by L A Cotton
“Aaaaand that’s me, gone. Come on, Fee, baby, you can kick my ass at air hockey.”
With a groan, I followed him out of the booth. Asher was the joker of the bunch: always smiling, always cracking a joke. With sandy blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a roguish smile, he was the epitome of the All-American boy next door. And somehow, I’d earned a spot in his life. Cameron constantly teased me about getting with Asher and sometimes, I did wonder what it would be like if I went there. I mean, he seemed interested, always teasing and flirting with me. But sadly, he wasn’t the guy who turned my head and made my heart beat that little bit faster. Deep down, Asher was good. His heart was pure.
Which sucked for me… because apparently I preferred bad boys with dark hearts.
Chapter Four
Jason
“What the fuck happened?” I demanded the second Cam and Asher arrived at our regular spot in Bell’s, a local bar run by an ex-Raider and one of our biggest fans. My eyes flicked to Hailee who was quiet and a little pale at his side. I barely even acknowledged Felicity. I couldn’t risk her pulling that hypnotic voodoo crap on me, not here.
“Well?” I arched my brow, growing impatient.
“It was Thatcher. He showed up at The Alley.”
“He was bothering you?” Meeting my step-sister’s gaze, my eyes bore into hers, and she gave me a small nod.
“Fuck.” I raked a hand through my hair, trying to rein in the anger I felt coursing through my veins. Thatcher was supposed to be my problem. Mine and the team’s. He was never supposed to go after Hailee. But that shit was on me and I’d deal with it.
One way or another, Thatcher would get what was coming to him. Even if I had to bide my time until the season was done.
My fist curled against my thigh, anger radiating deep inside me. Fucking Lewis Thatcher.
“I’ll get the drinks in,” Asher said cutting the thick silence. Everyone seemed to inhale a breath as they were collectively waiting for me to get my shit together. I met Cameron’s heavy stare. Concern shone in his eyes as he silently warned me not to do anything reckless.
But this was me we were talking about.
And when it came to Lewis Thatcher, the temptation to go across the river and cause a little chaos was usually too hard to resist.
“I’m good,” I said, my eyes flicking past him to Hailee and then Felicity. Her eyes snapped to mine, narrowing slightly.
“I’ll go help Ash.” I walked away, barely able to stand the knot in my stomach. “Hey.” Leaning on the bar next to Asher, I gave him a tight smile.
“Hey, you okay, man?”
I grunted some inaudible reply.
“This shit with Thatcher is getting hairy,” Ash went on, “You should have seen him with his hands on Hailee. I thought Cam was going—”
“He touched her?” My jaw clenched.
“He was just trying to get a rise out of Cam. I managed to get Fee out of there before one of his guys...” he trailed off, watching me intently.
I knew what he was doing and I didn’t like it.
“Anyway,” he said when I didn’t take the bait. “Cameron held it together. I’m not sure we’ll be able to show our faces around there anytime soon though. Tate, the owner, wasn’t too impressed.”
“You know I haven’t stepped foot in that place for almost two years, right?”
Asher shrugged. “I’d forgotten how cool it was.”
“Cool, really?” I fought a smirk. “You’re fucking weird sometimes.”
“Fuck you, man.” He shouldered me. “You have a plan, right? To get Thatcher back for pulling that shit with Hailee? I know she told Cameron not to do anything, but he can’t just get away with it.”
“And he won’t,” I ground out.
“Well you know I’ve got your back.” He slung his arm over my shoulder just as Jerry brought our beers over.
“You two ain’t cooking up no trouble, are you?” One of his bushy brows rose.
“Nothing you need to worry about J.” I winked and the old man laughed.
“Seen that look one too many times. Just remember you got a load riding on the next couple of games. Don’t go screwing up what could be a perfect season.” His eyes slid to mine.
As if I’d ever let that happen. We were going all the way this year. Anything less was simply not an option. We’d lost out to Rixon East last year and it had fucking stung. But this year, State was ours. We were five for five. Another two wins and our ticket to the play-offs was in the bag.
We gathered up our drinks—beers for me and the guys, and sodas for the girls—and headed back to our table. Mackey and a couple of the other guys had joined us, and he’d wasted no time in turning his charm on Felicity.
“So, Flick. Is it okay if I call you Flick?” he asked around a suggestive smirk.
I slid into the booth, taking a long pull on my beer.
“You can call her Felicity, jackass,” Asher piped up, smacking him upside the head.
“But I thought...” Mackey looked to her for help, but a slow smile spread over her face, and I braced myself for whatever shit was about to come out of her mouth.
“Asher is right,” she purred, placing a hand on his arm. “It’s only really a nickname my close friends use. Felicity is fine.”
“Close friends?” The rookie’s eyes lit up. “Baby, just say the word and I can make that happen.”
The girls smothered their laughter while Asher hit him upside the head again. “Fuck, man, what was that for?”
“You need to work on your game, bro.”
“Khloe didn’t seem to mind last night when she was sucking my—”
A chorus of ‘dude’ and ‘Mackey’ rang out around us.
