Chapter 13
Cole
The barbell feels heavier than usual as I push through my third set of bench presses. The gym is the only place where I can completely clear my head of distractions.
Except today, those distractions have a name. Harper.
It's the memory of this morning that's throwing me off. Not just the feel of her skin under my hands or the way she sighed my name, though those are branded into me. It’s the terrifying aftermath.
Lying there with her heart hammering against my ribs, and the realization that I didn't want her to leave.
I wanted to pull her back, to keep her there, to do what? Talk? Just lie there?
The thought alone is enough to make my arms shake. This isn’t me. My life is built on clean, simple lines. You work hard, you play hard, and you enjoy yourself.
Women are a pleasant diversion, a night of fun that ends at the door. I’ve never had trouble forgetting a face, a name, or a body the moment she was out of my sight.
With Harper, it’s the opposite. The moment she’s gone, I want her back. I want more of her smart mouth. I want to know what she’s thinking when she's quiet. I want to hear her laugh just for the sound of it.
This isn't a distraction. It’s a fucking avalanche.
She's taking up space in my head with how often I find myself thinking about her throughout the day. Space I can’t afford.
My phone buzzes on the bench beside me, pulling me from my thoughts. Brett's name flashes on the screen.
Guilt floods me. This is my best friend. The guy who has been by my side since the beginning. The guy who trusts me.
And I’m fucking his sister.
I’m obsessing over Harper like some lovesick teenager, betraying that trust in the worst possible way. I'm thinking about her constantly, wanting her in ways that would make him break my jaw.
What kind of friend does that make me?
“Hey, man,” I answer, still breathing hard from the set.
“Hey, what are you up to today? I'm in the city with a couple of the guys. We want to grab an early dinner before we head back.”
“Oh, cool,” I say automatically, then register what he said. “Wait, you're in Manhattan?”
“Yeah, we flew down for a charity event.” Brett's voice is cheerful, relaxed. “Want to join us? I was thinking that Italian place in Little Italy. Primavera's. Around four?”
As usual, he’s only telling me this at the last minute, when he’s already in the city. “You could have given me more notice, you know,” I say. “I might be busy.”
Brett laughs. “Busy? Come on, Cole. You live and breathe hockey. There's no space for women in your life.”
“That makes two of us,” I reply automatically.
“God, we're real losers in that department, aren't we?” Brett says with a chuckle. “Two professional athletes who can't manage to keep a girlfriend for more than a month.”
Guilt stabs through me at his words. “Sounds good. Who else is coming?”
“Just Jack and Tyler. Oh, and I invited Harper.” He lets out a short, knowing laugh. “Look, I know you're probably ready to strangle her by now. I love her, but I know she can be a real pain in the ass.”
If only he knew that the last thing I want to do to his sister is strangle her. Well, not in the way he's thinking, anyway. “We're managing,” I say, in a clipped voice.
“I appreciate it, bro,” Brett says, relief in his voice. “So, Primavera’s at around four?”
“Yeah, sounds great,” I say, even though my instincts are screaming at me to decline. But I haven’t seen Brett in months, and genuinely want to see him even if it means lying to his face while his sister is right there in front of us.
“Awesome. See you then.”
I hang up and stare at the phone, my mind racing. How the hell am I supposed to act normal around Brett when I know exactly what Harper looks like naked and what sounds she makes when she comes?
I rack the weights and head home, my workout forgotten.
An hour later, I'm standing in front of my bathroom mirror, changing into yet another shirt. This is ridiculous. It's just dinner with Brett and his teammates. Oh yeah, and Harper.
By the time I park outside Primavera's, I've talked myself through a dozen scenarios of how this evening could go wrong.
Brett spots me the moment I walk in, waving from a corner table. He's sitting with Jack and Tyler, two guys I've known for years through hockey circles. Both solid players, both notorious for their charm with women.
“Cole.” Brett stands to give me the hockey player greeting. A firm handshake and a quick back slap. “You remember Jack and Tyler.”
“Of course. Good to see you guys.” I shake hands with both men.
“So, three weeks,” Jack says with a grin as I take the empty chair. “Renegades versus Commanders. You ready to get your ass kicked?”
“In your dreams,” I shoot back. “We've been waiting all summer for that matchup. I heard you guys made some new defensive pairings?”
“Wouldn't you like to know,” Brett laughs. “Nice try, but we're not giving away any secrets.”
“Like you have any secrets worth knowing,” I counter. “Your power play was garbage last season.”
“Ouch.” Tyler clutches his chest dramatically. “That hurts, Cole. But wait until you see what we've been working on.”
“Three weeks and we'll find out,” I say. “Hope you've been practicing your golf swing, because that's what you'll be doing after we're done with you.”
Brett grins. “Big talk from a team that missed the playoffs last year.”
