Chapter 5
Alexander
When I find my way to the table with my teammates, I feel lighter and tense at the same time.
Lighter because my interaction with Sarah leaves me with a satisfied grin on my face.
Tense because her presence makes my muscles tight and my cock hard just by looking at her. Including the fact that I invaded her personal space, making me smell her intoxicating perfume and hear her small breaths when I was near.
Even though she’s resisting the pull between us, it’s definitely there. And she loves the fight just as much as I do.
When I called her out on her bullshit, her eyes widened for a split second before she regained control of her expression.
That was enough for me to know I was right.
Calling me captain is her way of keeping a safe distance between herself and me.
Considering our tension, it’s probably wise to keep some distance between us; the rational part of me thinks so, at least.
The passionate side of me, on the other hand, wants to get all close and personal with Sarah Parker.
When I leaned down to her ear, she tilted her head slightly; I don’t think she even realized she did it, but I definitely did.
Her small intake of breath, the way she leaned her body a little toward mine, and the way her pupils dilated—she may try to act nonchalant around me, but I know she feels this just like I do.
It’s exhilarating, making me want to seek her out again and push a little further.
“What got you looking so smug?” Noah asks me, nudging me in the shoulder.
I shake my head, contemplating whether I should tell him about my run-in with Sarah. He would probably tell me to let her be, and I know deep down I won’t be able to.
So, I go with the avoidance strategy.
“I’m just thinking about our game,” I tell him, and even though he’s not convinced, he lets it go for now.
He probably knows I’m full of shit, but he won’t call me out in front of my teammates.
I fully expect an interrogation later.
The moment Sarah returns, a few minutes after me, she goes straight to Samantha and tells her to make room for her.
A small, idiotic part of me was hoping she would sit down next to me, seeing as it’s the only available seat, but she would probably rather stand the rest of the night than sit next to me.
The challenge is definitely on.
The conversations flow around the table, and even though it’s difficult, I try to keep my eyes off Sarah as much as I can.
That still means I stare more than average, and I feel extra satisfied the times I catch her looking at me as well.
I can tell she’s quickly becoming part of the team, and I’m glad.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t really kept up with my teammates or everything happening around me.
Over the course of the evening, I learn that several of the guys have met with Sarah to discuss their social media plans and next steps.
That was what she was supposed to do with me before I messed everything up.
It’s clear she excels and fully dedicates herself to her internship, taking on her responsibilities and tasks with seriousness.
As I sit there, watching her and learning more about who she is, I also start planning how I’ll handle this whole situation.
First, I have to actually make sure there are no rules against fraternizing with the players, on her end.
As far as I know, there aren’t any specific rules, but there haven’t been many relationships between players and media staff within the Chicago Coyotes organization—at least, not that I know of.
The second thing I need to do is earn her respect and probably apologize for being an asshole the first time we met.
Her internship matters to her, and I need to show her that I’m a serious athlete and captain who will listen to her input and strategies for social media. I may not be that interested in all that stuff, but I’ll make an exception for her.
Third, I have to seek an alliance with Samantha and maybe some of the others on her team as well. I need to learn more about her, and since she tends to turn away whenever I’m near, I’ll have to be more creative to get my information.
As the evening winds down and people start to say their goodbyes, Sarah does the same.
I quickly get to my feet, saying goodbye to my friends and keeping her in my sights when she heads for the exit with Samantha.
I catch up to them, and since I’m a good listener, I know that neither Sarah nor Samantha lives far from my hotel.
“Ladies, can I offer you a ride home?” I ask, adopting my best gentlemanly act, which makes the girls snicker.
Since they’re not athletes who are under strict regulations regarding diet and alcohol, they’re a little tipsy. Sarah even lets out a small hiccup, and I smile at how adorable she is.
“A ride home from the big boss of the team. How come you’ve never offered before, but now that I have Sarah here with me, you’re willing to be chauffeur?”
Samantha looks at me with the most knowing smile, probably seeing right through me and the obvious attraction I have to Sarah.
Sarah just rolls her eyes and grabs her friend’s arm, trying to drag her towards a taxi stop.
“Come on, Samantha, he will find someone else to drive home. I’ve heard he prefers hookers.”
When the girls start giggling like crazy at me, I can’t help but smile.
She told Samantha about my little mishap.
That means I’ll have two ladies reminding me at every turn about my mistake.
“I’d prefer it if you’d let me take you home, then you can make fun of me on the way.”
