Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
cole
I pull my car into an open spot on Maya’s street, grateful to find one this close to her building’s entrance. This way, she won’t have to walk far to reach us. It’s a relatively safe area, but her neighbors are questionable. Especially the guy who holds seances on every full moon.
Jake huffs under his breath. “I can’t believe you’re kicking me out.”
“I’m not kicking you out of the car, Reid. I’m just asking you to sit in the back.”
“But I always sit shotgun.”
I fix him with an unblinking stare until he finally grumbles and unbuckles his seat belt. The huffing doesn’t stop as he twists and turns his body, wiggling through the open space between our seats so he can climb into the back without having to leave the warmth of the car.
His dark blue eyes narrow on me in the rearview mirror. “Happy?”
“Impressed,” I admit. I’m flexible, but there’s no way I could imitate what he just did.
To add insult to his injury, a few minutes later, rather than opening the passenger door, Maya opens the back door on that side. “Oh! I can sit back here, Jake. I know you usually sit up front.”
Ignoring his not so subtle told you so smirk, I peer back at Maya, who’s staring at my friend uncertainly.
She looks sexy as hell in a cream-colored sweater dress, and the black knee-high boots have my cock twitching.
I can’t wait to peel them off her later.
“You’re sitting up front, Maya. Now get your fine ass in the car before it freezes off. ”
The edges of her lips tilt up despite the eye roll she gives me.
Only when she’s buckled do I lean over to steal a quick kiss. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hi. Guess what?” She hits me with a mega-watt smile. “My sister’s coming to town. She has an interview for a summer internship with some marketing agency.”
She pulls up her phone to recall the name of the place, and Jake lets out a low whistle. “That’s impressive. I heard their internship program is super competitive.”
“Fingers crossed she gets it. They usually only accept sophomores.” Maya turns to me. “She wants to meet you when she’s here. I know Logan’s staying in Toronto after the game to visit family, but I hoped we could meet up when you’re back on Friday.”
“Do you want me to meet her?” The question is laced with a vulnerability I wish I could banish, but I need an answer. The distinction here is important. I met Elliott early on, so it was never a “step” in our relationship, but Maya wanting me to meet Ava? That’s progress.
“Of course,” she says without hesitation.
I press a kiss against her palm. “Good.”
A dumb smile overtakes me and stays plastered to my face for the rest of the ride and as we enter Logan’s “birthday banger.” Yes, that is what the invitation said.
Logan doesn’t believe in small, intimate celebrations.
He’s more of a “group text my whole contact list” kind of guy.
In addition to O’Leary’s usual Saturday-night crowd, everyone from Logan’s hairdresser to the owner of his favorite coffee shop to the Zamboni driver at Airwave Arena is in attendance.
Figuring that most of my teammates will be around the pool tables in the back, we head in that direction. Logan’s nowhere to be seen—although I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s holding a procession somewhere—but Elliott’s playing a tense game against a few defensemen, so we make a beeline for him.
The calculating crease in his brow melts away at the sight of his sister. Stepping away from the pool table, he encases her in a bear hug. “Yaya! I’m glad you came.”
“I wouldn’t dream of missing Logan’s birthday.”
“You also wouldn’t hear the end of it,” I mutter. It’s honestly a miracle that his birthday isn’t a national holiday in Canada.
With a chuckle, Elliott claps my back. Part of me was nervous that it’d be weird that Maya’s brother is dating my best friend, but it’s working in everyone’s favor.
I’ve gotten to know him as a friend rather than only as “my girlfriend’s brother,” and Maya never feels the need to sacrifice time with her family because of me—or vice versa.
“Congrats to you, man,” he says, tipping his beer against his lips.
I bounce a curled knuckle against my thigh, my hackles raising in response to the casualness of his congratulations.
There’s no way he knows about the meeting next week.
He can’t. Only my agent and the general managers of the Bobcats and Devils do.
But if not that, then what the hell would he be congratulating me for?
Being out past eight p.m. on a Saturday when we have a game the following day?
I wrap my arm around Maya’s waist, the simple act bringing me a sense of comfort. “For what?”
“I never thought the day would come when my sister chose a night out with her boyfriend over a night in with one of her many book boyfriends.”
Maya swings her arm out to slug him in the shoulder, but he anticipates the move and easily sidesteps her.
I chuckle as she huffs. “It’s because I’m special, right, baby?”
