Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 124494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Drinking my feelings away won’t help, and it certainly won’t make me an asset on the ice tomorrow, so I switch to water and try my best to keep my eyes to myself.
After a few minutes, Hollis, Dallas, and Tristan head for the dance floor to play bodyguard and get up close and personal with their significant others. Flip stays behind with me.
“You don’t have to hang back if you want to get out there.”
“Just saving my ankle for the ice.”
“You still hurting?”
“Nah, just want to be an asset to the team and make good choices when it comes to taking care of my body. Besides, I feel like I have some making up to do for all the stress I caused in the first half of the season.”
“The issue seems to be resolved,” I reply.
“Yeah. Seems pretty fucking stupid in hindsight.” He slaps his thighs. “Anyway, Hollis and Hammer seem good. You handling that okay?”
“My daughter is happy, and that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah. Changes things, though, doesn’t it?” Flip muses.
“Yeah, it does,” I agree.
I watch Lexi part from the group and head toward the bathroom. At least half a dozen heads turn as she passes. I hate that I have to sit back and do nothing when the mere idea of her getting hit on makes me twitchy—especially by drunk idiots with dicks for brains. “You mind holding the table for a minute? I gotta use the bathroom.”
Flip nods. “Sure. No problem.”
“Thanks.”
I slide out of the booth and walk the perimeter of the dance floor, positioning myself across from the bathroom to wait. Lexi appears a few minutes later and weaves between the press of bodies, but she pauses to check her phone. She worries her bottom lip as she scrolls through the messages. As predicted, some young douchebag approaches her. He’s probably her age—in his late twenties, still all balls and no brains.
There’s no way I won’t do something regrettable if I see some guy flirt with her. So I step up behind her and skim the length of her arm. She startles, and goose bumps rise along her skin. She nearly drops her phone, but I catch it and slide it back into her hand.
The guy’s expression shifts above her head, and his eyes flare.
“She’s with me,” I grind out.
He raises his hands. “Sorry. I didn’t realize.”
He backs away as Lexi spins around. If I wasn’t fucked before, I certainly am now. Her braid hangs over her shoulder, begging to be wrapped around my fist. Her eyes are on fire, her lips glossy and pink and entirely too fucking enticing.
“What are you doing, Roman?”
Digging my hole deeper, apparently. “He was hitting on you.”
She props a fist on her hip. “I’m fully capable of handling myself.”
“I know. I can’t, though,” I admit. “I just saved him from a broken nose and me from an assault charge. Not proud of my complete lack of control when it comes to you, but at least I can admit I have a problem.”
Her eyes narrow, and she pokes at her lip with her tongue. “I should not find that sexy.”
“I find you sexy.” I give her a heated once-over.
Her fingers flutter near her throat. “You have to stop looking at me like that.”
“Again, I know, but I can’t.” She’s so fucking full of sass; beautiful and brilliant. She’s right in front of me, but I can’t have her. “This is torture.”
She scans the room. “This was such a bad idea.”
That’s a gut punch I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from. I don’t know what my expression must be, but her fingers curve around my wrist.
“Coming out tonight, I mean,” she clarifies.
“Because I’m here.”
“No. Yes. Not because I don’t want to see you, Roman, but because I do. And it’s so hard to stay away, especially when you’re being all alpha possessive and you look like this.” She gestures to me and seems annoyed.
“Look like what?”
She rolls her gorgeous, expressive eyes. “You hardly need me to spell it out.”
“Maybe I do. Maybe I need to hear that you’re struggling the way I am. Because I’m losing the battle here, Lexi.”
“Every room you walk into, you’re all I see.” Her expression is pained. “Every time my phone goes off, I hope it’s you. When I feel your eyes on me, I want to beg you to take me to bed so I can be yours again.”
My relief that she feels the same is tempered by all she stands to lose.
“I should go.” Even as she speaks, she takes a step closer. “Before someone notices us. I need to get back to the girls anyway—my sisters, I mean. Callie's having trouble sleeping.”
“I could drive you. I’ve only had one drink. Let me take you home, Lexi.”
“It’s too risky.”
I tip my head in understanding. It is, but we’ll have a moment alone. Many moments. No text messages to delete right away. No one watching us. No one to stop us from acting on the feelings we’ve been fighting.