with him through the lobby and up to the front desk.
“Hi there. Do you have a reservation?” A woman who appears to be in her mid-twenties with bright red lips and eyelashes clear to her forehead smiles.
I don’t miss when she rakes her eyes over Cane, running her tongue over her bottom lip, as if he’s making her hungry.
Join the club, lady. He has the same effect on me.
“Not yet,” Cane says, shaking his head. “We’re hoping to soon though.” He glances at me before swinging his eyes back to her and pulling his wallet from his back pocket. “Do you have a room with two queen beds for tonight?”
The second the words two queen beds come out of Cane’s mouth, her entire body perks up, and she nervously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Let … let me see what I can find,” she says, swallowing. Her eyes dart from his to mine as she hits some keys on her computer. “Where are you two visiting from?”
“Massachusetts,” I say, choosing to answer, though I have no idea why.
“Nice. Are you, uh, brother and sister or …”
She isn’t meaning to be rude or come off a certain way, I’m sure. When a man looks as good as Cane, why wouldn’t she shoot her shot—especially since I’ll bet, in her mind, she thinks we’re either friends or siblings because why else would he request two beds?
“Nope,” Cane says quickly, but doesn’t elaborate, and even though I know that’s his attempt to shut her up, she may not take it that way.
“Oh, I just thought …” She stops, her cheeks turning bright red.
When I glance at Cane, not having any idea what he may or may not say, I find him leaning against the desk, smirking, and right away … I’m freaking terrified, and awkwardly, take a sip of my refresher.
“We want two beds because after I tie her up on one of them, I’m going to cover her body in whipped cream,” he drawls, grinning sneakily. “The sheets may get messy, so we’ll need another bed for after.”
I chose the wrong time to take a drink, and it nearly comes out of my nose, but I somehow stop myself. The girl’s cheeks are on fire now, and her eyes are wide.
“So, about that room?” Cane says matter-of-factly, sliding his card across the countertop.
“Um, y-yep.” She nods before suddenly, she cringes.
“Because of a few different flights being canceled or delayed, we’re practically full tonight.
But we do have one.” She pauses, swallowing.
“It’s a suite with a Jacuzzi … but it only has one king bed.
” She looks up at him, her eyes big and slightly frightened. “It does have a couch though …”
My heart skips a beat, and after a few awkward seconds of silence, Cane glances at me.
“It’s fine.” I shrug, knowing the girl now thinks I’m the sex-crazed, whipped-cream loving girl, and quickly, I begin to back away. “I’m going to wait over by the elevator.”
He grins a wicked grin before nodding once. And to be honest, I’m used to running the bases in absurd times, but even now, I can’t get away from the front desk fast enough.
And yet, when I’m walking toward the elevator, the only thing on my mind is an image of a naked Cane … holding a can of whipped cream.
And suddenly, one bed isn’t looking that bad.