“Considering I hung out with you instead of reading what some people are claiming is the next breakout romantasy? Yeah, I’d say you’re very special.”
I press my lips against the top of her head. “You really know how to get a man all revved up.”
Holding up his hands, Elliott backs away. “And that’s my cue to get back to the game.”
“All revved up, huh?” Maya pokes my stomach. “All those romance books I read must be rubbing off on you.”
“I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: a romance book about a bookstore manager falling for a hockey player would sell millions of copies.”
“I can already see the opening line,” Maya says, arching a sardonic brow raise. “Once upon a time, a hockey player made out with a bookstore manager and then ghosted her.”
My heart stumbles a little at the easy way she threw that detail out. “And then realized he was being an idiot,” I add. “Thankfully, the bookstore manager was so overcome by lust for said hockey player that she gave him another chance.”
“Overcome by lust?” Maya laughs, her shoulders shaking. “I guess I’d read a story like that.”
“You shouldn’t read it. You should write it.”
As a flush creeps up her neck, she ducks, like she’s trying to hide it, and twists the material of my shirt between her fingers. “My teacher actually suggested turning a short story I wrote for class into a full story.”
With pride filling my chest, I turn so we’re face to face. “That’s amazing, baby. When can I read it?”
“All I said is that they suggested it,” she points out with a laugh. “Not that I’m going to do it. It’d be a while before you could potentially read it.”
I frown at the word potentially. “As long as I get to read it before Brian,” I tease with an eyebrow waggle.
“There’s no need to be jealous, Cole. He’s just my writing partner”—lowering her voice, she adds—“but you’re the one whose cock I’ll be coming on tonight.”
Jesus have mercy. I love her romance books.
Throwing me a saccharine smile, as if she didn’t just give me the world’s biggest boner, she plants a kiss on my lips. “I’m going to find my friends and grab a drink.”
For a moment, I stay where I am, reciting every Stanley Cup winner since 1990 to rein myself back in. When I’m confident that I’m not about to face my teammates with a massive hard-on, I grab a pool cue and corral a few of the guys into a new game.
I’m pulling back my arm to take a shot when I’m attacked from behind. A heavy weight hits me, like a jungle cat leaping onto my back. My cue skids off the side of my ball and accidentally knocks the other team’s ball in.
I groan while my opponents high-five. “Logan, man, what the fuck?”
He clambers off me and tilts his head, pouting. “How’d you know it was me?”
“No other person I know would jump onto someone mid-game.” Leaning against the table, I run a hand through my hair. “And I can’t even be mad at you about it because it’s your birthday.”
He smiles at me, his eyes twinkling. “The rules are the rules.”
Elliott storms over, his green eyes full of accusation. “What the hell are you doing over here, Berrett?”
I open my mouth to answer but think better of my smart-ass remark. I’ve never seen the guy look so pissed off, so I can’t imagine he’s alluding to the pool game. “Is there somewhere I’m supposed to be instead?”
“Considering my sister’s asshole of an ex is attempting to buy her a drink, I’d say you definitely have other places to be.”
Just the word “ex” makes my stomach harden. Obviously, Maya has a sexual history that predates meeting me, but fuck if I don’t hate the thought of another man knowing what she sounds like when she comes.
Logan and I crane our necks, looking in the direction Elliott’s pointing.
When I find the asshole and see how close he’s standing to Maya, I shove down the urge to charge over there and put my body between theirs.
Despite my instincts, I don’t want to be that guy.
The one who’s insecure in his relationship and doesn’t trust his girlfriend enough to let her hold a conversation with someone from her past.
“That’s her ex?” Logan whistles and slowly claps. “Damn. Nice work, Maya. He’s fine as hell.”
I roll my eyes. Objectively, yes, Josh—and I’m assuming this is Josh, since he’s the only ex we’ve ever talked about—is a good-looking guy, but he’s still the dumbass who cheated on her.
And has seen her naked. And has most likely made her laugh.
“Don’t you think it’s a little weird that you just called your boyfriend’s sister’s ex hot? ”
“Not any weirder than Goose licking your toe while you fucked my boyfriend’s sister.” Logan waggles his brows.
“Once, dude. That happened once. And I regret ever mentioning it to you.”
“I’m right here.” Elliott grimaces. “So please stop.”
“Why the fuck is he even here?”
Logan shrugs. “Maybe he knows my esthetician. Or goes to my gym. Who knows? This party’s a free-for-all.”