Chapter 13 Joelle
JOELLE
Iwalk away from Emmett before I do something stupid like slap him. Or kiss him. Or both. My pulse is racing. I can't believe the guy I've been thinking about all these months is right here in this room with me. I grab my wine and drain it. Then pour myself another and down half of that too.
"Whoa, easy there," Collette says. Appearing beside me. "Are you okay? You're throwing those wines back like it's water."
"I'm fine." I try to wave her concern away.
"You don't look fine." She raises a brow at me and moves closer. "Are you anxious?" She whispers the last part.
I'm not a social butterfly like her and these kinds of situations stress me out. I shake my head. She studies me. "Did someone say something? One of the guys? I'll kick them in the balls if they said anything inappropriate." If only she knew.
"No. The guys have been great." Except for one guy.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. It's just the jet lag making me weird."
She gives me a look.
"Weirder than I normally am," I joke.
This makes her smile.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom, splash my face, and wake myself up."
"Okay. But if any of the boys give you shit, tell me. I'll handle them," she tells me. I love her for wanting to protect me.
I place my wine glass down and head away from the room, away from him, taking the hallway toward my bedroom and closing the door behind me.
I take a couple of deep breaths as I walk to my ensuite and stop in front of the mirror to take myself in.
I hadn't gone to much effort tonight because it was just a house party, jeans, a white tee, minimal jewelry and makeup. I’d pulled my chestnut hair up into a high pony.
If I'd known I was going to run into the guy from London, I would have .
... Would have what? Made an effort? Impressed him?
Fucking Emmett Black.
The man who made me come three times in one night.
Fuck him.
Fuck him for being a hockey player.
Fuck him for being my brother's teammate.
And fuck him for being my neighbor.
I pull out my phone and call the only person who will understand.
Polly.
She answers on the third ring. "Hey, babe, how's the big apple?"
"Terrible." I try to hold in my tears.
"Oh no, what's happened?"
"He's here."
"Who?" she asks, confused.
"London guy. The man that gave me the best orgasms of my life."
Silence.
"Wait, what? London guy is in New York?" Polly asks.
"Yes. In my fricken home. With my brothers." I try to take deep breaths, stemming my panic attack.
"Back it up a minute. What do you mean he's in your home? Is he stalking you?"
"I wish. It's worse."
"Worse than stalking?" she asks.
"Yes. He's a hockey player."
Silence again.
"Oh shit." Polly realizes what I mean. "No." She gasps. "Please don't tell me he plays with your brothers."
"He's their fricken captain."
Polly screams and then bursts out laughing.
"It's not funny."
"It's kind of funny." She chuckles.
"He also lives down the hall from me."
"What! He lives in the same complex?"
"The same level," I add.
Polly bursts out laughing again. "It's fate."
"This is not fate. It's fricken karma for something I did," I grumble.
"Wish karma would deliver me a hockey player," she teases.
"Not this one. His name is Emmett Black. He's six-five, has a scruffy beard, and muscles for days. And I'm going to see him every single day for the rest of my career at the Mavericks."
"Oh my god, it is him. I just looked him up. He looks hot in his hockey uniform," Polly adds.
"They all do." I sigh. I think about the Henley stretching across his chest, the way his jeans fit, that stubbly beard. "My home is full of hockey players at the moment. It's suffocating."
"That sounds like heaven." Polly chuckles.
"It's not."
"So did you speak to him?"
I sigh. "I did."
"And?"
"Just a heap of bullshit and ..."
"And what?" Polly pushes.
"He nicknamed me Trouble, then told me to stay out of his way, after saying dirty things to me."
"OMG what? And also, cute nickname." She chuckles.
"It's not. He's doing it to annoy me."
"Aw. That's cute. It's like when the boys in school used to pull your pigtails to get your attention," Polly teases.
"He told me to stay away from him," I argue.
"After telling you how hot it was between the two of you," Polly argues.
"He was probably rubbing it in my face."
"He wants to rub his dick in your face," she says.
"Ewww."
"Sorry. You kind of set me up there." She chuckles.
"I hate you."
"You love me and miss me."
"I do." I groan.
"I'm guessing there is a no fraternization clause in your contract?"
"You'd be right. Plus, I would never date a hockey player."
"Then you have nothing to worry about. Unless ..."
"Unless what?"
"You want something to happen?"
"Noooo," I argue.
This makes her laugh. "Seems like the lady doth protest too much."
"Stop it. I'm not interested," I tell her.
"Then why are you stressing?"
"Because I could lose my job?" I tell her.
"This happened months before you got the job. It's only a problem if something happens now. After you've signed contracts."
Polly's right. "It was a shock seeing him tonight."
"I bet it was, and the fact he is right under your nose too."
"What am I going to do on Monday?"
"Pray he doesn't need you to work on him." She giggles. "I mean, I would warn you to keep your hands off him, but it's literally your job. You're screwed."
"Thanks." I moan.
"It's going to be okay. Don't overthink it. Right now, it's a shock. But once you're back at work, over time, you won't even remember that night."
Maybe she's right. Positive thinking.
"You've got this, babe."
"I miss you. Wish you were here."
"Me too. Soon, I promise. Now, I know you're hiding in your room. Go back out there. Be the badass that I know you are. And show him you're not affected."
She's right. I say my goodbyes and hang up. “You walk out there confidently. That man does not affect you. No matter how good-looking he is or how your body tingles when he's close by," I tell myself in the mirror. I then splash cold water on my face, fix my hair, and take a breath.
Then head back out to the party.
The party is still going when I rejoin it.
Harper and Issy are laughing about something near the window.
Pierre has his arm around Issy, looking more relaxed than I've seen him before.
Felix is telling a story to some of the guys.