“Oh, it’s like that now. Just because Hailee and Fli... Felicity,” he shot her an apologetic look, “are here, we have to tone it down.”
“That’s right, dipshit,” Asher replied. “Because we respect women.”
“Dude, didn’t you hear Jase telling everyone about the chick he banged over the weekend?”
Fuck.
My head snapped up. “Shut the fuck up, Mackey. It was just locker room talk.”
“Locker room talk my ass. You said—”
“No fucking buts.” I slammed my hand against the table, the crack reverberating through me. I chanced a look at Felicity, hoping she hadn’t heard him. But from the way the blood had drained from her face, I knew she had.
Stupid fucking rookie.
“Excuse me,” she nudged Asher, “I need to use the bathroom.”
“I think I’ll come with.” Hailee followed her out and the two of them hurried off, but not before my step-sister glowered at me.
“What the fuck was that about?” Asher frowned at me.
“Maybe she got her period.”
We all gawked at Mackey. “Or maybe,” Asher drawled, “They need to pee.”
“Nah, chicks go to the bathroom in packs when they get their period; it’s called menstrual synchronicity or something.”
“I’m pretty sure that has everything to do with chicks getting their periods together, not chicks peeing together.”
“All sounds the same to me.” He shrugged and someone balled up a napkin and threw it at him.
“Did something happen with you two?” Asher lowered his voice enough that no one else heard him.
“Who?” I played dumb.
“Jase, come on. She looked ready to puke all over the table.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you don’t.” He grimaced, turning away from me and joining in the rest of the conversation.
I don’t know what they were all getting so hung up over. So me and Felicity had sex. It wasn’t my fault she was a virgin and didn’t tell me. Or that Hailee had walked in on us. If anything, it was a good thing… we’d fucked whatever this weird hate-lust vibe we had going on right out of us. Except, you didn’t finish and you stole her fucking virginity.
/> Stifling a groan, I mumbled, “Be right back.” Slipping out of the booth, I ignored the questioning stares. I don’t know when I’d started caring about things so goddamn much, but I needed to clear the air. I couldn’t afford any distractions this semester, and if my friends were going to keep bringing Felicity up, then she was just that. A distraction.
One I needed to nip in the bud sooner rather than later.
Determined, I headed toward the back of the bar where the hall leading to the restrooms was. Hailee and Felicity were just coming out of the women’s bathroom when I entered. My step-sister immediately spotted me, her eyes on high alert.
“Hey,” I said, raking a hand through my hair. “Can I get a minute?” My eyes found Felicity over Hailee’s shoulder.
“I don’t think that’s a good—”
“Hailee,” Felicity laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine. Go, we’ll be right there.”
My step-sister shouldered past me, pausing only to meet my eyes. She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to; her message glittering right there.
Don’t touch.
Don’t hurt her.
I’m warning you.
Jamming my hands in my pocket, I moved toward Felicity. “Come on.” I slipped around her and down the hall. I knew this place well enough to know every nook and cranny. Shouldering the last door, I pushed it open and waited for Felicity to go inside. Her brow rose in question and I said, “Just to talk, I promise.”
She gave me a tight nod.
The second I stepped into the storeroom and closed the door, the air seemed to disappear. Felicity watched me, her eyes clouded with hesitation.
“What the fuck was that back there?”
She jerked away as if I’d physically slapped her. “Don’t act dumb, Flick. I saw the way you acted when Mackey was running his mouth.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t plan on becoming locker room talk,” she shot back.
“Is that what you think? That I was talking about you?” I stepped closer. “That was a mistake. You were a mistake. One I don’t plan on making again.”
Felicity’s breath hitched, pain flashing in her eyes. “Fuck you,” she seethed.
“Baby,” I reached out, pulling a strand of hair. “We already did that.”
“I hate you.” Her voice trembled.
Good. She needed to hate me. I didn’t need her getting the wrong idea about us.
About me.
For as much as I hated to admit it, Hailee was right. I needed to stay away from Felicity. She was too naïve, too fucking pure. Until New York, until me, she’d been a virgin for fuck’s sake.
I stepped forward again, putting us almost chest to chest. I hadn’t planned on getting this close, but there was no denying she pulled me in. Almost made me want to finish what we started in New York. My eyes dropped to her lips; soft pouty lips I knew the taste of. Her tongue darted out as she watched me watching her.
“Jason, what are—”
“Shut the fuck up,” I ground out. Her chest was heaving, matching the way she kept sucking in tiny harsh breaths. She reminded me of a doe. Innocent and vulnerable. Waiting to be picked off by the big bad wolf.
Before I knew it, I’d slid my hand to her neck, stroking my thumb along her damp skin. She was sweating. I made her sweat. It was heady, knowing the way I affected her. Knowing that if I dipped my fingers into her panties I’d probably find her wet for me. Even though she hated me, even though she didn’t want this, her body did. Something we apparently had in common.
Her body shuddered, heat radiating off her.
Perhaps Felicity Giles wasn’t such a good girl after all.
The idea made my dick twitch, straining against my jeans.
“You need to leave.” Her body shook now, her eyes saying a million things she would never tell me.
