Chapter 14
Cole
In the concept of wild parties, what was happening inside the party zone was tame. For once, I was glad. Not only because I was sick to death of being the janitorial service, but also because I was bone tired.
Maybe the personal battle with Jagger.
Maybe the hot sex with Clementine.
Whatever the case, I was ready to call it a night. And it was only seven at night.
When I started to toss my not quite empty beer bottle into the trash, Hudson waltzed into the kitchen. “You’re not chucking that yet. Are you?”
“I was thinking about it. Why?” I knew his expressions too damn well. He was about to tell me something ridiculously explosive.
“The landlord called.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “He found a new roommate.”
“Already? Jesus Christ. The door hasn’t hit Darren in the ass. Does he need the money that badly?”
“Here’s the thing. Darren was way behind paying his rent.”
I almost choked, glad I hadn’t tossed the beer. “You’re kidding me.” Wally was a stickler for ‘rent payments on time or get out.’
“Nope.” He popped the p. “I doubt good old Wally cared he wasn’t supposed to share any personal information with me, but he blurted it out. Anyway, he found a paying customer.”
“Well, fuck. Why didn’t Darren come to us?”
“Pride?” Hudson arched his brows. “That’s why his family shuttled him off to Montana. They couldn’t afford to keep him here.”
An ache formed in my chest. I leaned against the counter, ready to drain the bottle. “Geez. A hockey player?”
“Wally didn’t say, but get this. The dude is moving in tonight.”
With a huff, I glanced at my watch. “You are shitting me.”
“Not even close. Maybe there’s more to the story, but I thought you should know before you hit the sack.”
“Yeah, thanks.” I polished off the beer and at this point knew I’d need another one. I sensed Hudson’s stare. “What?”
“What do you mean what?” He couldn’t contain his laughter, chuckling hard enough ne doubled over.
“That, you asshole. What the fuck is so funny?”
With his arms folded, he leaned against the counter next to me, tilting his head. “So… Where were you last night? I heard you came in when the sun was rising across the beautiful horizon.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you should mind your own damn business?” Yep, another beer was necessary.
Nothing happened inside the house that didn’t gain attention.
My two brothers had convinced me to move into a house with other hockey players since my college roommate had been an aspiring doctor with zero sense of humor and no tolerance for parties or any other bullshit.
His words, not mine.
At this point, I felt as if I was living in a frat house. While Hudson and I had gotten along from the first minute, I’d figured out I preferred serious privacy. You couldn’t even take a shit without it being announced.
“All the time, bro. All the time. But seriously, were you out with a chick? I took a little time putting together a hotness list for you.”
I grabbed another beer from the fridge, popping the top while I glared at him. “You are not serious?”
A single eyebrow lifted before he slowly shook his head. “Hell, no. I have my own shit to deal with.” He thought the situation was hilarious. “Maybe you don’t need a girlfriend since breaking bread with Jagger. The coach seemed pleased.”
“I don’t trust that guy. Not under the best of circumstances. And Coach Stryker is still reeling from the loss of Darren. I was busy.” I should have known better than to look away.
Hudson popped me on the arm. “Well, shit. You found a chick. Didn’t you?”
There was no avoiding the question. I’d never hear the end of it. “I had a date. So what?”
“A date doesn’t usually include spending the night with the girl. There are rules in the brotherhood about that.”
“You mean for athletes as a whole?”
The way he rubbed the scruffy mess on his jaw meant he was at least partially serious. “Nah, man. More with hockey players. That means you’re serious about her.”
“I don’t know her. I mean not really.” Of course my statement was met with silence.
“Wow. She really is special. That’s cool, man. What makes her the one?”
The man had me laughing since he was so serious. Maybe he was the one who needed dating advice. “I didn’t say she was the one, but she’s pretty amazing.”
“How cool. Like maybe one day in the next couple of months introducing her to the ‘rents cool?”
If the man used the word ‘cool’ one more time, I’d punch him. Plus, his comment was annoying.
I could just see how my parents would react. Truthfully, they’d like her. Maybe too much. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I don’t know what to say. Is she hot? Just tell me that and I swear I’ll leave it alone.”
“Uh-huh. You never leave anything alone. You’re like a big dog with a bone.” I swirled the beer in the bottle, now unable to stop thinking about her.
Especially her smile and damn if I didn’t adore her laugh. When she wasn’t snarking at me. Then there was the way she touched me. A single finger tracing a muscle or even pointed in my chest and every electric node in my body crackled with fire.
