Chapter 13 Maya #2
I wait a minute, studying his shoulders while he tousles his hair. My heart beats hard. Squeezing the shirt, I leap off a cliff I haven’t jumped from in years.
“Okay,” I say.
He turns around, brows pinching when he sees I haven’t changed. I hold eye contact with him while I peel off my brother’s jersey, dropping it to the floor.
His lips part. He pushes out an uneven breath, gaze dragging over me while I stand before him in my bra and jeans. The bra isn’t anything special, a simple gray racerback that does the job to support my breasts without killing my back.
Still, he can’t look away.
His throat bobs. “Damn.”
A small puff of laughter falls from my lips at his reaction. This is even better than his face when I showed up in the wrong jersey again.
He watches raptly, eyes burning as I pull on his green Heston University t-shirt. It nearly drowns me, hitting me mid-thigh.
It’s like being enveloped by him, wrapping me in his scent as if his strong arms are locked around me.
“Better?” I prompt.
My cheeks flush at my throaty tone. I’m trying—failing—to act cool. It’s impossible. Easton’s unwavering attention has a stronger effect on me than I anticipated when I invited him to turn around.
“You wearing my shirt? Hell yes, baby,” he rasps.
Heat thrums in my core. We stare at each other. Time ceases to exist. There’s only the hot ache radiating throughout my body the longer he gazes at me like I’m the only one in the world that he wants.
Everything in me begs for him to—
He takes a step in my direction, then another, moving closer like he’s pulled by an invisible tether drawing him in. Each step causes a fresh surge of sparks in my core. His attention drops to my mouth. My heart races and air rushes from my lungs in a dizzying exhale picturing what’s coming.
A knock at the door makes both of us jolt.
Noah opens it and pokes his head in. Easton whirls around, partially blocking me from sight.
“Come back to the party. They’re here.” He makes no apologies for interrupting us. Instead, he smirks at my change of clothes and Easton’s lack of a shirt. “You look good like that, Maya.”
“I’ll be right down.” Easton sighs.
He crosses to the door and shoves his snickering friend into the hall. The moment we had is over. We should go join the party.
I twist my fingers together, surprised at the disappointment rising within me.
Easton closes the door once Noah is gone. Then he catches me off guard by striding over, quickly eating up the distance between us. My stomach drops. He almost knocks me over when he reaches me, cradling my face in his hands.
The excitement that subsided races through me once more.
His eyes bounce between mine. I lick my lips. He exhales in relief before his mouth descends on mine, capturing my lips in a kiss.
A tiny cry catches in my throat. He makes a sexy, rough noise in response, sliding one hand to cup my nape.
My hands are trapped between us. I curl my fingers against his chest. The kiss sweeps me away with every slide of his tongue, every ragged sound he utters against my lips.
His grasp on me tightens, as if he still can’t get enough of me while he’s devouring my mouth. All I can do is hold on and kiss him back.
“If you don’t come down, I’m sending in reinforcements!”
Noah’s shout from the top of the steps filters through my awareness.
We break apart, both of us short of breath like two teenagers who just learned how to make out. My lips tingle and a soft laugh leaves me when Easton rests his forehead against mine. He brushes hair out of my face with a crooked finger, skimming his knuckles across my cheek.
He kissed me like a man possessed, as if he wanted to erase any man who ever touched my lips before him. Yet now, he’s gentle. My drumming heart swells, making my breath hitch.
I swallow. “It’s going to be so obvious what we were doing up here.”
The corner of his mouth lifts in a crooked grin. He traces my lower lip with his thumb. The touch makes me press my thighs together at the rush of tingles spreading through me.
“I’ll distract them. Come down whenever you’re ready.”
Easton kisses the top of my head, lingering for another moment before he rummages through his drawers for a new shirt. He pulls it on as he heads downstairs first.
Tucking my hair behind my ears, I go into his bathroom to study my reflection. My lips are swollen and tinted a darker pink than the lip balm I put on. A flush fills my cheeks, and my eyes are bright.
Easton’s shirt is baggy on me. It makes me look like a girlfriend wearing her boyfriend’s shirt.
And I don’t hate it.
I slide my lips together. I haven’t been someone’s girlfriend in a long time. The few other guys I’ve been with after Johnny were all safe options, but never anything serious enough to progress to a relationship.
The girl in the mirror looks so much more sure of herself compared to the one who got her heart broken by her manipulative cheating ex.
I lift my chin, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth.
Once I fix my hair, roll the sleeves of Easton’s shirt, and tuck part of the front hem into the waistband of my jeans so it looks more put together, I join the party.
It’s crowded when I make my way through the front hall, passing people in the kitchen circled around the island to get to the living room where most people seem to congregate.
Some of the players I recognize from the team’s goat yoga session are playing video games while other people watch the beer pong match set up at a table in the corner.
“Oh my god, hi!” Someone rushes me from the side in a blur of dark blonde hair.
“Lainey!” I laugh in delight, giving her a hug. “Hi. I didn’t know you’d be here. It’s been way too long without you around the psych department. Are you in town visiting your dad? How’s grad school?”
