Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
COLE
May
Neither of us have said anything in the last few weeks about the night I called her on FaceTime. Almost a month has gone by and now the spring semester at the college is closing out. We talk online and see each other as much as we usually do.
I want to bring it up—so badly it’s beginning to eat me up inside—but post-season has kept me busy.
Since David broke it to me that I officially have the job, I’ve thrown myself into preparations for training camp and researching new conditioning ideas I want to incorporate into our strategies to prove he made the right choice. Not only that, I want to give the guys every tool to hone their game.
Eve’s also been elusive to pin down. I’d rather tell her how I feel in person than over text.
Whenever I’ve tried to get her alone, her dad’s nearby, or she has her friends over for craft night, or talks with Jess at family dinners to bounce product ideas off her.
She’s picked up more bartending shifts to help out with the nightly crowds now that the weather’s nice and the semester’s ending.
There’s always someone else around, preventing the conversation I want to have about us.
The Landmark is packed tonight. It’s wall-to-wall college students celebrating freedom from their finals before summer break begins. Reagan zips around to take orders and deliver food.
She makes a stop by the far side of the bar with a service tray balanced on her shoulder. “Here you go, boys. And fries for the lady.”
“Reagan!” Easton takes her tray for her to help out. “You’re the best. Have we told you that lately? Because you rock.”
“I do,” she agrees. “I also accept cash tips and Venmo.”
“We’ve got you,” Cameron says.
I move my beer. She sets four baskets of wings in front of Theo, Alex, Easton, and Cameron, then gives the fries to Lainey Boucher, the quiet blonde tucked against Alex’s side.
“Just because it’s off-season doesn’t mean you can blow off your nutrition plans completely,” I warn. “Take it easy this summer before camp. If you show up with laziness, I’ll put you through hell to get you back to peak performance.”
“Coach,” Theo complains. “Let us live a little.”
“I’ll be running extra miles for every cheat meal,” Easton promises, two wings deep already. “It’ll be nice when we get to move to the hockey house next semester. Running through town is nicer than doing it on campus or at the gym. Right, Reeves?”
Cameron’s easy grin widens and they bump fists. “Upgrade. Our own kitchen. Choice bedrooms. It’ll be nice as hell to live there instead of the athletic dorm.”
“That’s what you think.” Theo snorts. “Good luck keeping anything stocked in the fridge, because Brody and Hutch eat everything in sight. If Keller wasn’t there to remind them the carpet isn’t edible, they’d go through that, too.”
I down the rest of my drink, wondering how I ended up hanging out with my players. My gaze cuts across the room to the place I want to be: by Eve’s side.
She’s with her girlfriends. After she posted a photo online about being here, I decided to come instead of scrolling through her social media missing her.
Benson’s out of town and it still feels weird to invite David out like an equal. When Alex and Theo spotted me, they dragged me into the corner they’ve taken over. I feel like an older brother chilling with them.
At least this spot gives me a good view of Eve.
The edge of my mouth quirks when she gestures with her hands, a bright smile curving her pretty mouth. She’s telling her friends an animated story that has them in stitches.
When she joins them in laughter, a tender reverence stirs in my chest. I rub at it absently.
“You should go after what you want.” Alex nudges my elbow, giving me a pointed look when his comment draws me out of my thoughts.
“What?” Shit, am I that obvious?
“Come on, coach.” Alex glances from Eve to Lainey. “There’s no point holding back. It just wastes time. Trust me.”
Trust him. The twenty year old most discussed NHL draft prospect who is seven years younger than me. A short laugh shakes my shoulders.
Keller has a point, though. He’s got the world ahead of him and he didn’t hesitate when he started dating Theo’s twin sister a few weeks before the regular season ended.
I don’t want to waste anymore time when the girl I want is right across the crowded bar. My attention returns to her and her friends.
How do people handle feeling so much for someone else? I feel like I’m going insane.
Sort of sick to my stomach and exhilarated whenever we’re in the same room.
Fixated on little details like her choice of earrings, the rich brown to blonde strands of her hair catching the sunlight, and the way she smiles.
Wondering what she’s doing or how her day is when I’m in the middle of work.
Wanting to spend even a few seconds with her because it’s always better than when I don’t get to be near her.
I never knew caring so deeply for someone could be so consuming. I guess I’ve only ever experienced superficial attachments because no one has ever made me feel the way I do about Eve.
There’s no getting her out of my system. She’s infiltrated every part of me. Changed me permanently because there’s no going back to the guy I was before I grew closer to her.
Reagan takes the small stage in the corner not long after, transforming from the young bubbly sports bar waitress to a confident performer when she belts out a song. People cheer for her. The live music gets everyone on the dance floor, including Eve and her friends.
It’s impossible not to follow her with my gaze. My focus is trained on her like a magnet. I tune out everything except her.
As she’s dancing, she notices me. Her eyes light up, stealing my breath. She waves and I lift my beer in response.
Once she’s aware of me watching her, she puts on a show for me. Every sway of her hips and arch of her back has me gripping the bottle tighter when she peeks at me from her periphery to see if she has my attention.
