Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
reeve
My house is dead silent.
My friends are out partying for the night, celebrating a win I had no part in, so I made the rare decision to come home early and get some sleep in hopes of getting my body back where it needs to be.
Problem is, I’m too bored to even sleep.
I’m two weeks out from my concussion and feeling good, but while I’ve been practicing with the team, I’m not cleared for games yet, and doctor’s orders are to keep my workouts moderate and get as much rest as I can, so I’ve got all this pent-up energy with nothing to spend it on except stressing about when I’ll play again.
Well, that and distracting myself by thinking about Jade.
The two kisses we’ve shared have been the fuel for a hundred sweaty fantasies this last week.
Jade is all fire and ice, and it drives me insane.
Long before I ever thought of kissing her, just being around her put me on edge because despite the fact she’s constantly mouthing off, something ferocious always dances in her eyes, making me think she’s holding something back after all.
It’s intimidating. And I haven’t felt intimidated by a girl since middle school.
So the way she completely submits to me when we kiss is something I never expected, and I can’t get it out of my head.
I can’t get her out of my head; her body, sure, but her volatility too.
Her moments of honesty at the most surprising times.
I want to know what makes her tick. Hell, I just want to be around her, period, because call it excitement or call it fear, but whenever she walks in, everything inside me wakes right up.
I roll over in bed. Maybe it’s time I force myself to think about something else.
Grateful as I am that these thoughts have kept me from losing my mind over this concussion, I’ve played them through my head to death, I’m no closer to sleep, and I’m starting to think I’m tempting fate.
I should have gone out with my friends tonight. I hate being alone.
My desperation at its peak, I’m considering pulling out my computer and doing some studying when voices from downstairs cut through the silence and the front screen door slams. Someone yells.
There’s a loud bang as something solid hits the floor.
I catch Cam’s laugh, and I can tell he’s drunk.
Finally, some entertainment. They’ve probably got a couple of good bedtime stories for me.
But as I’m getting out of bed and flipping on the light, the distinct sound of female voices floats up from the room below mine.
“Of course,” I mutter to myself, turning back to bed.
I’m not in the mood to deal with drunk chicks tonight.
A soft knock sounds at my door. “Special delivery,” someone says in an exaggerated falsetto voice.
Goddamn it. I hate when my friends bring rando jersey chasers into the house and let them wander unsupervised. Especially when my door’s not locked. Another knock sounds, louder this time.
“Come out and play,” the voice says.
“Uh, I’m sleeping,” I call out, half expecting whoever she is to walk in anyway.
It wouldn’t be the first time a girl came in uninvited with a good time on her mind.
It might be the first time I turn her down, though.
Then I hear hushed, mingled voices right outside my door, male and female.
She’s asking him something. A fist pounds on the door.
I recognize Cam’s voice when he yells, “No, he’s definitely not in there with a girl!”
What the hell? Cam’s not usually the one to think getting some random pussy is going to cheer me up. I stomp over to the door and yank it open.
Jade looks back at me, not quite smiling.
Suddenly I’m all good feelings. Behind her, Cam is wavering drunkenly and giving me a look that says, This is a bad idea, but you’re welcome anyway.
“See? No one in there but your boy,” he tells Jade before giving me a parting look and heading down the hall.
When I look at Jade, her eyes are on my chest. Oh, right—I’m not wearing a shirt. I know she likes what she sees—half my life is spent exercising, how could she not?—but she’s not giving me those fuck me eyes that chicks always do when they’re checking me out.
“Not interrupting anything, am I?” she asks with a little sass.
“Not a thing.” I cross my arms and watch her try not to stare at them. “I wasn’t expecting you at my doorstep tonight.”
She shrugs. She’s wearing a light-blue top that hangs off her shoulders, and when she moves like that, her breasts perk up and jiggle.
“Lenni and I ran into your crew on the street, and you know her and Cam; can’t pull them apart once they’re close.
Anyway, the guys promised us hot food and cold beer if we came back here.
