14. The Kiss
CHAPTER 14
THE KISS
BAY
E very step I take, every move I make.
Topher is watching me, like in a creepy version of that very popular song.
But Topher isn’t the only one who has his eyes on me. Cole and Jagger are watching me too, but from a distance.
Cole is chatting with some of Luca, Cash and Blaze’s new teammates, who showed up fashionably late.
Jagger is surrounded by a bunch of girls, giving me serious flashbacks of last year’s parties; there wasn’t one post game shindig he wouldn’t end by taking a different girl to his room. Not that I was watching him or anything, but I just so happened to notice.
Fury is building up inside me at whatever is going on. I feel like I’m a pawn in some kind of game, but I have no idea of the rules.
It’s typical of Topher to scheme and plot to have what he wants, but I wasn’t kidding when I told him that I’m completely done with his bullshit.
Emboldened by Lakyn’s comforting presence by my side and by Ryker’s protective arm around my waist, I yell. “Let’s play spin the bottle!”
Ok, maybe I also had a couple of drinks. But I’m not drunk, I swear. I just feel a pleasant buzz, strong enough not to give a shit about what everyone else thinks and to make me want to punish my asshole ex.
Ok for full disclosure, maybe not just my ex. There are a few people I would love to mess with at this party.
My plan is to make out with my boyfriend in front of my ex and to also low key rub it in Jagger and Cole’s faces.
Not that I need a game to kiss Ryker, but I love the idea to mess with Topher, to get his hopes up that I want an excuse to kiss him. He’s enough of a narcissist to think that everything everyone does is about him in some way, shape or form. So I’m just going to use it to my advantage.
He falls for it, taking the bait. “Good idea. Let’s do something to liven up this fucking lame party.”
I whisper my plan in Ryker’s ear as everyone shuffles around to take a seat on the three huge sectional couches smack in the middle of Lakyn’s living room.
“Sounds good. Let’s crush that asshole.” Ryker chuckles in my ear.
If there was a “Best Boyfriend Ever” award, Ryker would give Luca, Blaze and Cash a run for their money right now, I swear to God.
My Zeta sisters are all eager participants, especially the ones who are cozying up to some of Lakyn’s men’s new teammates.
The only one who seems unhappy with my idea is Bianca, who is shooting daggers at me with her eyes.
“I’m going to be in charge of the bottle,” she decides. “As master of ceremonies of Zeta Theta Beta, it’s my duty to make sure everyone follows the rules.”
I roll my eyes. Bianca is the type of person who would do anything to have the spotlight on her. I know for a fact, Topher hasn’t made things between them official yet and that’s another reason why she hates me.
I honestly don’t get it. We’re sisters and beyond that, women should support each other rather than buy into petty jealousies.
Instead, since the moment she pledged our sorority, Bianca has been hellbent on dating a hockey player; it doesn’t matter who she hurts on her quest to the status she aspires to.
“Lakyn.” Bianca announces as the bottle stops pointing at my twin sister. “Let’s see who you have to kiss.”
She grabs the bottle to give it another spin, but Luca stops her.
“Wait a second. This isn’t how you play. You might have had the first spin of the bottle and spin after each turn is completed, but the person who is up gets to spin to decide their fate.”
Bianca’s face reddens at being called out in front of everyone. Especially by Luca, who was the prime target of all her efforts to date a hockey player last year; even after he started seeing Lakyn.
“I know,” she argues. “But I thought?—”
“We either play properly, or we don’t.” Luca deadpans.
I’d be lying if I said that the way the Dean’s daughter gets two shades redder doesn’t amuse me.
The way she scrambles to appease Luca is almost comical. “Yeah, yeah, of course. I just wanted to help.”
Blaze backs his best friend. “We know how to play, Bianca. Now, Lake, spin the bottle please.”
My sister sighs and does as she’s told. Lakyn has always hated these kinds of party games.
The bottle begins spinning until Luca grabs it and stops it so the neck points at him.
