Chapter 4 #2
“Does it hurt to carry such a big, egocentric head around the ice?” A hint of mockery dripped from her sweet and raspy voice. God, that voice. I never tired of hearing it. It was pathetic—I was pathetic.
“I’m one of the fastest skaters in the league. Does that answer your question?” I replied innocently.
She gave me a blank, unamused expression without a word.
I placed my beer on the table and clasped my hands. “Now, how about that drink?”
“I can go get my own.” She tried to stand, but I gripped her waist to keep her in place.
The touch was brief, barely a graze. And yet, electricity shot from my arm down my vertebrae, and a million little butterflies took residence in the inside of my stomach.
Butterflies, seriously? What the fuck was this? Fucking high school?
“Not happening, Jonesy. What do you want?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Stop trying to act nice to get in my good graces. It’s not going to work.”
“I don’t need to get in your good graces. You already like me,” I replied confidently. Knowing full-well it was complete and utter bullshit.
She swatted my hand away from her waist, and a pang of disappointment hit me at the lack of touch between us. “What gave you such an idiotic idea?”
I had about three beers by the time Kennedy showed up. I was a tall, broad dude, so it wasn’t much alcohol. But I was fogged with…her. She clouded all of my senses.
I rested the palm of my hand on the table and tilted my head closer to her ear.
“You think I don’t notice when you check me out every time I have to take my shirt off for a photo op?
” I took a small step back and fixed her with a knowing look.
“I almost think you choose these types of photo ops on purpose,” I rasped.
The low vibration of my voice settled in the center of my chest. All common sense had left the window once again tonight, and I only had a certain five-foot-eleven beautiful woman to blame.
“Ha.” She tilted her head back with a laugh.
The movement exposed the length of her neck and hit me with her scent.
Fuck, she smelled like goddamn heaven. Sweet and tropical, like coconut, with a hint of something woody…
sandalwood, maybe. It was surprisingly delicate and a complete contrast to her strong personality. Strangely, it fit her.
“I don’t force you to go to any photo ops.” She patted my shoulder with another laugh. “But nice try.”
A cheeky smile played at the corner of my lips. “I may not have any evidence yet, but I’ll prove it one day.”
She rolled her eyes and placed the palm of her hand on my chest as she pushed me slightly to create some distance between us.
“I swear to God, Jonesy, if you don’t tell me what you want to drink in the next two seconds, I will purchase every drink and bring them over.”
She scoffed. “If you—”
“She loves strawberry mojitos,” Val chimed in with an innocent smile.
Kennedy snapped her gaze to her. “Val.”
I gave Val a grateful look. “One strawberry mojito coming right up.”
Kennedy opened her purse, rummaging for her wallet. “Okay, fine. At least take my—”
“Not happening.” I turned around before she could take her card out and quickly walked to where Owens was standing, already ordering.
“Hey, Tim,” I called out. “Can I get a strawberry mojito?” I stopped to think for a moment, trying to remember if there was anything Kennedy liked to eat. Then I remembered she had ordered a plate of nachos the one time she was here. “And an order of nachos, too. Add it to my tab.”
He nodded. “It’ll be ready in a few.”
I turned around and leaned against the bar next to Owens.
“It’s a shame about Kennedy, right?” he said, crossing his arms and moving his gaze to our table.
I frowned and followed his line of sight. Kennedy was animatedly talking with Val as she placed a few strands of curls behind her ear, nodding along to whatever her friend was telling her. “What the hell are you talking about?”
His puzzled gaze snapped to mine. “You haven’t heard?”
“Clearly not, since I just asked you.”
His eyes gleamed with amusement. And if there was one thing you needed to know about Owens, the guy was rarely amused. “Interesting.”
“What?”
Before Owens could reply, Tim interrupted us and handed off our orders. When I turned back around to ask my teammate again what the hell he was talking about, he was already halfway to our table.
“Order up,” I announced and placed both items in front of Kennedy.
She turned around to grab her drink, but her gaze dropped to the table with a frown. “I didn’t order nachos.”
“I know. But I remember you liking them.” I shrugged and pushed the plate closer to her. “Eat.” I didn’t know if she had eaten or not, but Kennedy had patterns. And like the creep I was, I knew forgetting to eat when she was busy was one of them.
She met my eyes with a scrutinizing look as she pushed it back to me. “I’ve only been here once.”