How about her kisses? As explosive as her personality.
“What kind of dog?” Everything to him was one big joke.
“An uncontrollable one. I like her. Okay? I’m not marrying her.” Not in a million years, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t mind spending more time with her. In between the sheets. Out of them. Against the wall.
On the kitchen table.
Taking another pull of beer, I had to admit to myself that while the sex had been the freaking best I’d ever had, it would have just been another hookup if I hadn’t enjoyed her company so much. Maybe I was finally evolving as a man, which my dear pain in the ass sister had recommended that I do.
Or be alone for the rest of my life.
As he backed away, I could tell another zinger was coming. “You must like her. Your dick is hard.”
“Speaking of a dick,” Anthony said as he popped his head in. “Jagger arrived with his stuff.”
“Fucking great,” I hissed over the lip of the bottle.
“Hey. You don’t have the room next to him. I do,” Hudson complained.
“At least his girlfriend is hot.” Anthony undulated his damn hips.
“Now that’s a legitimate house rule,” I snarked in return. “No fooling around with another guy’s woman.”
Hudson nodded. “He’s right, man. We might not want Jagger here, but Cole is right. No fucking around.” He stuck out his hand for his ‘bro’ handshake. The man was one hell of a character, but he had a heart of gold.
Even if it was buried underneath all his bravado.
Noise coming from another part of the house caught our attention. Anthony snorted. “This should be interesting.” While he walked away, Hudson and I looked at each other. I wasn’t certain which one of us rolled our eyes first.
“I guess we need to welcome the jerk to the house.” Hudson kicked his heel against the cabinet.
“Why not. We don’t own the house.”
Hudson pushed off the counter first, shoving his hand into his pocket as he headed for the living room. I followed, not that I had any interest in witnessing Jagger’s love life, but he would be living in the house. We’d need to play nice if only for the girl’s sake.
Jagger had two boxes in his arms, the girl following close behind buried in a huge armful of clothes. Christ. How many suits did the guy own?
“Up the stairs and the last door on the left, sweet cheeks,” Jagger said, his arrogance on full display.
When he noticed me, he froze. Maybe he hadn’t been told who he’d be sharing a house with. Fortunately, for him, Hudson walked in front of me, obscuring my view long enough the girl stumbled up the stairs and I could take a deep breath before I said something I might regret.
Might.
I took another long gulp while the two of us glared at each other. He finally shrugged. “Nice place.”
That was it. He followed his girlfriend up the stairs, finally disappearing.
Exhaling, I glanced at Hudson. “This is going to be a long few months.”
“Tell me about it.”
I don’t know why it bothered me so much that Jagger was moving in other than the house was a refuge and even with the Italian Stallion’s swagger, the four of us had become a family.
We’d come from different backgrounds, different areas of the country, and different situations, but we’d become tight.
Jagger’s presence would upset the apple cart.
He was arrogance personified and my days of complaining about the plays, another team, or even the coaches were over. My gut told me the man was a snitch. Plus, he was a rich kid and I had no doubt he had a trust fund. He drove a freaking eighty-thousand-dollar sports car, for fuck’s sake.
What the hell was he doing here?
Hudson clapped me on the shoulder and started to walk away when the girlfriend made another appearance, jogging down the stairs. As soon as she hit the landing, my heart stopped.
Her eyes opened wide and she had the same mouth twist I’d seen every time she’d become frustrated.
“Fuck me,” I hissed under my breath, but Hudson snapped up the sound, almost racing back by my side.
“Roy,” she said, as breathless as I knew I’d sounded.
“Clementine.”
“Wait,” Hudson chortled. “You two know each other?”
“Yeah,” I muttered, “we do.” Well, if I didn’t feel like an absolute shit. I spun around, heading into the kitchen and as soon as I was facing the cabinet, I took gasping breaths. Two seconds later, Hudson was behind me.
Laughing his ass off.
“Please don’t tell me you fucked Jagger’s girlfriend.”
Lights were flashing somewhere, my pulse racing. “Then I guess I won’t.”
“Oh, shit, man. Oh, shit. You gotta tell him.”
“Tell him what? That I had the most passionate night of my life and it was with his girlfriend? Are you fucking out of your mind?”
Movement caught both and Jagger entered the room, Clementine following.
“So I’m moving in. Anything I should know?” Jagger’s question was ill timed as fuck.
“No. Not a thing,” Hudson attempted to save the day or the moment. Or maybe my ass.