“Hey!” Bianca objects. “You said we had to play properly. You can’t?—”
“My house, my rules.” Luca bites out with a tone I’ve never heard him use before. “We can play but unless we agree on kissing people on the cheek, my fiancée will kiss one of the men she’s going to marry, or she isn’t going to kiss anyone.”
I suppress a snort.
I’ve always thought that Luca didn’t strike me as the kind of authoritarian personality I’d imagine is needed to rule a country. Not until now. His tone brooks no arguments to the point that the words on the tip of my tongue are “Yes, Your Highness.”
Bianca is too eager to get into Luca’s good graces, so she smiles as if they didn’t almost have a confrontation. “Ok. But you’re the only exception. Everyone else better follow the rules. You can’t refuse to kiss the person chosen by the bottle. If you aren’t willing to do it, you have to take a shot and complete a dare we all agree on.”
We all agree, this is the way we usually play.
My plan is that if I’m up for kissing Topher—or viceversa—I’ll make a big deal of taking the punishment. That will humiliate him in front of everyone and teach him to crash parties where he’s definitely not welcome.
The game proceeds without any other hiccups.
Candace gets to kiss Keith, one of the Bridgeport Warriors; Viv kisses Tucker and my sister gets another turn with Blaze.
“Let’s spin again.”
The next time Bianca spins the bottle, it stops in front of Cole.
My best friend spins it again, a stony expression on his handsome face.
I freeze in shock when the bottle points at me.
“Cole, Bay, you’re up.” Bianca says.
I brace myself for a repeat of what happened at the Rush Fair kissing booth, when Cole flat out refused to kiss me.
Cole however doesn’t get a chance to voice any reaction, because Topher shoots to his feet.
“I don’t think so. He didn’t spin the bottle right. He needs to redo it.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Cash snorts. “You can spin the bottle however the fuck you want. It pointed at Bay, so now they have to kiss.”
My ex is the biggest control freak I’ve ever met. He’s used to calling the shots and he doesn’t tolerate his authority to be put under discussion.
“No, you have to spin it properly and Cole didn’t.”
Up until last year, none of his frat brothers would have ever dreamed of disagreeing with Topher. Things must have changed though and the Gammas must be getting fed up with Topher’s dictatorial ways.
“Come on, man,” Tucker clasps him on the shoulder. “We all know you’re still holding a candle to your ex. But this is a party game and jealousy is out of place. Besides, you and Bay are no longer together. Chill out, will you?”
Topher levels the Cove Knights’ goalie with a withering glare. “Stay out of this, Tuck.”
To my surprise, Ryker intervenes. “That was a legit spin. Arguing about it makes you look like a douche, man. If anyone should have a complaint, it’s me since Bay is my girlfriend. Guess what? I’m confident enough in my relationship that I don’t feel threatened about a kiss during a game.”
Topher’s malicious smile is aimed at me. “You talk about her like she’s your property. Bay, I’m surprised you let him treat you like that.”
I shake my head. “You have some nerve, Topher. Most of the people in this room have seen you getting drunk at parties and go off on jealous rants if you ever saw me speaking to another guy. If you’re looking for someone who treated me like a commodity, look in the mirror. Now if you’re done being a douche, we can continue to play.”
I turn to look at Cole, who hasn’t moved an inch from his spot on the couch on my right. I almost expect him to agree with Topher, to say that he didn’t spin the bottle correctly.
The more he stares at me with an unreadable expression in his dark blue eyes, the more uneasy butterflies flutter their wings in the pit of my stomach.
My ex isn’t done being an asshole. “Come on, Bay. I’m not jealous. I was just trying to save you from the embarrassment of being rejected again. Last time he had the chance to kiss you, Cole looked like he would rather have kissed me than you. I was just protecting your feelings, sexy girl.”
How could I ever fall for such an evil, manipulative jerk? He’s preying on my insecurities to cause problems between me and Cole. As if my best friend and I didn’t already have enough problems.
