Chapter 4
Gavin
My jaw tightens as I watch Hayden standing at the sink in those track pants and cropped tee.
Her back is turned and she’s doing her best not to acknowledge my existence, like she’s been doing all evening. It seems wrong that a woman so damn prickly should have a body that fine.
Still, she didn’t veto me staying here, so I decide to extend my own olive branch.
“You never told me about your sneezing study.” I place the heavy iron platter on the counter beside the sink.
Her blue eyes flash at me, and it’s like a punch in the gut. Gorgeous.
Dammit.
“That’s because it’s not a sneezing study.” Her eyes cut, and she turns to place the rinsed plates into the dishwasher.
“Set me straight, then.” I do my best to sound friendly as I open the cabinet doors, one after the other. “What’s so fascinating it’s held your attention since college?”
With an impatient breath, she stops what she’s doing. “What are you looking for?”
“Something to hold these leftovers.”
“I’ll take care of it. You finish here.”
We trade places, and she walks over to a cabinet behind us. While she takes down a square plastic storage bin, I take the now-empty sauce bowls and give them a rinse before placing them on the top rack.
Glancing over my shoulder, I see her spooning leftover steak into the container. “Would it be more correct to say you’re a virologist?”
Her shoulders fall, and she puts the lid on the plastic container, going to the refrigerator and placing it inside before closing it and leaning against it with her arms crossed.
“I wouldn’t say anything to you. That’s not what we’re doing here.”
I shut off the water and turn my back to the sink, mirroring her stance. Now’s as good a time as any to have this conversation, and I’m older now.
I no longer lose the ability to form sentences when she hits me with those blue eyes framed by that wavy curtain of dark brown hair.
“If it makes a difference, I didn’t know we’d be roommates when I took Mav up on his offer. Thank you for saying I could stay.”
Her full pink lips tighten. “You’re Mav’s friend, and you needed a place to crash. It doesn’t mean we’re suddenly friends.”
“Understood.” I want to add I haven’t forgiven her either for what it’s worth, but I don’t. “What happened in college was a long time ago. I’m willing to put it behind us if you are.”
“I’m still friends with Karen.”
It’s like a hot punch to the gut. My jaw clenches.
“And you still believe every word she says?”
“She’s an International Princess Woman. We have a code.”
Shaking my head, I look down. “Right. No one ever breaks it.”
“I realize that can be difficult for some people to understand.”
I look up at her standing there with her arms crossed, her blue eyes focused on me, and I wonder how it can be so easy for her to be so certain.
“She’s not like you, Hayden.”
“Are you saying you didn’t sleep with every girl in the Tri-Delt house?”
That makes me laugh. “I didn’t sleep with every girl in the Tri-Delt house.”
“We really don’t have to dig all this up again.” Her arms uncross, and she takes a step to the door. “If you’ve got that under control, I’ve got work to do before class tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’ll finish up here.”
She doesn’t say goodnight. She doesn’t say anything as she leaves the room, and I look out the window wondering how long it’ll take for me to find a new place.
It’s my last weekend of not having to be on the rink all day. I’m coming in late, and we’re heading into the regular season.
“Hey, man, that is a very serious look on your face.” Mav hands me a beer, and I take it. “What’s bothering you?”
“Just thinking about finding a place with all we’ve got going on.”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. You’re welcome here as long as you need.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” My eyes go to the place where she was standing.
“You’re not worried about Haddy?” He leans against the counter. “She’s just stressed about keeping that scholarship. She’s really mad at me, not you.”
I blink back to my friend standing there grinning, his floppy brown hair hanging in his hazel eyes. Mav’s got an easy way about him. It’s difficult to imagine anybody being mad at him for any period of time.
“I think it’s more than that.”
“Nah.” He leans beside me, rinsing his bottle before putting it in the recycling bin. “Haddy’s really focused on finishing school this year. She’s got a lot on her mind.”
A lot of wrong things on her mind. Whatever.
“Come on. I’ll show you your room.” I follow him through the living room, grabbing my bag from the couch. “You’ll be upstairs with the girls.”
That makes me stop. “Where will you be?”
He points to a door down a short hall. “That’s my room.”
My lip curls as I look up the dark staircase. “I don’t know. I could probably get my room back at the hotel.”
“You’re not spending another night in a hotel room. You need a home with food and TV, and the girls won’t mind.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” The idea of bumping into Haddy in the hall unexpectedly is not appealing.
“Just be sure to lower the toilet lid. Gina gets all honked off if the dogs drink out of it.”
I glance at the clock. It’s pretty late, and two nights in a hotel room did leave me wanting to be in a house—preferably my own.