“Just for a little. We got lucky there was a break in the schedule for Thanksgiving next week.” She leans in to whisper. “Don’t tell Alex or my dad, but I’m mostly excited I get to spend some time with Hammy.”
Lainey Boucher was one of the first friends I made in Heston Lake after Reagan freshman year. She’s a brilliant psychology major and helped me manage my packed course schedules with advice on graduating early.
When we first met, she was shy and practical without many friends, but she fell for her brother Theo’s best friend—and teammate. Then she came out of her shell.
He comes up behind her with eyes only for his fiancé.
“Whoa,” I tease. “Alex Keller.”
“What? You’ve hung out with me before,” he says.
His handsome smile is easygoing as he slides an arm around Lainey to pull her into his side for a kiss on top of the head. It’s not hard to see why she fell for him when she gives a happy sigh, resting her hand rocking the stunning engagement ring against his chest.
“Yeah, but that was before. Now I’m hanging out with Alex Keller, the Islander’s breakout star and rookie of the year.” My eyes go dramatically wide as I put on a fangirl voice. “Like, oh my god, can I get your autograph and a selfie?”
He shrugs with a chuckle. “Wild how things change, right?” He lifts a brow. “Like you at a party here.”
I open my mouth, but I’m lost for words.
Lainey tried to get me to come with her and her friends to the countless hockey house parties freshman year, but I was adamant about staying away from hockey players. I only tolerated Alex’s presence when we went for coffee or studied at the library because he was chill and in love with Lainey.
A familiar deep laugh tugs at me, drawing my attention like a magnet snapping into place with its mate. I’m smiling before I realize, searching the room.
It freezes when I spot Easton in the corner by the beer pong table. He’s talking with Elijah and a few other people. One of them is a girl standing closer than necessary to him.
The rush of jealousy nearly steals my breath, taking me by surprise. He’s not doing anything to encourage it from what I can see. In fact, he moves away when he shifts his weight. Is this how he felt seeing other guys talking to me?
Okay, I need to chill out.
We had one kiss. I’m wearing his shirt, but I’m not his girlfriend.
I shouldn’t be jealous over anything.
My lips press together when he laughs again, giving a carefree shrug.
“How’s Ferguson’s class? If I remember, you planned to take that this semester,” Lainey says.
“Oh, uh.” I run my fingers through my hair, trying to put it from my mind. “Yeah, it’s good. She’s tough, but you were right. Taking Yang and Nelson’s classes in the spring set me up for what Ferguson likes to throw at us.”
She beams. “That’s great.”
Despite my efforts, my gaze finds the corner of the room again. Something pulls taut in my chest.
Easton spots me. I thought he looked happy over there, but once he’s staring at me across the room, his smile shifts from cocky to warm and affectionate.
He immediately starts towards me, barely sparing the group a goodbye.
Relief sweeps over me and there’s an answering tug in my chest making me want to go to him.
Elijah moves in closer to the girl, and whatever he whispers in her ear makes her trail a finger over his chest flirtatiously.
When Easton reaches my side, he slips his hand into mine and squeezes.
I blink, willing the unwarranted sting to leave my eyes.
“Sorry I didn’t see you come down,” he says. “Elijah needed a wingman. Hey, Alex. What’s up?”
They slap their hands together. “Enjoying the down time.”
Easton’s thumb traces random patterns across my knuckles. “It’s good to see you guys. Lainey, I’ve got your favorite in the freezer. And the ranch dip.”
She gasps. “You’re the best. Alex grumbles whenever I get pizza rolls because the team’s nutritionist is even stricter than yours.”
Alex pats his stomach with a frown. “Look, those little lava pockets of cheese and sauce and bread are too fucking tempting to resist. If I try to eat one or two, it’s like I black out and suddenly I’m twenty pizza rolls deep.”
“I feel you, man. We have a house rule now that we only get them for special occasions. Want some?” Easton flashes each of them a secretive smirk, then directs it at me. “We used to have a secret kitchen party when Lainey came around.”
“Like VIP? That’s cute.”
“Exactly.”
I fight an amused smile, picturing the big, bulky hockey players on the team bending to make Lainey comfortable back when she was shy. Easton squeezes my hand again, not letting go as he leads us to the kitchen.
“Reeves,” he says.
Cameron hops off the counter, understanding what Easton wants with one simple word. He taps Noah on the shoulder. Noah helps him herd the few people nursing beers and chatting through the house to light the fire pit.
Before Noah returns, I hear him call, “Madden! Get out here. Handle the fire.”
It’s just the six of us in the kitchen.
Cameron puts the frozen pizza rolls in the oven while Lainey mixes the ranch dip. Once the tray is in, he braces his forearms against the island counter, lips twitching.
“Weren’t you wearing a different shirt?” His eyes flick to me and he chuckles. “That shirt?”
Easton rubs my back sedately before slipping his arm around my waist. He shrugs, an easygoing smirk tugging at his lips.
“Nah. That’s all hers now.” He leans in, his breath fanning across my neck. “I’m glad you came.”
My stomach dips at his proximity, remembering every detail of our kiss.
“Me too,” I whisper.