Power Play (BTU Alumni #1)

by Alley Ciz

“About what?” He asked sullenly.

  “Well, it turns out Mom was playing a joke on our older brothers and you got caught in the cross fire.”

  “What do you mean?” He looked up at her confused.

  “Well… you know that boy Tyler that was here the other day?”

  “Yeah.” He looked down and pouted.

  She couldn’t help but laugh at Sean’s upset expression. “He’s just a friend.” She paused. “Actually he’s Maddey’s brother. We went out together to plan her surprise birthday party.”

  That got Sean’s attention and he looked back up at her.

  “But Mom said you guys were on a date.”

  “Oh, honey,” she reached out and fluffed his hair again, “she was just telling Ry and Jase that to freak them out.”

  “Oh.” At first Sean looked confused and then he smiled and looked her right in the eye. “So he’s not your boyfriend?”

  She laughed at how happy Sean sounded about that. “No honey, Tyler is not my boyfriend.”

  “Good.”

  She shook her head at her younger brother. He was so much like their older brothers at times it was scary.

  “So does that mean Jake is still your boyfriend?” Carlee asked.

  Jordan was flabbergasted. How these two pint-size things of trouble could have figured them out so fast was beyond her. She was about to do some damage control when all of Carlee’s question registered, she said still.

  “Carlee sweetie, what do you mean?”

  “You guys were sleeping outside and took us to swim lessons and now you’re not.”

  “And then that Tyler guy came over and you left with him and we thought you and Jake got in a fight and broke up.”

  “And we didn’t tell anybody about you guys sleeping outside or anything.”

  “And I like Jake, you should date him not that Tyler guy.”

  Carlee and Sean were talking so fast and right after each other that Jordan felt like she was watching a tennis match by the way they were going back and forth.

  They certainly were observant five years olds, that was for sure.

  Jordan wasn’t sure how to respond. She was relieved when she saw

  Jake on his way up.

  JAKE LEFT THE den to find Jordan and fill her in on the plan. He couldn’t help but smile at how he worked it out for them to spend time together without causing suspicion.

  He was halfway up the staircase when he caught sight of Sean and Carlee with Jordan. He could hear them peppering her with questions and laughed when he realized they were asking her about him.

  Jordan looked up and caught his eye. The relief that flooded her expression when she saw him was enough to make him go right over instead of making her suffer on her own.

  “Hey kids, what’s up?” He gave his sister a hug and Sean a pound.

  The two didn’t hesitate with their questioning for him.

  “Don’t you like Jordan?”

  “Yeah you told Mom she was pretty.”

  “I like you better than Tyler.”

  “Did you guys have a fight?”

  “Why aren’t you her boyfriend yet?”

  Jake laughed and looked at Jordan. “Have they been like this the whole time?”

  “Oh yeah.” She smiled at him.

  He knelt down in front of Sean and Carlee with Jordan. He looked at her before he answered. At her nod of encouragement he answered the little pip-squeaks.

  “I will answer your questions if you can keep the answers secret.” He looked first Sean and then Carlee in the eyes.

  The kids looked at each other and then back to Jake and Jordan and nodded vigorously.

  “Yes, I do like Jordan, and I do think she is very pretty.”

  He watched her blush at the compliment.

  “But the problem is Ryan and Jase don’t want her to date one of their teammates, so I’m not supposed to be her boyfriend.”

  “Why not?” Sean asked.

  “Why?” Carlee echoed.

  “Do you remember Tommy?” Jordan asked.

  Sean made a face at her question. “Yeah I don’t like him.”

  “No one likes him now sweetie, but everyone did at first.”

  “I didn’t.” Sean made a face.

  “What do you mean? You used to come places with us all the time.”

  “I just didn’t.” Sean paused to look at Carlee. “You know… Jake is always very nice to me and he takes me and Carlee places and plays with us.”

  Sean was relentless in his campaign for Jake. He was flattered.

  “I know, buddy, it’s one of the things I like most about him.”

  Jake smiled with pride at Jordan’s statement.

  “So why isn’t he your boyfriend?”

  “Do you remember how Ry and Jase acted when Mom told them I was on a date with Tyler?”

  “Yeah they were sooooo mad.”

  “Well they would be a million times madder if I was on a date with a teammate.”

  “Why?”

  Jake felt like she was playing a game of twenty questions.

  “Because of what happened with Tommy.”

  “That’s stupid.”

  He let out a deep belly laugh at Sean’s statement. The kid took the words right out of his mouth.

  “That’s exactly what I told your sister,” he said to Sean. He turned to take Jordan’s hand in his.

  “That’s why we decided that we are going to date anyway. But…” He waited until he had both kids’ attention. “We have to keep it a secret from Ryan and Jase.”

  “So does that mean Jordan is your girlfriend now?” Carlee asked.

  “Yes it does.”

  “YES!” Sean punched his hand in the air in victory.

  “It took you long enough,” Carlee said to both of them.

  “Yes it did,” Jake agreed. He hoped that the decision to tell them the truth wouldn’t come back to bite them in the ass, they were only five after all.