” She smiles, but there’s a brief flash of uncertainty in her eyes as she says, “Hope you don’t mind. ”
I can’t tell her that this is the best thing that’s happened to me in three days or that thinking about her is the only thing keeping me from going stir-crazy, so I say, “Of course not. Estás en tu casa.”
She groans but tops it off with a laugh.
Her movements are loose, her smile like hot liquid.
I’ve never seen her drunk like this before.
Her cheeks are flushed, and there’s a slight sheen to the exposed skin on her collarbones.
She was probably dancing most of the night.
I imagine her body shaking and rolling, and my dick stirs in my shorts.
I’d kill to see that. Jealousy sparks inside me as I wonder how many guys she danced with tonight.
Then the sobering thought, Shit. I have a crush on this girl.
“So you’ll join us? Your friends just ordered like three hundred dollars’ worth of takeout.”
There’s a massive crash from the kitchen, followed by someone yelling cuss words. “Guess I better. Sounds like adult supervision is needed.”
Her smile deepens at getting a yes out of me, and she’s just reaching out like she’s about to take my hand when, at the other end of the hall, Cash pops up. “There you are, Dalton. Were you seriously in bed, you stupid asshole? Come out and join the family.”
“Yeah, I’m coming,” I grumble, watching Jade’s hand drop back to her side. “Just let me put on a shirt.”
“Put on a shirt?” Cash howls. “Yeah, fucking right, since when? You’d go to church naked if they let you, you prick. Come on out here; it’s about time we had a no-shirt showdown.”
“Easy, killer. No fair throwing down the hammer when I’ve barely been allowed to get a pump on all week.”
“I saw you in the weight room today.” He struts down the hallway toward us, chest puffed out.
“Come on, Captain, let’s go.” He’s grinning, clearly at peak drunkenness, which means some kind of attention-grabbing behavior is about to follow.
Right on cue, he plants his feet, grabs the neck of his T-shirt in both fists, and tears it down the middle.
Jade bursts out laughing, which only encourages Cash. He winks at her, looking ridiculous because the bottom few inches of his shirt didn’t tear and he’s just standing there with mangled fabric hanging off his shoulders.
“Okay, stud, you win,” I tell him, not wanting Jade’s eyes on his bare chest any longer than necessary. “Now go back to the kitchen. I’m on my way.”
I pull on a T-shirt, and Jade and I follow Cash downstairs to the kitchen, listening to him crow like he really believes he just beat me at anything.
Cam’s bent over the source of the loud crash, a mess of pots and pans and lids spilling out of the cabinets onto the floor.
He looks up at me with unfocused eyes. “Sorry for the noise. Did I wake you?”
“What are you talking about?” He’s drunker than I realized, but good for him. Cam doesn’t let loose often enough. “Get out of the way. I’ll clean this up.”
“No, man, I got this. I’m cooking. Cam’s famous grilled cheese with a nice runny fried egg inside. You want one? I’ll make you one. Fact, I’ll make you a double-decker.” He laughs for no apparent reason.
“I thought you guys ordered a bunch of food.” I look at Jade for confirmation.
Lenni comes up behind her. “That’s right. Twelve minutes away.” She holds up her phone to show the tracking map on her delivery app.
Cam snaps his head up. “Twelve minutes?” he repeats, outraged. “Unbelievable. These companies always jerk you around. Let me fry up some grilled cheese real quick and we’ll be good.”
I shrug at the girls. “Okay, brother, I’ll leave you to it.” Grilled cheese does sound pretty damn good. “But at least wear the oven glove things. You burn those magic hands and Coach will kill all of us.”
I keep half an eye on Cam as he bangs around in the kitchen, but I stay close to Jade.
She smells incredible, vanilla mixed with something darker.
Every time I catch a whiff of her, my pulse goes completely off the beat.
I want to talk to her, try to make her laugh, but somehow I can’t think of anything to say—which is not a problem I’ve ever experienced before.
I settle for sitting as close to her as I can without making it look like we’re together.
I find excuses to brush my hand or my leg against her body, even though every touch delivers a jolt that leaves me even more unsatisfied than before.
Most of these touches she pointedly ignores, but when no one’s looking, her gaze lingers on the sight of our bodies pressed briefly together.