They finally give in when they realize it will be difficult to even get a taxi on a Friday night in the city, and I show them the way to where my Lamborghini is parked.
“Nice ride,” Sarah says when she sees the sleek black car, and I take notice of her interest.
So, she likes cars.
Before Sarah has the chance, Samantha rushes into the back seat, leaving Sarah in the passenger seat next to me.
It’s clear that Samantha thinks this whole thing is fun, while Sarah tries her best to seem unaffected.
When I speed off, I head straight to Samantha’s apartment; she lives closest, so it makes sense.
“So, Alexander, how could you mistake dear Sarah for being a hooker?” Leave it to Samantha to go straight into business.
Even though I’d prefer to handle this privately with Sarah, I think she’s been a little hesitant about the whole thing.
“Samantha, can we please just drop this,” Sarah says, and she seems quite sobered up, while her friend in the backseat appears oblivious to the tension her question causes Sarah.
I jump in before Samantha begins her answer.
“If this ever gets out, I’ll know where to look first to find the leak. That being said, I confided in Noah about not even being able to have sex these past few weeks—hell, months—because of my busy schedule.”
At the mention of my sex life, or lack thereof, I notice Sarah squeezing her legs tighter in her seat before I continue.
“When I opened that hotel door to find a breathtaking Sarah on the other side, I thought it was a surprise from my best mate on the team to help me relieve some of the tension. Not my finest moment, I will admit that,” I tell them, and Samantha sighs happily in the backseat while Sarah looks petrified in her seat.
Like I just told her about her death sentence.
I park outside Samantha’s building, and she fans herself with her hands as she leaves the car.
“Only a guy like you can turn a situation like that into something hot. You two enjoy your ride,” she says before slamming the door shut, leaving us in the confined space of my car.
When Samantha was in the car, the tension wasn’t that bad.
Now?
It feels electric, sizzling. And her comment about how we should enjoy the ride—hell, now I’ve got even more X-rated photos of Sarah and me doing all kinds of rides together.
“You alright over there? You look like I’ve just given you a death sentence,” I tell her, starting to worry if she’s feeling ill or nauseous or something.
Maybe the car ride made her feel sick.
She gulps before turning slightly toward me.
“I’m fine. Please drive me home.” Her face catches the light from one of the street lamps, and I see that her face is slightly redder, her cheeks blushing.
“You sure? You almost look feverish,” I push, and then she snaps.
“I feel fucking feverish. With you all up in this space, talking about your sex life and how you relieve tension, and then Samantha throwing out how we should enjoy our ride! Yeah, I do feel feverish, so please get me home,” she says before slumping back in her seat.
Not as unaffected as I thought then.
I start driving and can’t help the small smile playing on my lips.
She certainly didn’t mean to reveal all of that, but I’m glad.
Knowing she feels the chemistry and tension the same way I do—trying to hold onto control and not snap—I’d love nothing more than to drive into the nearest curb, grab her face, and kiss her.
But that would probably earn me another slap across the face. I must make it clear what I want, but I also have to be smart about this.
I know I’ve pushed her as far as I could today; she probably thinks she’s “lost” another one of our battles, but she couldn’t be more wrong.
She may have unintentionally shared more of her thoughts than she meant, but to me, that only makes her more appealing.
I can tell Sarah enjoys being in control, having things her way. This thing between us feels like it’s slipping out of her control, and I love pushing her boundaries.
I park in the lot, and Sarah jumps out of the car. There’s no way I’d let her walk alone to her door. She may go to a good college, but that doesn’t mean decent people go there.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going, captain?” she asks me, and I know her temper is her best defence.
That control probably feels better when she’s angry.
And we’re back to the whole captain thing.
“I’m walking you to your door, angel. Wouldn’t want some frat boy to take advantage of you.”
She huffs, but when I start walking in the wrong direction, she gives in and points me toward her dorm. Her heels click on the pavement, and I decide I’m not much better than a horny frat boy as I gaze at her walking in front of me.
When we reach her door, she unlocks it, then turns around.
“Thank you for driving us, that was sweet of you,” she says, giving me a small smile.
I lean down, and I see her eyes widen, probably thinking I’ll go in for a kiss. I give her a small kiss on her cheek before whispering into her ear.
“I’ll give you a ride anytime you want, angel,” I whisper, before I give her a slight nudge to get her inside her apartment.
She gives me one last lingering look before she goes inside and locks her door.
I leave her building, heading back to my car with my head filled with all things Sarah Parker.