“I have many talents. Being observant is one of them.” I pushed the plate back again with my knuckles.
I was a brave man, but I wasn’t stupid enough to confess I only had an extremely good memory when it came to her, and only her. I swear to God I wasn’t trying. Or so I kept telling myself.
“How much do I owe you?”
I snorted a dry laugh. “You’re funny.”
“Henry,” she warned, exasperated.
My heart felt like it came to a full stop at the way my name rolled off her lips.
Her tone was raspy, with a hint of command in it.
My dick got a mind of its own and started to wonder what this woman could make me do if I were to get on my knees for her and follow her every command.
I could definitely think of a thing or two.
I leaned in, our faces a few inches apart. Just because she was engaged, didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun. Harmless flirting never hurt anyone, right?
“You never call me by my first name. I kind of like it. Do it again, please.” I grazed my tongue across my bottom lip then gave her a cheeky grin.
Honestly, I’d only been half-joking. But there was no mistaking the way my heart quickened in anticipation, anxiously waiting for her to repeat it. Fuck me if I wasn’t going to keep insisting she called me by my first name now. I needed to hear it again.
She pushed me slightly and flicked her hair off her shoulder with a dry expression. A laugh got lodged in my throat as I followed the movement, and my eyes landed on her ring finger. Her very naked, no-ring-in-sight ring finger.
It had to be a mistake. She’d probably lost it. Or maybe they finally pulled the trigger and got hitched and her wedding band was being resized. I was grasping at any excuse I could think of, because the other possibility was much worse.
But I knew it was already too late. Hope sneaked up my spine like an adrenaline rush at the prospect of Kennedy fucking Jones being single.
I wanted to ask her. It was killing me not to. The question was on the tip of my tongue, but before I could even speak, Hayes interrupted us. “Val here is telling me you’re looking for a new place to live, Kenny.”
Her shoulders tensed, and she gave a quick nod. “Yeah. It’s hard to find an affordable place so close to downtown.”
Okay, that was odd. Didn’t she live with her fiancé?
“What a coincidence. Anderson here is looking for a roommate.” Hayes clasped my shoulders.
My thoughts screeched to a sudden stop like a vinyl record. “Huh?” I tilted my head and frowned at Hayes in confusion.
My best friend loved being a clown; we all knew that. The man had a natural talent for pushing the envelope too fucking far.
Owens gaped at Hayes in disbelief, while Parker, Morgan, and Donovan hid their shit-eating grins behind their drinks.
I looked at them and mouthed, What the fuck? but all they did was roll their lips and look at Hayes expectantly. “Wha—”
Hayes cut me off. “Yeah, the place is just too big for him. Plus, he needs someone to take care of Captain Sushi,” he said with a duh tone.
Captain what?!
“Hayes, weren’t you and Parker talking to some girls?” I blurted. This conversation had taken a turn I didn’t understand, but I had the sneaking suspicion I needed to do everything in my power to stop it.
He waved dismissively, not missing a beat. “We already got their numbers. But that’s not important right now. Your child, however, is.”
Pardon my language, but what in the fuckity damn fuck is going on?!
“Who’s Captain Sushi?” Val asked, tilting her head.
I blinked at Val, at a loss for words. What the hell was I supposed to say?
“His cat,” Hayes replied before his green gaze met mine. The mirth in his eyes was so bright, I had the urge to punch him in the throat. By some miracle of God, I managed to hold back. “You haven’t told anyone? Shame on you, Anderson.”
What. The. Fuck.
“His cat,” Kennedy repeated, her tone laced with suspicion as she squinted at Hayes.
It was deadly silent for a beat or two, until Hayes elbowed me in the ribs a little too hard, and I slightly bent over with a small cough. Breathing had become difficult, and finding my words? Practically impossible.
Think, Anderson. Think.
A light—not the brightest, if I was being honest—turned on over my head. Okay. This was easy. I could do this.
Why are you even entertaining this in the first place? my brain so gracefully pointed out.
“You remember that photo op you had me do last season at the animal shelter?” I chuckled nervously. “I signed up to receive emails of pets looking for a home, and when I saw the little guy with black fur—”
“And white paws,” Hayes added.
I shot him a seriously, dude? expression. “Yeah,” I squeaked and quickly cleared my throat to cover it up. Was I being cool? Probably not. But this conversation had taken a bizarre turn. “I was a goner. So, I adopted him.”