Cole gets up from his seat, taking a step toward the space at the center of the cluster of couches. His fists are clenched at his sides, the muscle in his jaw jumping like it always does when he’s nervous or angry. “It’s just a game,” his deep voice causes my pulse to quicken. “Let’s do this. Unless you don’t want to, Bay.”
This is the thing.
I don’t know what’s going on between me and Cole. Why hasn’t he said more than a couple of words to me for weeks. Maybe I shouldn’t want to kiss him. But the truth is that I’m dying to know how it feels to kiss Cole Marshall.
If this is my only chance to do it, I’m not going to let it slip through my fingers by hesitating.
“Yeah, it’s a game.” It feels like anything but a game. “Let’s do it.” I stand up and walk up to him, stopping close, but not close enough for our bodies to touch.
Everyone is looking at us and I’m hyper aware of Jagger’s hazel eyes tracking my every movement.
For some fucked up reason, that fact makes my pulse rush even faster.
He moves first.
His big, slightly rough hand comes up to cup my jaw as he dips his blond head.
There’s a second right before his lips touch mine, when I almost get lost in the dark blue depths of Cole’s eyes.
This is my best friend, the guy I trust the most. The one I didn’t realize I was crushing on until I saw how my feelings for my ex had changed.
I’ve been thinking about kissing him for months, even though I know that he doesn’t feel the way I do. He cares, like he told Ryker. But I doubt Cole meant it the way Ryker interpreted it. Cole doesn’t feel attracted to me, he?—
His lips touch mine and my mind goes blank.
The vortex of frantic thoughts that was raging in my head a second ago melts like snow under the sun.
Cole’s lips are warm.
That’s the first thing I notice. They’re also impossibly soft as they apply a light, gentle pressure on mine.
My heart is beating so fast that I think it might explode any second now.
I’ve almost forgotten that I need to breathe until he moves his lips over mine, increasing the pressure on his second and third pass.
My lips part on instinct as I’m clinging to the hope that he isn’t going to step away from me so soon.
He doesn’t.
Cole takes my invitation to deepen the kiss. His mouth presses harder on mine, his tongue entering my mouth.
A rush of heat floods my nerve endings as he strokes my tongue with his, his fingers leaving my jaw and descending to caress my throat.
Kissing Cole is nothing like I’ve ever imagined. I expected some skill, since he’s definitely very experienced.
But nothing could have prepared me for the intoxicating feeling of his kiss.
It’s demanding and powerful as he explores my mouth with unhurried confidence. It’s dominant and yet not overpowering. There’s reverence in the way he brushes his tongue against mine, in how his lips massage me and his teeth occasionally come to nip my bottom lip.
It’s like Cole is keeping his passion under control, giving me the chance to explore him as much as he’s doing with me.
He tastes fresh, slightly sweet like the soda he was drinking while we were playing.
My hands are splayed on his strong, muscular chest, feeling the warmth of his skin under the soft cotton of his t-shirt.
I don’t even realize that my hands curl into fists, grabbing onto the fabric when he sucks on my bottom lip.
I pull him closer, drunk on his warmth, on his taste, on the feeling of his body so close to mine.
A low rumble, almost a growl, sounds deep in Cole’s chest and his hand leaves my throat. His fingers trace the edge of my shoulder, the side of my chest until they close around my waist, pulling me flush with him.
COLE
I wish I had never, ever kissed Bay Woods.
Because… fuck.
How can I go back to being her friend after this? God knows I’ve had my fair share of kisses but nothing compares to this.
Bay is so soft, her lips fit perfectly with mine. At first she waits me out, almost waiting to see if I end the kiss with a couple of soft pecks on her lips.
Maybe I should. It would be the smartest thing to do. But I can’t. Once our are lips are fused together, I want more. I need to taste her, I need to breathe her in.