And then there's Emmett. He's by the couch with Sully and a couple of other players, beer in hand, laughing at something.
Wow. I've never seen him smile like that before. Usually, he has this surly, grumpy face on that tells the world not to talk to him. But in that moment .... Shit. He is so fricken handsome. Urgh.
Our eyes meet across the room. Shit. But neither one of us looks away. It's as if we're both caught in the electric pull we have with each other. Thankfully, he looks away first, breaking whatever hold there was between us.
I grab a fresh glass of wine and join Collette and Issy's sisters, who I haven't seen in years until tonight. Collette has become quite close with them since moving to New York.
"Are you feeling better?" Collette asks.
"Yes. Thanks. Jet lag," I tell the girls.
"You are doing so well for only arriving yesterday," Violetta says.
"Had no choice," I say, sipping my wine.
"Pierre has been so excited about you moving to New York. Felix too. But Pierre has gone all mother hen over it. Never seen that side of him before," Evelina adds.
"Might have something to do with your sister." Collette chuckles.
"The two of them are disgusting together," Violetta states, almost gagging.
"Never thought the two of them would ever get back together," I add.
"Us either." Evelina laughs.
"But they are happy, and that's all that matters," Collette states.
"Guess you can't fight fate." I smirk.
"So, have any of the men here tonight caught your eye?" Violetta asks.
I shake my head. "I don't date hockey players."
"Obviously. Conflict of interest. But what about the other men here?" she asks.
Harper's brother Sam is here, now he is hot.
But I think something is going on with the blonde, I think her name was Kimberly.
Then there's Nate, who is Harper's best friend's partner.
He is one of the hottest men I've ever seen, but he is with one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, too.
And they brought a couple of friends, but I don't know who they are.
"They seem to be taken."
"That's what I said," Evelina adds, looking at her sister, who rolls her eyes at her.
"We can't touch the hockey players. But you guys can," Collette teases.
Violetta looks over and assesses the guys. "Who's the grumpy-looking one?" My stomach sinks. Violetta is this gorgeous Italian temptress. He would probably take one look at her and fall right into her bed. Not that I would care or anything.
"That's Emmett Black, the captain," Collette mentions.
"I like older men. Daddy issues." She winks, then stands up and saunters over to where Emmett and Sully are seated.
"My sister is shameless." Evelina chuckles, shaking her head.
The boys look up when they notice Violetta walking over, their faces lighting up.
I can't hear what she is saying, but I can understand exactly what her meaning is.
She flips her chocolate brown hair over her shoulder, laughs, and acts coyly with them.
They are both smiling, engaging in whatever conversation is happening.
I watch as she laughs again, then places her hand on Emmett's arm.
He stiffens under her touch, moving ever so slightly away from her reach.
Violetta must notice this and soon moves her attention more onto Sully.
That's when I lock eyes again with Emmett, he takes a sip of his beer before joining the conversation again, this time not looking as interested as he once was. I'm confused by his reaction.
"Looks like she's struck out with Emmett Black. But I don't think she will strike out with Sully." Evelina chuckles.
"She's a man-eater. I need to learn her ways." Collette laughs.
"Anyway, Jo, we'll have to show you around. The best restaurants, bars, shopping," Evelina says.
"Jo isn't a big shopper," Collette adds.
Evelina looks personally offended by that.
"I'm in athletic gear all day," I say.
"But not all the time?" Evelina asks.
"Jo isn't a big party animal, but she needs to have more fun. All she does is work, work, work."
"I'm boring," I tell her.
"No. You like your little cocoon and never want to leave it," my sister says, calling me out.
"I'm not that young anymore."
"Please, you are plenty young. You are choosing not to have fun and be boring," my sister says.
"I like what I like."
"You need to get out there and get laid." Collette says the last bit a little too loudly.
"Shh." I place my hand over her mouth. "You don't need to tell the entire room."
My sister shakes my hand free. "You haven't been laid since you hooked up with some mystery guy in London. I don't care how good the sex was, it's been months."
"Hey, guys, look who I brought," Violetta says.
I still. My heart kicks in as my eyes slowly move up and land on Emmett, who just heard everything my sister said.
Sully and Emmett come and join us. Thankfully, Emmett is sitting far enough away from me, but I can feel his penetrating stare.
"Sorry about that. You didn't hear anything," Collette adds, before turning and mouthing ‘sorry’ to me.
"It's okay, I tell this one the same thing. If he got laid more, he wouldn't be so grumpy," Sully says, teasing Emmett, who just flips him off and sips on his beer, looking like he is seconds away from murdering his friend.
"Ignore them, they are always like this. Usually, they are telling me to fuck off," Collette says.
"Because you are shoving your little microphone into my face," Sully states.
"It's my job," my sister argues.
"And our job is hockey," he argues back.
"Yeah, and because of me highlighting your wonderful disposition, you've gotten yourself a lucrative sponsorship deal," Collette adds.
"Fine," Sully concedes, rolling his eyes.
"Thank you is the right thing to say. Gosh, I wish the public could see you now. You're as grumpy as him." Collette looks over at Emmett.
"I don't pretend to be anything different," he says, taking a sip of his beer.
"The brooding, grumpy, mysterious vibe works. The ladies love it," Collette continues, ignoring his annoyed glares. She's clearly used to their antics. Emmett just grunts and keeps drinking his beer.
"See?" Sully says. "This is what I'm talking about. The man communicates in grunts."
"Works for me," Emmett says flatly. "I can also communicate in signs." He flips him off.
This makes me laugh. The dynamic between Emmett, who is all grumpy, and Sully, who seems to be all sunshine is fun to see.
My laughter earns me a brow furrow from Emmett.
He continues to sip on his beer as the conversation continues around us.
His eyes never leave me. And I can't seem to resist the pull they have on me either.