Chapter 30
30
RONAN
I ’m a fast walker. I’ve always been a fast walker.
But the way Nicky is speed-walking down the sidewalk, I can barely keep up with her. I’m six-foot-three. A whole foot taller than this woman. Yet I’m jogging just so she doesn’t leave me in the dust. She’s on a mission. A mission to get away from me.
The elevator ride is awkwardly silent. I dare not get close to her. The way she’s gripping her purse, I’m assuming she’s got her finger on the trigger of a bottle of holy water. And she’d gladly douse me in the face if I get too close.
Safe to say that whatever moment we had back at the bar when she grabbed a fistful of my hair and put her tongue in my mouth? It’s over now.
When I get off on her floor, Nicky gives me a cautious look. She opens her mouth but I shut her right up.
“I’m walking you to your door, Nicky. And that’s that.”
Her lips press into a firm line and she marches to her room, leaving me to trail behind. With a quick swipe of her card, she’s safely inside, peeking one eye at me from behind the door, that knitted Saints hat pulled low on her forehead.
Geez, woman .
“Thank you, Ronan. Good night.”
“Good ni—” The door slams in my face.
Sweet.
I feel like shit as I drag my feet back to my own room on one floor up. Off to bed it is.
The moment I unlock the door and step into my room, I hear giggling. My feet stall at the threshold. I take in the scene in front of me. Tipton, who happens to be my roommate on this road trip, is laying in the queen-sized bed next to mine. Except, judging by the giant lump moving around under the covers, I don’t think he’s alone.
I clear my throat and take a backwards step. “Sorry.”
More giggles.
Then not one, but two heads poke out the top of the covers, peering over at me with wide eyes and messy hair.
Wow .
I spent the past couple hours trying to be on my best behavior to stay on Nicky’s good side. Meanwhile, Tipton ends up the star of his own threesome.
My teammate looks horned up and quite buzzed. “Hey, bro. See? I brought you a girl.” He grins. “But since you never came back to the room, I ended up having to sleep with both girls. Just to keep them happy, y’know.” He turns and beams at each of his new friends.
More giggles.
“Oh, shucks. Poor you,” I mumble.
“He has all his teeth,” the redhead announces, sounding disappointed.
“What? Yes. I am still in possession of all my teeth.” And I’m quite proud of it. I run my tongue over my set of pearly whites to make sure they’re still in tact.
“Bummer,” she mutters, turning her back on me.
Well, I’m not interested, either, lady.
“You could join us, stud,” the blonde one says, propping herself up and patting the bed beside her. She doesn’t seem to care that the sheet has fallen and her boobs are flopping out. “There’s plenty of room for another hockey star. Especially one as cute as you.”
“No, thank you.” I start backing up. “I’ll just let you guys carry on.”
I stumble out of the room, and I find myself wandering aimlessly through the hotel. Up and down the halls. Riding the elevator. Checking out the different vending machine options.
And then somehow, I come to a stop outside of Nicky’s room.
I lean an arm on the doorframe, fighting with myself. Trying to talk myself out of this. This is a bad idea, no matter how I look at it. I know I should turn around and walk away. Go back and sit in my hallway until Tipton’s puck bunnies do their walk of shame in a couple hours.
But I can’t stop thinking about how Nicky’s lips tasted at the bar. About how her body felt in my arms.
This is right. I don’t care what she says. I need to make her see it.
My fist draws up before I can stop it, knocking quietly on her door.
It’s only a few seconds before Nicky opens the door. She stands there, barefoot in her tiny cotton pajama set, looking up at me from under her lashes. Damn, those eyes get to me every time.
“You’re not supposed to be here.”
I lean in closer. “But do you want me here?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day,” she argues. But her argument is weak, and she didn’t answer my question. “You can’t come back to my room on Valentine’s Day.”
“I don’t give a fuck what the day is. I want you, Nicky. I’ve wanted you every fucking moment of the past fifty-two days since we met on that train.”
Her fingertips brush over her lips in surprise. “fifty-two…? You counted…?”
“I counted…” I echo her.
Nicky takes a shaky step backward.
I take a careful step forward into her room.
I read her face, gauging her expression. Raw lust vibrates like a forcefield around her. She doesn’t move away. She doesn’t tell me to leave. She just bites down on that lip, staring up at me.
“Be my placeholder tonight, Nicky.” I beg in a rasp. “Let me be yours.”
She grabs my shirt by the collar, pulling me down.
She utters one single word that changes everything. “Yes.”