If this is the only time I get to kiss the woman I love, I need to make it count. So that I can commit this kiss to memory.
When Bay parts her lips, allowing me in, I know I’m done for.
This kiss has ruined any other kiss for me as long as I fucking live.
She’s everything. Soft, warm, beautiful and perfect.
Sweet and yet not meek, not even a little bit. Bay gives as good as she gets, matching me stroke for stroke.
When she fists my t-shirt to pull me closer, I lose my shit.
Touching her is the worst idea I could possibly have right now and yet, I can’t even try to talk myself out of it.
I keep my touch light, giving her the opportunity to move away, to end this stolen moment.
My fingers trace the edge of her collarbone, descending to the side of her round, perfect tits.
The temptation to close my hand around Bay’s soft, perky breast almost kills me but I move on. If I ever got to touch her like that, it would be because she wants to. I respect her too much to try to grope her in front of all our friends. Besides, I have to remember that when this kiss is over, nothing changes.
Bay is with Ryker and Topher can still ruin everything I’ve ever worked for.
Despite all that, I don’t break the kiss.
My hand finds the slope of Bay’s narrow waist and that’s when I pull her to me.
We have hugged countless times but it was never like this. I never had her lips crushing mine with barely restrained passion. I never felt the firm, silky softness of her tongue.
I keep kissing her for all I’m worth, savoring every precious, stolen moment. Our bodies are pressed together so closely that there’s no space between us. I fear the moment when I’ll have to step away, when I’ll have to learn to breathe again without her.
Bay however seems as lost in our kiss just as much as I am. She nips at my bottom lip every time I retreat, egging me on to keep kissing her.
I want nothing more and for a second I almost believe that we can keep doing this all night long, maybe even forever.
Just the thought is pure madness, I should know. But I’m to drunk on her to think rationally right now.
Reality though has a way of showing us that some dreams are destined to remain so.
In this particular case, reality takes the form of Topher.
Our kiss ends, but neither me nor Bay breaks it.
One second I’m lost in the hot sweetness of her mouth, with her soft body smashed against mine, but in the blink of an eye, she’s literally ripped away from me.
I open my eyes, blinking a few times in rapid succession to put the room into focus.
“What the—” there’s no need to ask the question on the tip of my tongue, because my eyes meet Topher’s furious gaze.
“That’s enough,” he seethes. “You had to kiss, not dry hump each other. Keep your dirty paws off my girl, Marshall.”
He grabbed Bay’s elbow and I’m about to sink my fist into his face like I’ve wanted to do for years, but Bay reacts faster than I can.
“Don’t you dare touch me, Topher!” she snaps, shoving him away from her. “I’m not your girl.”
The Gamma president doesn’t look deterred by his ex-girlfriend’s disgusted tone. “The fuck you aren’t. Look, I get it. I made a mistake. Message received. I’ve given you the chance to get your revenge, or to prove whatever point it is that you’re trying to make by hooking up with my teammates. But it’s over now. It’s time to work on repairing our relationship, Bay. You and I are the real deal and you know it.”
Bay’s gaze hardens. I can count the times I’ve seen that look on her face and I’m glad I’m not on the receiving end of that death stare.
“There is no relationship. Even if I wanted to forgive all the shitty things you’ve done to a lot of the people I love, I have too much self-respect to take you back. You made sure our relationship was beyond repair when you fucked Bianca in my bed and came inside her after I caught you. That was worth more than a million words, Topher. That’s all I see every time I look at you. Besides, we both know your family doesn’t deem me worthy of your name. So cut your losses and don’t fight a battle you can’t win.”
If I loved Bay before, the way she put that motherfucker in his place makes me fall for her even more.
If that was me, I’d just walk away with my tail between my legs. But Topher doesn’t give up.
“Let me worry about my parents. Trust me Bay, they’ll come around. You’re the woman I love, my soulmate. Please don’t make me beg, I know you love me too. Remember what we said last year on our anniversary? You and I are forever.”
