His grin went ear to ear. “That makes me happy, other than the hiding thing. I’m sorry you’re embarrassed, but he doesn’t get a free pass because he’s cute.”
“He is cute.” I nodded in agreement. “I love him, Nathan, like, it’s becoming a problem. I just wanna squish him. I don’t want him to think I got him in trouble.”
“He’s very lovable.” He kissed the tip of my nose gently, momentarily distracting me. “But if he doesn’t learn, he will upset someone one day properly. I worry about how he will get on when we’ve all graduated, so I have to teach him.”
“As much as I don’t like waking up to Henry’s guilty face, I like this sexy-but-caring dad thing you’ve got going on.”
“Don’t even joke, Anastasia.” His whole demeanor changed, and the grinding against me resumed instantly. “Because I will put a baby in you right now, and you’ll be stuck teaching bratty little skaters like Brady.”
“Get off,” I said playfully, pushing my hands against his chest, ignoring his groan. “I need to take my birth control.”
He laughed, climbing off me, sitting back on the heels of his feet, all six-foot-four inches of thick thighs and protruding muscles. I should be given an award for knowing how good Nathan looks without any clothes on and still managing to leave his bedroom. Having the motivation to push him off me was beyond difficult. Even my ovaries were screaming.
Sabrina is butt-ass naked in my room, rummaging through my closet when I walk in from my Saturday shift.
“Hey, hot stuff,” she chirps. “How was work?”
I throw my purse down on the floor and sit down at the end of my bed. “Good, thanks. Brinny, not that I don’t like seeing your peachy tush, but why are you naked in my room?”
“I’m stealing from your closet. I need something to wear tonight.”
The Honeypot is throwing a big Halloween party and, thanks to our favorite neighbor, we all have tickets to it.
Wanting their costumes to be a surprise, the guys have asked to meet us at the club, which works for me, because mine is a surprise too. I check the time on my phone and spot a message from JJ telling me he’s on his way. “JJ is dropping off my costume soon.”
“You should probably wait by the door,” she says, plucking an emerald-colored dress from the rack and holding it against her body. “If Aaron spots a hockey player turning up to this apartment, he might burn down the building.”
She isn’t wrong. “He isn’t here. I don’t know where he is. He isn’t answering my calls.”
Things with Aaron suck more than they’ve ever sucked. This far into our friendship, I’m used to his mood swings. He eventually snaps out of it, apologizes, and spends a few weeks making it up to me and Sabrina.
It’s been a week since he found out I hooked up with Nathan, and he’s still mad, but I can’t work out why for the life of me. Nate dropped me off at the rink yesterday morning, but Aaron showed up late and didn’t even talk to me. By our afternoon practice, when he realized that I wasn’t leaving with Nathan, he seemed to warm up a little.
I feel like screaming every time someone suggests that it’s because he’s in love with me, but they won’t be convinced despite my objections. When I say someone, I mean everyone on Nate’s hockey team, including Nate.
My theory is Aaron never learned to share, and this might only get worse.
* * *
Findingour friends in a nightclub packed full of people should be impossible.
Well, it would be if when we looked out over the balcony, there wasn’t a cluster of yellow bodies where the private tables are.
JJ is the first to spot me and Brin making our way through the crowd. Judging by the overexcited look in his eyes, he’s more than ready for what’s about to happen. He hits the guy next to him, who hits the next guy until we have a dozen guys in minion onesies staring at us.
The last minion has his hood down, so I can see that it’s Bobby. He pats Nate on the shoulder, interrupting his conversation with Robbie.
Nate’s wearing dark trousers, a zip-up jacket, and a striped scarf around his neck. He grabs at Robbie’s chest, never taking his eyes off me. Robbie’s wearing a white lab coat, a yellow T-shirt, and thick-rimmed glasses, and by my astute, vodka-influenced powers of deduction, I’d say that these boys are the cast ofDespicable Me.
Nathan’s eyes are glued to me as we cover the final few feet to the booth, stopping right outside the entrance. His eyes start at my feet, running up my black thigh-high boots. I know he’s reached the exposed section of skin by the way his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, and his tongue flicks out to wet his lips.
His eyes keep going beyond my thighs, past the hem of the Titans jersey and the belt, sinching it in at my waist, over my breasts until his eyes lock with mine. He blows out a breath, running his hand down his face.
It’s a fucking intimidating experience having all these guys staring at me, but it’s too late to back out now. JJ is still smiling wider than any of the other guys and begins to whoop over the sound of the music. “Give us a spin, Stassie!”
Dragging my hair over my shoulder, I slowly turn, pausing for two seconds when my back faces the team. It’s long enough for the laughter and cheering to start, and when I finish my spin, Nathan’s face is frozen.
His knuckles are white from gripping his glass tightly. He hasn’t said anything, so I don’t have confirmation, but I’d imagine it’s because he wasn’t expecting me to be JJ for Halloween.