“I’d feel better sleeping down here. I could sleep on the couch.”
“We have a perfectly good room upstairs. Come on.”
With a shrug, I follow him to the second floor.
My eyes open before dawn, and it takes me a minute to figure out where I am and what time it is. West Coast, LA, Mav’s house, guest room.
I stretch across the bed. It’s firm but comfortable, and the wooden blinds on the windows do a good job keeping out the light pollution. Still, I can feel it. My heartbeat picks up, and I know I’m not going back to sleep. My body’s still on Eastern time.
Shit, I’m too young for jetlag, but I’ve got three hours before I have to be anywhere. Rolling onto my side, I take out my phone and start to scroll.
I’m not looking for her, but we made all the gossip sites with what happened on Saturday. Of course, some dude with a phone was right there snapping pictures. Someone else even got video, and they all sent them to TMI.
In the video, I watch as flowers fly through the air. Haddy’s hair swirls in a glossy cascade as I reflexively jump forward to catch her. Her hand is on my shoulder, and she looks amazing even in disarray (and a little drunk).
Studying the still photo, I notice things I didn’t have time to notice when it happened.
Maverick’s face is stretched in an expression of pure surprise.
Gigi is on the float leaning forward with her arm stretched out.
Her eyes are wide with horror, and both dogs are in pointer positions like they’ll throw their bodies between her and danger.
The expression on my and Haddy’s faces is more curious. I almost appear pleased, and she almost seems relieved.
Damn, she’s pretty.
And it’s five o’clock in the morning. I’ve got to stop looking at these pictures and sleep some more or I’ll regret it later.
When my eyes open again, it’s full sun outside, and I’ve overslept. Fuck.
Throwing the blankets aside, I head for the hall bathroom so I can pee and get rid of my morning wood, which has nothing to do with the last picture I saw.
It’s not about her.
Only, the bathroom is occupied. The sound of a shower running comes through the door. Double Fuck.
I’m about to run down the stairs when a shriek echoes from the other side of the door, and it flies open.
“Spanky!” Hayden yells, and the giant white poodle dashes out of the bathroom with a thick white towel clamped in its jaws.
I’ve never seen a dog smile, but I’m pretty sure this dog is smiling.
“Come back here with my towel!” Haddy continues yelling as she runs out of the bathroom completely naked, and I swallow air.
She freezes directly in front of me, and I can’t move.
All at once, I take in what’s happening, and if I thought Hayden Bradford was gorgeous in clothes, she’s impossibly beautiful out of them.
Her breasts are perfect teardrops, high with tight dark nipples.
Her stomach is flat with muscle lines on each side.
Her skin is so smooth, glistening wet, and her dark hair is slick against her shoulders, her pussy is bare, and on her left hip is… a tattoo?
Her blue eyes widen, and my morning wood is now full-on erection.
“Fuck me,” slip from my lips—at the same Haddy lets out a blood-curdling scream.
She slams her arms and hands over her body. “What are you doing up here?”
“I… I’m sleeping in the—”
Gigi’s door opens, and she staggers into the hall with her eyes still closed. “What’s happening? Who’s screaming? Haddy?”
“What is he doing up here?” Haddy has dropped to a squat, balling into herself as she tries to cover her body.
“It’s the only empty room!” I squint both eyes shut as I rip my T-shirt over my head and try to hand it to her to cover up. “Maverick told me to sleep up here.”
“Why didn’t he tell us?” Haddy snatches my shirt out of my hands, quickly pulling it over her head.
I keep my eyes on the ceiling overhead, holding both hands over the tent in my shorts. “I told him it was a bad idea.”
“Go away, Gavin!” she screams, and I turn in the direction of my bedroom.
But this won’t fucking work. “I’ve really got to pee.”
“Oh my god!”
My eyes are closed, but I can hear as she makes her way to her bedroom and slams the door.
“Looks like the coast is clear.” Gigi’s voice is muffled, and I think she’s trying to hide her laughter.
Scrubbing a hand over my forehead, I step into the bathroom before hesitating.
“The dog stole her towel,” I try to explain.
“I know.” Gigi’s voice is drowsy. “Spanky’s a towel thief. Be sure you close the door all the way, and if you’re staying up here, you’d better lock it.”
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s okay. She’ll survive.” Gina closes her door much more gently than her cousin did.
I’m pretty sure her eyes never opened the entire exchange.
I close the bathroom door and do my best to pee, but the image of Hayden Bradford’s perfect breasts is imprinted on my mind.
She looks fucking incredible naked, and it’s the last thing I need to know.