As Topher inches closer to her, she crosses her arms over her chest, as if to put one extra barrier between herself and her ex. “We seem to be speaking two different languages, Toph. Let me be clear with you. No. I don’t want to be with you. I don’t love you. In case you hadn’t noticed, I have a boyfriend. I’m with Ryker.”
That hurts but at the same time, it makes me happy. If I can’t have Bay, I’d rather know she’s with someone who will respect her and treat her right. And that was never Topher.
Of course the douche doesn’t know when to quit. He insists. “Ryker? You’ve known him for five minutes. Sure he comes from money, but you and I have so much history, Bay. Ryker can’t give you what I can.”
My best friend laughs. “Oh you couldn’t be more wrong, babe .” Her eyes shine like two cold stars and I know that whatever she’s about to say is going to hit Topher where it hurts the most.
“Ryker can give me the one thing you never could.”
Narcissists have one thing in common. They think they’re the best, they have such a high opinion of themselves that they can’t even fathom that other people might ever find them lacking.
“I doubt it,” Topher sneers. “But I’ll humor you. What can Ryker give you that I haven’t?”
Bay’s lips twist in a victorious smile. “Orgasms. He can make me come over and over and over.”
As predictable, Topher doesn’t accept what his ex is telling him. “You’re just saying this to hurt me now. Fine, I deserve it. But lying doesn’t become you, sexy girl. We both know I gave you tons of orgasms in the three years we’ve been together.”
“Ha,” Bay laughs. “I’m sorry, Toph, but I was faking it. Every single time you and I had sex. I would fake an orgasm once I thought enough time had passed for it to be believable.”
Fury flickers in Topher’s eyes. “I don’t believe you,” he bites out.
Bay shakes her head. “No, Toph. Why would I lie to you about something like that?”
The dipshit is so sure of himself, it’s almost funny.
“You’re just saying that to hurt me and to embarrass me in front of my friends.”
There’s no mirth in Bay’s laugh. “No babe, believe me. I was just being honest. If I wanted to embarrass you in front of all our friends, I’d say that Ryker and Jagger made me come. That Cole was dangerously close to giving me an orgasm with one kiss. You? You were too selfish to think about anyone’s pleasure but your own. And you’d rather say that there was something wrong with me, than trying harder to make things good for me. If I wanted to embarrass you, I’d say that out of the four men I slept with, you’re the one with the smallest cock.”
Topher moves faster than lightning. I swear to God, if he moved this fast on the ice, he’d have no rivals.
“You lying little bitch,” he seethes, grabbing Bay’s wrist. “I’ve been too nice to you maybe. If no one ever showed you where your place is and how to respect your man, I’m going to be more than happy to teach you that lesson. You filthy little slut, you’re no better than the puck bunnies you used to look down on, you know that right? Who else have you fucked other than Ryker and Jagger? Cole? Tucker? Did you let the whole team have you when I wasn’t watching?”
Fuck, no.
The way he just spoke to Bay would be enough to make me want to kill him, but when I see the way he grabs her, trying to manhandle her?
I fucking snap.
The irony is that I’m not even the only one who rushes toward Topher. Ryker and Jagger are right behind me, Luca, Blaze and Cash stand up from their seats on the couch and advance toward us.
Tucker, Corey and most of our teammates either stand up or yell at him to let Bay go.
Lakyn is advancing toward him like a fury from hell. But I’m faster than all of them.
Blind rage expands in my chest, burning with the heat of a thousand suns and I’m on them in a heartbeat.
My body acts faster than I can mentally catch up with, more furious than I’ve ever been.
I hear the noise of my fist colliding with Topher’s face before I even realize what I’m doing.
Adrenaline almost takes away the pain of the impact as I feel my knuckles splitting as they make contact with his jaw.
I can count on one hand the fights I’ve had on the ice and usually it’s over before things can get too heated and too much damage can be done on either side.