  “But we mean it.” Jordan looked pointedly at her brother. “We can’t let Jase and Ryan know.”

  “Okay, deal.” Sean nodded his head enthusiastically.

  “Now go outside and play. We’ll be out in a little bit and we can play in the pool together.” Jake said this to the kids to get rid of them. He came upstairs to talk to Jordan and he didn’t want to do it in front of the rug rats.

  “Okay.” Sean took Carlee’s hand and the two of them ran down the stairs together.

  “Do you think they can keep a secret?” He asked Jordan.

  “Maybe. I feel like it’s going to take a lot of bribery though.”

  Once the kids were safely out of sight, Jake stood up from his crouch and helped Jordan stand as well. He gently guided her back into her bedroom.

  He kicked the door shut with his heel and kept walking Jordan back until they hit the wall. He hooked an arm around her waist, his other hand sinking into her hair, holding her in place.

  God she was beautiful.

  She simply took his breath away. He stood there a moment, drinking in the sight of her.

  He still couldn’t fathom that, after constantly keeping him at arm’s length, she was allowing him to do all of this without pushing him away. He leaned in and closed the distance between them.

  He placed his lips against hers and took a moment to breathe her in. He used the hand in her hair to tip her head back.

  His tongue stroked along the seam of her lips until she opened herself to him. Once she did, he leisurely explored the depths of her mouth.

  He put everything he felt into this one kiss. All the frustration from her keeping her distance, the fear he felt last night before he found her, and the joy from her agreeing to be his girlfriend. All of it.

  Eventually they broke apart, both of them breathing heavy.

  “Okay, I’m going to go downstairs now before we get ourselves in trouble,” he said and made his way out of the room.

  JORDAN COULDN’T HELP but notice that for the second ti
me in as many days, she was pushed against a wall by a guy.

  However, the way Jake held her against the wall was so different from how Tommy did. It was almost unfair to consider it the same action.

  Where Tommy’s actions were painful and scary, Jake’s were gentle and comforting. Where Tommy’s gaze was brutal and menacing, Jake’s was kind and reassuring.

  She could get lost in Jake’s deep green gaze. His eyes were bright and glowing with the feelings naked for her to see.

  It all combined to simply take her breath away. And when he leaned in to kiss her, she felt as if she had died and gone to heaven.

  This kiss was utterly different from any of the other kisses they had shared previously. In the past when Jake kissed her it was urgent and almost demanding.

  But this kiss.

  There.

  Were.

  No.

  Words.

  She kissed him back with as much passion as he did her. She let out a contented purr in the back of her throat.

  She reached her arms up around his neck reaching for purchase. She pulled him even closer and thought she never wanted this kiss to end.

  Eventually they broke apart, both of them breathing heavy.

  “Okay, I’m going to go downstairs now before we get ourselves in trouble,” Jake said and made his way out of the room.

  She used the time in her room to collect herself. Her emotions were all over the place. Between what happened with Tommy and her decision to go for it with Jake, she was a little thrown. She didn’t regret her choice to see where things led with Jake but she wasn’t going to lie to herself either, the whole situation wouldn’t be easy.

  She didn’t like to keep secrets from her brothers, especially Jase, but she knew how they would react. If the night before never happened, she might have had a chance at changing their minds but after another incident with Tommy she knew they would be even more set in their decision that she not date another member of the team.

  When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed the den was empty. She was hoping with their decision to be together Jake would fill her in later, so she wouldn’t be left in the dark.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Jordan made her way into the backyard and went to join her dad and godfather. She didn’t get to talk to them very long.

  “Excuse us,” Maddey said to both Rick and Mr. D as she and Skye pulled her away by the arm and back toward the house.

  The girls stopped just outside the glass sliding doors that led into the house. Maddey and Skye faced her and at the same time said, “Okay spill.”

  She looked back and forth between her two best friends. “I already told you everything that happened last night.”

  “That’s not what we’re talking about and you know it,” Maddey replied and gave her a knowing look.

  When she still didn’t respond Skye chimed in. “We are talking about what’s going on with you and Jake, because it is obvious things are different between you guys.”

  A panicked look crossed over her face. “Oh my god!” Her hand went up to her face. “Do Ryan and Jase know?”

  Maddey laughed. “Those two?” She looked over to where Jordan’s two brothers were hanging out in the pool. “No they are just as clueless as ever.”

  “We picked up on the change because we’re female and we pay attention.”

  Skye’s reply made the three girls laugh.

  She relaxed and knew she would eventually be telling her friends what was going on with her and Jake, with everyone preoccupied she figured now was as good a time as any. She filled them in on everything that happened the night before when they got back to the hockey house. From her falling apart and telling Jake everything that happened with Tommy two years ago, to the incredible kiss they shared on the couch and her decision to be with Jake even if it was going to be in secret.

  “I can’t explain it, but the way he makes me feel when I’m with him, there’s just this pull that I can’t seem to break. It’s like I need to be near him.”

  Her friends showed their compassion and support for the situation she was now in. They filled her in on what the guys decided after she left the den and she was relieved to hear Jake came up with the perfect way for them to spend time together without raising suspicion.