“But the idiot forgot he travels most of the time, and now needs someone to take care of him when he isn’t home,” Hayes said.
Your days are numbered, Wesley Hayes. Sleep with one eye open, I thought.
“There are automatic cat feeders,” Kennedy replied dryly. “Cats are pretty self-sufficient.” Her eyes ping-ponged between me and Hayes. She stared at us like we were two clueless idiots.
To be fair, she wasn’t wrong.
“Didn’t you say he had some pretty bad separation anxiety, Anderson?” Parker chimed in.
I shot Parker a disbelieving glare. I wasn’t sure if this was a gang-up-on-Anderson day or if it was payback for getting ejected, but I was about done with these clowns. “Not sure what—”
Hayes cut me off again. “Right.” He snapped his fingers with a firm nod. “He can’t be alone for more than a day.”
“Aw, poor little guy,” Val said with a wistful sigh.
I couldn’t believe what was happening. They believed him.
“Yeah, man. It’s so sad,” Hayes added solemnly.
Well, shit. My best friend was in the wrong field. I swear I didn’t know how he managed to keep his shit together as he continued to dig a deeper hole for me. A-list actor. I wanted to give the man a damn Oscar.
Donovan added, “Sounds like you need some serious help, man.”
I gave Donovan a look of pure shock and betrayal, and he simply shrugged with a cheeky grin. Assholes. Every single one of them.
“Ha,” I laughed weakly. The place started to feel ridiculously small and hot with every second that passed. Droplets of sweat traveled down my back as I tried to figure out how to get out of the situation. “I do,” I blurted.
I could have sworn there was a spirit version of myself who was looking over me like I was the biggest idiot to ever exist. Just pointing and laughing at me like I was losing my mind.
“So, what do you say, Kenny?” Hayes asked as he dropped an arm around my shoulders. “Fancy a roommate?”
Oh, for the love of God.
I didn’t want a roommate. She would kill me in my sleep. But I knew I was lying to myself, because I held my breath with eagerness as I waited for her answer.
“No, thank you,” Kennedy replied as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “I travel with you guys sometimes, so I wouldn’t be a good fit anyway.”
A pang of unexpected disappointment hit me right in the chest at her answer. Jeez. What the hell was the matter with me? I was having a hard time making up my mind. But when it came to Kennedy, that seemed to be the norm.
“The cat can stay with Aurora the times you’re traveling with us. Right, Donovan?” Hayes asked.
Donovan shot Hayes a withering glare.
I smirked. Not so funny now that your wife is involved, is it?
Aurora was the sweetest and the biggest animal lover you could ever meet, and she’d love nothing more than to hang out with pets all day, but that was besides the fucking point, because I didn’t have a damn cat.
“So you don’t need a roommate, then,” Kennedy said.
My shoulders deflated slightly. The emotional whiplash my emotions were putting me through was exhausting. I couldn’t make up my mind even if my life depended on it.
“My wife can’t do it full time, unfortunately,” Donovan said.
“It’s a good idea,” Val pointed out. “You love cats. You never got to have one because of Joe.”
Kennedy’s eyes settled on me, and my heart wanted to leap out of my chest at her intense stare. Call me crazy, but I could almost guarantee she could see through my fucking soul. I was ashamed—ish—to admit I was equally terrified and turned on.
You have a lot of problems, my brain pointed out so very matter-of-factly.
Yup. Well aware. But thanks for the reminder.
“You should do it,” Parker commented.
Owen, Donovan, and Morgan nodded at Parker’s comment, mumbling their agreement.
“Yeah,” I croaked out. “My place is big. You’ll barely notice I’m there,” I added, trying to sound casual even though in the past two fucking minutes, I had taken an imaginary hit to the head and deluded myself into thinking this was a brilliant idea.
The way she stared at me after a few beats was sort of…different. With an edge of vulnerability I had never seen in her. In that moment, I knew I had made the right call. And I was determined to make her accept the hand I was willing to lend.
“How about this? We can talk another day. Just the two of us,” I added softly.
She thinned her lips with a nod. “Fine. We’ll talk.”
I managed to give her a casual smile with a small nod, even though my heart wanted nothing more than to do a backflip at the thought of living with the woman I had a mild crush on.
I was so fucked.
* Freckles.