It’s not even a question. If she’s in the room, she’s all that exists to me.
Every ounce of self-control keeps me leaning against the bar instead of closing the distance between us and showing everyone whose girl she is.
I smirk when she drops low, rolling her body sensually to the song. If that’s how she wants to play, I won’t let her win the game that easily.
Cole: You shaking that ass for me, baby?
She checks her phone. Texting her instead of messaging her over DM doesn’t seem to catch her off guard. Instead, the corners of her mouth curl and she flashes me another teasing look. Christ, I want to go over there and drag her against me.
Cole: You’re so damn sexy. Keep it up and I won’t be held responsible.
You’re making me want to come over there.
Don’t know what I want to do more, dance with you so you can feel what you’re doing to me with my cock pressed against your ass or wrap your hair around my hand and put you on your knees for being so fucking tempting.
She reads it. I can’t hear her laugh from here, but I recognize it’s one of her low, seductive ones by her expression.
She peeks at me through her lashes before sliding her hands over her curves with her head thrown back.
Her movements drag the hem of her sundress up enough for a glimpse of her decadent thighs.
She’s touching herself everywhere I can’t.
My jaw clenches when some guy dances up on her from behind, taking her display as an invitation. It wasn’t meant for him.
Although she’s startled, she doesn’t deflect him right away. Instead, she slides me another tantalizing look while she dances with him. He’s oblivious she’s using him to make another man envious. I slam my beer down harder than I intend.
“You good, coach?” Cameron asks.
“Yeah,” I answer without taking my eyes off Eve.
No. No I’m not fucking good.
Far from it because some other guy is putting his hands all over her and my jealousy is a raging inferno searing me from the inside.
Before I know it, I’m making my way over to cut in. I’m past temptation. She’s mine and no other asshole should be dancing with her.
The guy takes her by the hips to yank her body against his, ignoring her when she pushes at his hands and throws an uncertain look at her friends as he moves further from the circle she was dancing in. My muscles seize at her clear increasing discomfort.
I lose the last shred of my patience at her exclamation when he tries to feel her up. With two strides, I’m at her side before her friends intervene, ripping his hand away from her body.
“Yo, what the fuck?” he barks.
“Get your hands off her if you plan on keeping them.” He flexes against my strong grip, but I don’t let up. “That wasn’t a suggestion. You’re done touching my girl.”
Eve’s wide eyes land on me, swimming with a mix of relief and shock. She has to know by now that if she’s ever in trouble I’ll always come for her.
She tries to move away while I have the guy distracted, but his free arm bands around her waist. White-hot fury sears through my veins.
“Your girl is busy. Fuck off, man,” he says. “We’re dancing.”
My fingers dig in harder and I speak in a slow, dangerous tone. “I said let go of her. Now.”
We’re drawing a small audience from the people surrounding us. I dare him to fight me with my fierce glare. I’d love nothing more than to wrench his arm and break every bone in it for thinking he has any permission to touch her.
He stares me down for another beat, then loses his bravado, paling at the way I twist his wrist. He lets her go, stumbling back. It puts more pressure on the position I have his arm in. His eyes bulge.
“Okay, okay, chill, my guy!”
“Apologize to her,” I growl.
“I’m sorry,” he yelps.
I glance at her. Her breath hitches at my intense gaze. Realizing I’m waiting for her decision, she gives a small nod. My lips thin. I’d prefer if he made a better effort, but the sooner he’s away from her the better.
“Go learn what consent looks like before you ever step foot in here again, asshole. I’ll be watching.”
When I release him, he pushes past the onlookers without a backwards glance. Once people realize the show’s over, they resume dancing, jostling us. I shift to block her from being bumped.
Blowing out a breath, I take her hand and tug gently. “Come on, Evie.”
She clutches it, her gaze searching. Whatever she reads on my face makes her stifle a faint, surprised noise. I barely make it out over the music.
This is like New Year’s Eve at midnight all over again.
The need to kiss her scorches me from the inside out, far more intense than any of the countless moments I’ve wished to in the last four months.
It would be so fucking easy. An inch of distance to erase, then my mouth would claim hers for this whole damn bar, this whole damn town to know Eve Lombard is my girl.
She turns to her nearest friend that’s watching us with interest. “I’m going to head out.” She reaches for a hug without dropping my hand. “Love you guys.”
“Call us this week,” Caroline says with a pointed glance at me.
“Yup,” Eve says brightly with a nervous laugh. “Definitely. Craft night soon? Okay, great, bye!”
She steps into me. I stare her down and lace our fingers. It makes her scrape her teeth over her lip.
“Let’s go,” she says.
I keep her close as I lead her to the exit. The group of hockey guys I was with are still in their corner, unaware of the source of the commotion and back to joking around with each other. Good. I don’t need them noticing us right now.
Walking out of here holding her hand is enough to get residents talking in Heston Lake if they were able to spot us amidst the crush of college kids. Kissing her in The Landmark would’ve set the rumor mill on fire.
I only hope this isn’t enough to get back to her dad or her brother, but I can’t find the will to care about pissing them off more than I want her to know how I feel about her.