“And why exactly would that be?” I leaned in, my lips ghosting over her jaw up to the corner of her mouth. She inhaled sharply.
“Jason, please, don’t do this…”
“You want me.”
“No.” It came out a shaky breath.
“Don’t lie to me, babe. I can feel the heat from your body, the way you’re trembling at my touch. And I bet if I do this,” I let my other hand drift down her stomach, down and down, until I grazed the apex of her thighs.
A soft moan slipped from Felicity’s lips and I chuckled. “Bingo.”
“Why?” she choked out, swallowing hard.
“Why?” I eased back to look at her. Pupils blown, skin flushed, her arousal swirled around us. “Because I can.” My mouth hovered over hers, waiting. Anticipating what she might do.
Her eyes fluttered closed, her breathing ragged. I was barely touching her, and yet, she was so responsive. So easy to work up. Felicity Giles was nothing but surprise after surprise.
“Why me?” I asked against her lips.
“W- what?”
“Why did you pick me? I don’t believe that bullshit about being a means to an end. Not when you could have your pick of guys who would have treated you—”
She snorted at that. “No one at school would dare ask me out.”
What the actual fuck?
I blinked, hardly able to believe what I was hearing. Sure, Felicity wasn’t classically hot; usually found walking the school hall looking more of a hot mess than a girl I wanted to fuck. But when you looked past the overalls and floral print shirts and hippy style she wore most days, she was beautiful.
“You really don’t know?” she whispered.
My expression must have said it all, because Felicity let out a heavy sigh. “You,” she said. “It’s you. You told everyone Hailee was off-limits in ninth grade, and I’m her best friend. If anyone tries to get close to me, they’re going to get close to—”
“Hailee.”
“Hailee.” Her lips pursed as she gave me a small nod. “Apparently, I’m not worth the risk.”
She didn’t date… because of me.
I guess I’d never really given it much thought before. She was Hailee’s best friend; someone I was used to seeing around. Someone I barely tolerated. But now she was… fuck! I didn’t want to feel guilty. But the unfamiliar emotion snaked through me.
A beat passed. And another.
“Jason, I should—”
“Wait, just wait a minute.” I needed to think, and it was impossible with her standing there, so close, yet, so far away. My body hyperaware of hers.
“Are you okay?” Her voice was so small, so fucking quiet. I hated it, but I didn’t know why.
“Okay, this has been... weird, but I’m going.” She began peeling my fingers off her neck. I hadn’t even realized I was still holding her like that because I couldn’t think straight.
Felicity had almost made it to the door when I finally found my voice again. “Stop.” I said, spinning around to meet her confused gaze.
“Jason, I—”
I was on her in a second, pressing her against the door, fixing my mouth over hers. Felicity slammed her hands against my jersey, pushing me away, but I was too strong and eventually she gave up, twisting her hand into the material and yanking me closer.
Demanding more.
Flattening my body against hers, I punched my hips forward. “Oh God,” she moaned, her fingers scraping the back of my neck as we devoured each other. Tongues tangling and teeth clashing.
“Whoa.” I jerked back, blinking rapidly, trying to clear my mind.
What the fuck was I doing?
“That was—”
“A mistake,” Felicity said with a tinge of sadness.
“Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t...” I backed up, putting some much-needed space between us.
“I get it.” She closed down, wrapping her arms around her waist, barely meeting my eye.
“Felicity, I—”
“Let’s not do this. I had zero expectations when we...” Her expression cooled like the air around us. “You don’t owe me anything and I sure as hell don’t owe you a
nything, so let’s just pretend it never happened, okay? I’ll go back to being your step-sister’s best friend, the person you didn’t realize existed.”
Pretend it never happened.
“Fine. Sounds good to me,” I said with an easy shrug.
“Great.”
“Fine.” The word echoed in my head. I was fine with that. I’d only come to talk to her to clear the air and avoid any more drama with the guys. Pretending it never happened was the perfect fucking solution.
After all she was right, she’d never been on my radar until recently; no one to me.
Better that’s what she went back to. Wasn’t it?
Chapter Five
Felicity
“Happy game day.” I flashed Hailee a wide smile, but she frowned.
“You’re... happy.”
“Is that a crime?”
“No, of course not, I just thought...”
“That I’d spend the week moping after Jason?” Laughter spilled out of me, but it was strained. “Like I already told you yesterday and the day before that, it was a mistake. A blip. Jason, who?”
Hailee’s eyes scrutinized me. Sharp and assessing and filled with doubt.
“If it makes you feel better,” I went on, filling the awkward silence, “I added another item to my list.”
“You did?” Her brows went up as the school came into view.
“I did. Number eleven: Do not, under any circumstances, fraternize with the football team.”
“Asher’s on the football team.” I felt her heavy gaze on me.
“Asher is a friend.”
“Is that what we’re calling it. He likes you, you know?”
“He doesn’t like me. He likes the idea of me.”
“We could double date.” She sounded happy at the prospect; too happy.
“Hails,” I glanced at her, “Don’t get any ideas about me and Asher, okay?”
“Who, me?” She smiled deviously. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Hails, I mean it, Asher is...”
“Cute. Athletic. And totally into you.”