The friendly trash talk continues, but I can’t get into it enough to relax. I’m tense from the constant awareness that Harper could walk through that door at any moment.
And then she does.
She appears in the restaurant entrance, scanning the room until she spots our table. She's wearing dark jeans and a cream-colored sweater with her hair loose around her shoulders. She looks absolutely stunning.
She weaves through the tables, a smile on her face, but when her eyes meet mine, shock draws itself on her face. She covers it quickly, but I saw it. She wasn't expecting me to be here.
“There's my favorite sister,” Brett says, standing to hug her.
“Your only sister,” Harper grumbles with a laugh.
“Harper Hayes,” Jack says, standing with a wide smile. “Still the most beautiful Hayes sibling.”
“Still the biggest flatterer in New York,” Harper responds, but she's smiling as she accepts his hug.
Tyler is on his feet too, waiting for his turn. “How long has it been?”
“Too long,” Harper says.
Is she flirting?
I watch this reunion with growing irritation. The easy familiarity between Harper and these men, the way they touch her so casually, and the obvious affection in their voices pisses me off.
Like me, they’ve probably known her for years, but now they're seeing her as a woman, and they're not trying to hide their appreciation.
“Sit next to me,” Jack says, pulling out the chair beside him. “I want to hear all about this big contract Brett's been bragging about.”
Harper settles into the seat, directly across from me.
“So you're planning events for the Renegades now?” Jack asks, leaning closer than necessary. “That's incredible.”
The conversation flows around me, but I can barely concentrate. I'm too focused on watching Harper interact with Jack and Tyler, seeing how they compete for her attention, how she responds to their compliments.
She seems to be enjoying it, laughing at their jokes, touching Tyler's arm when he tells a story about their junior hockey days. Each casual touch sends a spike of possessiveness through me.
Brett, meanwhile, seems completely oblivious to the undercurrents. If he notices how his teammates are practically falling over themselves to impress Harper, he doesn't seem bothered by it.
The dinner stretches on for two hours, and with each passing minute, my mood grows darker. I want to reach across the table and pull Harper away from these men. I want to tell them to back off, that she's not available, that she's mine.
But I can't. I have to sit here and watch other men flirt with the woman I'm falling for, pretending I don't care while jealousy eats me alive.
“We should probably hit the road,” Brett finally says, checking his watch. “We've got a long drive back.”
“Already?” Harper looks disappointed. “It feels like we just got here.”
“Time flies when you're having fun,” Tyler says, standing to hug her goodbye. “Don't be a stranger, Harper.”
Jack follows suit, holding her a little too long for my liking. “Seriously, if you ever need anything, just call.”
“Are you two driving back together?” Brett asks Harper and me as we all stand to leave.
“No,” Harper says quickly, at the same time I say, “We both have our own cars.”
Brett grins at our synchronized response, but he doesn't comment. “Well, drive safe. And Harper? I'm really proud of you.”
“Thanks, Brett. Love you.”
The goodbyes take another five minutes, and then I'm walking to my car in the gathering dusk, my mood as dark as the sky.
I'm pulling out of the parking space when I notice Harper's white Audi ahead of me in traffic. We end up taking the same route back to the apartment. By the time we reach our building, I'm wound so tight I feel like I might snap.
“Oh, there you are,” Harper says cheerfully as she gets out of her car.
I’m too pissed off to respond. In the elevator, she stands on the opposite side of the small space, her arms crossed, staring at the floor numbers.
“What's eating you?” she finally asks as we reach our floor.
“Nothing,” I say curtly, fishing for my key card.
“Bullshit. You've been in a mood all evening.”
I unlock the apartment door and hold it open for her, my jaw clenched. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Really? You could have fooled me,” she says.
My control snaps. “I don't like other men hitting on you, Harper. Happy now?”
Harper’s eyes flash, all signs of her cheer gone. “They're friends, Cole. I've known them for years.”
“Friends don't look at friends the way they were looking at you.”
“And what way was that?”
“Like they wanted to take you home.”
Harper stares at me for a moment, then lets out a laugh that has no humor in it. “So what? We have no claim on each other, remember? We're just two people who happen to live together and occasionally sleep together.”
It’s my turn to stare at her. “Occasionally sleep together?”
“I don't know what this is,” she says, her voice rising. “But you don’t get to act possessive when other men pay attention to me.”
I take a step closer, my hands clenched at my sides. “Maybe I don't want other men paying attention to you.”
“Well, that's not your call to make.”
We stare at each other across the living room, the tension crackling between us like a live wire.
“I'm going to bed,” she says finally, turning toward the hallway.
Her door shuts with a loud slam. How did I fuck that up so royally? Frustration simmering in my chest, I go to my room, slamming my door too.
But I can't relax. I pace the floor, replay the evening in my head, questioning myself. I should have played it cool with Harper. Coming on too strong probably frightened her away.
Fuck, I don’t know how to do this.