  “Hey you guys,” Tucker shouted at them from the pool.

  “What?” Skye yelled back.

  “We’re gonna play some pool volleyball, so get over here and join us.”

  The girls laughed and made their way over to the pool. As she made her way into the pool, Sean ran over to the edge to talk to her. “Hey, Jordan, can Carlee and I play too?”

  She looked around the packed pool and noticed a bunch of the guys on the team were set up to play and was nervous about things getting out of hand. She bent down to talk to her brother. “How about you and Carlee referee the game for us, make sure no one tries to cheat?” She gave him a wink.

  Sean smiled ear-to-ear. He liked the suggestion and ran off to get Carlee.

  She walked down the steps into the pool and went to stand next to Jake. Since she and Maddey were so short they chose to play on the team in the shallow end of the pool. It would be Jake, Ryan, Billy, Tucker, and Seth with them and Jase, Skye, Sammy, Nick, Pat, Wade, and Chris against them.

  She wasn’t surprised to see her brothers called their closest alumni friends for their “team meeting.”

  Jake slid up next to her. “You are really good with them you know?” He nodded his head in Sean and Carlee’s direction.

  She smiled at the compliment. “Thanks, but they make it easy.”

  She turned her attention to Tucker. “So we’re gonna be on the same team?”

  “Yeah I don’t think his ego can take another loss to you sis,” Ryan said on a laugh.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah… whatever you say. Let’s play some volleyball.” Tucker brushed off the ribbing he was getting from his teammates.

  The game was intense and a lot of fun and was not lacking in trash talk. The score was tied for most of the game but in the end Skye was able to score the winning point.

  By the time the game was over the next round of food was out and everyone got out to eat. Jordan claimed one of the lounge chairs around the pool as her seat to eat.

  “So I heard you had some good ideas for us to be together without anyone thinking anything of it.”

  “Well, at first your brothers were plotting to keep you protected without you knowing what the plan was but then Maddey got up in Ryan’s face and told them you had to be involved.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. She really put him in his place too, it was kind of impressive.”

  She smiled. “I freaking love that girl.” She bit the corner of her lip while she thought of what to say next and didn’t miss the flare of heat in Jake’s eyes at the motion. Her smile broadened.

  She gave him a knowing look. “I told the girls about us. Sammy’s not too far behind.”

  “I told Tuck.”

  “BB3 is probably the only ‘brother’ of mine to take the news well. But I guess having all our besties on our side can’t hurt.”

  “Exactly,” he said with a wink that sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Brilliant,” she said as she bumped her shoulder into his.

  They both sat there and laughed because considering how messed up the circumstances were, it gave them the perfect opportunity to spend time together without having to keep it a secret.

  Jake and his parents stayed behind after the other guests left to help with the cleanup. He watched Jordan head inside to work on the stuff in the kitchen and went to check if she needed any help.

  As he entered the kitchen he found her rubbing her bruised shoulder. He made his way over to her and replaced her hand with his own. She was startled at first by his presence but after a moment she relaxed against him.

  “Does it hurt badly?” He asked her.

  She shook her head in response. “Not real
ly, just a little sore. Ever since I dislocated it, I sometimes get a twinge in the muscle. Banging it last night didn’t help but I should be fine in a few days.”

  He bent down and kissed the top of head. “Do you have anything you can put on it?”

  “Yeah there should be some Miracle Ice in the downstairs bathroom, it always seems to help. I’ll go get it.”

  “No stay here, I’ll get it.”

  He made his way to the bathroom by the front door. He looked in the medicine cabinet to no avail, but found the Miracle Ice underneath the sink. She was still standing by the sink when he returned to the kitchen and he took a moment to take in everything about her. So much had changed between them in the past twenty-four hours, their old relationship was almost unrecognizable. “God you’re beautiful,” he blurted out.

  She blushed slightly at the compliment and he wondered when she would get used to them. “What was that for?”

  “No reason, just happy I can tell you what I think without you running in the opposite direction.” He smiled. “Now turn around.”

  She did as he asked. He unscrewed the top on the Miracle Ice and took a glob out. He rubbed it between his hands for a few seconds and then reached out and started to massage the Miracle Ice into her shoulder. He moved the strap of the tank top she put on earlier down her arm so he could treat her entire shoulder. He was careful not to exert too much pressure on where she was bruised. Seeing the large purplish, blue bruise made him want to pound Tommy’s face in all over again.

  “I like this,” she said on a sigh.

  “I know, this stuff is my salvation during the season.”

  She laughed. “I wasn’t talking about the Miracle Ice.” She turned around and looped her arms around his neck. “I was referring to you taking care of me, it’s nice.”

  He smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. “I’ll take care of you as long as you’ll let me.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yup.” He looked toward the backyard and figured it was time for him to go back out and finish helping with the cleanup. “Okay time for me to go back to work.” And with another quick kiss he walked out of the sliding doors.

  Later that night Jordan sat on her bed and rubbed more Miracle Ice on her shoulder after a nice hot soak in the tub to help ease the ache. She turned on Nick at Nite and laid back on the bed with Navy to watch a few Friends reruns. A little while later there was a knock on the door.