Right now I’m bloodthirsty. I want to kill Topher for every single tear he has caused Bay to shed. For being a shitty boyfriend, for cheating on her, for not protecting her when she trusted him with her heart. Most of all, for putting his hands on her without her consent.
I manage to get in a second punch, smiling when I see the blood filling his mouth.
But our teammates, who a second ago were ready to hit Topher just as much as I was, pull us apart. Or more accurately, they rip me away from him.
“Dude,” Cash has his arms wrapped around me in a deadlock. “He’s not worth it.” He whispers in my ear.
Blaze, puts himself between me and the motherfucker while Luca and Jagger are lifting him off the floor.
My eyes search for Bay and relief floods my insides when I see Ryker and Lakyn checking on her.
“He just took me by surprise,” Topher snarls. “Let me finish what that asshole started.”
Luca shoves him down on one of the couches, immediately in his face. “ Basta! (Enough !) Calm the fuck down. You weren’t even invited to this party. We should have kicked you out hours ago. Go get yourself cleaned up and then I’ll have security escort you out. You’re lucky I don’t call the cops.”
Topher doesn’t back down. “You want to call the cops? Good, do it. So I can press charges against Cole for assaulting me.”
The nerve on this fucker. Before I can tell him to bring it, Luca puts him in his place.
“Ah, no. Cole acted to defend Bay after you assaulted her. And you’re also trespassing since you were never invited and you’re not welcome in my house. You have a choice, Mumford. Go now, or I’ll personally throw you out.”
Topher stands up on shaky legs and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t feel a perverse satisfaction that I hit him hard enough to make him unsteady on his feet.
“Fine, fine. I’ll go. But Bay, you and I aren’t done talking about our relationship. And you ,” he says pointing a finger at me. “Effective immediately you’re evicted from the Gamma house for breaking the bro-code I invoked.”
Ryker steps in before I can even say anything in response. “That’s bullshit and you know it. The kiss was a party game, not a breach of your ridiculous bro-code.”
Topher smiles, his teeth still an unsettling bloody red. “Fine. Then he punched his frat president. Either way, I have the power to kick him out and you better believe I am not going back on my decision.”
That’s it.
I’m homeless and I don’t have any money to pay for housing even if there was anywhere decent available in Star Cove.
Topher is smiling because he knows he just put me in an incredibly tough spot. I should be worried, this is what I’ve been fearing since our frat president issued his threat if we broke his bro-code. And yet…
I’m done being scared.
Maybe I’m crazy but right now I have only one fear.
“Do whatever you need to do, Mumford,” I bite out. “I’ll sleep in the locker room if I have to. Hell, I’ll sleep on a fucking park bench or on the beach if I have to. But I’m done with your crap and with your childish threats.”
Topher stops struggling against Luca’s hold to look at me with real surprise on his face. “You must have had too many concussions, dude,” he sneers. “Without a place to stay, you’re going to struggle maintaining your GPA. Without that, it doesn’t matter how great you are on the ice, Coach will have no choice but to kick you out of the team. If you don’t play, your NHL team will start wondering if they bet on the wrong player. You’re going to lose everything and for what?”
He’s right.
But the answer is simple. “No, not everything. There’s only one thing I can’t and don’t want to lose.”
I look at her.
Fuck, she’s so beautiful. How could I ever think I could live without her? That kiss proved without a shadow of a doubt that without Bay’s love, I can have millions in the bank, I can win ten Stanley Cups but I would be miserable.
She meets my gaze and for the first time since I’ve met her, I can’t read Bay’s expression.
Maybe it’s too late but I have to tell her how I feel.
“It’s you, Bay. I’m sorry for how distant I’ve been lately. The truth is that I love you. I’m in love with you and I’ve been since the first time I saw you. It took me a second to realize it and by then you were dating that asshole. I can’t wait anymore. I love you, Bay. And I hope I’m not too late and I didn’t fuck this up beyond repair.”