Save My Heart (Sticks & Hearts Book 3)

by Rhonda James

  He throws his head back and laughs, and I revel in the sound. I’ve missed this since he left for college. “No chance. I changed the sheets this morning. My room is just across the hall. If you need anything, just let me know. His room has an attached bathroom, and if you need towels, they’re in the cupboard beneath the sink.”

  I take a look around the room, enjoying the masculine blue and grey color scheme. A large, king-sized bed takes up a huge chunk of the far corner. There’s a desk in one corner, and a dresser on the other side of the room. I can’t stop staring at his bed. It’s freakishly huge. Who is this guy anyway?

  “Is your best friend the Incredible Hulk?” I laugh and make eye contact with Scotty. The look on his face shows he doesn’t get my humor. “That’s probably the largest bed I’ve ever seen. You could sleep like six on that thing.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if that theory hasn’t already been tested,” he looks over the room once more. “Listen, I have plans with Ash tonight. Do you think you’ll be okay to hang here without me?”

  “Oh, sure. I don’t expect you to put your life on hold just because I’m here.” I smile, doing my best to hide my disappointment. “Go. Have fun. I’ll just curl up with a good book until I fall asleep. It’s been a long day, so it probably won’t take long.” I offer up a wide smile to reassure him I won’t fall apart in his absence.

  “We’ll hang out tomorrow. I promise.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.” I kiss him on the cheek and turn to pull a pair of yoga pants out of my suitcase. He lingers in the doorway for a moment before he smiles and turns to go.

  I quickly change before heading back downstairs to have a look around. From what Scotty has told me, I know he lives with guys named Brantley, Jordan, and Derek, but I have yet to meet them. There’s a flat screen television mounted on the living room wall, and the largest sectional sofa I’ve ever seen takes up the rest of the room. A small bookcase sits below the T.V., and I crouch down to check out their selection. Fight Club, Fast and Furious, Die Hard. All the typical choices a guy would make. Not to mention they have copies of every movie made in each series. I continue scanning and see a wide array of Adam Sandler movies, a few chick flicks, and a boatload of porn.

  Rolling my eyes, I stand and come face-to-face with a shelf lined with picture frames, each one containing group shots of the four teammates. I notice how happy they look in each setting. In two of them they’re wearing hockey gear and holding up a trophy from when they won the Frozen Four two years ago. Scotty has told me he believes they’ll win it again this year, since most of the players are seniors who have kicked ass together over the last three years. One of the photos shows them in what looks to be a bar, standing side by side, arms draped over one another’s shoulders, with a drink in one hand. The smiles on their faces tell me these guys are the best of friends. I pull that one down and run my finger around the rim of the frame, studying their faces. It dawns on me that I don’t know anything about Scotty’s life now. We’d always been close, but with him being two years older, and a guy, once he’d taken off for college, we practically lost touch. It’s one of the reasons I chose to transfer to this college. I’m hoping we can reconnect before he leaves to play in the NHL and his life becomes filled with traveling and rubbing elbows with famous people. I have a feeling once he’s gone, we’ll lose touch completely. And this thought hurts me deeply.

  I’m still holding the photo when my eyes land on one face in particular. I’m not sure which roommate this is, but he’s standing next to Scotty. Where my brother and I have blond hair and blue eyes, this guy is the exact opposite. Dark, unruly hair falls down over his forehead, and the wide smile he’s wearing makes the amber in his brown eyes sparkle. I trace a finger over his face, unable to turn away. Until the sound of a ringing phone pulls me out of my trance.

  I place the frame back on the shelf and pull out my phone, swiping my thumb across to answer as I settle on the massive sofa.

  “Hey, Justin,” I answer wearily.

  “Hey, babe. I miss you already. I was starting to worry. You never called to let me know you’d arrived safely.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, but Scotty brought me back to his house and I’ve just been getting settled. I was going to call.” I rest my chin on a knee and aimlessly pick at my toenail polish. I’m not in the mood to have this conversation again.

  “Don’t worry about it. So, how is Scott? Tell him I said hi. You know what, just let me talk to him.” Justin and my brother have known each other since we were little kids growing up in the same neighborhood.

  “He’s out with Ashley.”

  “Why would he invite you there if he wasn’t going to be home? He shares that house with three other guys, right? Who else is there?”

  “Calm down, Justin. I’m here alone. The dorms don’t open for three days. Besides, I’m the one who told him to go out. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  He makes it sound as if he’s worried about me, but where had his worry been when I’d caught him cheating with my best friend? I broke up with him immediately, but he refuses to let go.

  “Justin, you do know we broke up. Right?”

  A heavy sigh fills the silence, and I know he’s trying not to lose his shit. Justin has a really bad temper, which is great when he’s on the ice. Unfortunately, I’ve been on the receiving end of his wrath, and it wasn’t pretty.

  “Justin, you knew this is what I wanted,” I whisper.

  “It’s just hard, you know, hearing you say those things. Christ, for two years you’ve been my girl.” There’s pain laced in his words, and I get defensive, because he’s the one responsible for this pain, and I’m tired of hurting.

  “We stopped having sex when I broke up with you,” I remind him.

  “Doesn’t matter. In my heart you’ll always be mine. And I’m not ready to let you go.”

  “Listen, I’ll always care for you. You were my first love, and you’ll always hold a special place in my heart. But I need this. This isn’t easy for me either, Jus—,” my voice breaks. None of this has been easy. I care for him. I’m just not in love with him anymore.

  “Could have fooled me. I’m sorry, Cassie, but I think you’re giving up on us too soon.”

  “Maybe so, but I’m ready to move on,” I answer defiantly.

  “This isn’t the end of us,” he warns.

  I let out a shaky breath and steel myself to deliver the final blow. “It’s over, Justin. When are you going to accept that you need to let me go?”

  “I’ll never let you go. Never,” he threatens, reminding me why I needed to get away from Minnesota. I hadn’t planned on switching schools, but his actions left me no other choice. I needed a clean break. From Justin. From Charlotte. From everything that reminded me of what used to be. Now I just need to move forward.

  I hang up, without saying goodbye, and make my way to the bedroom where I’ll be spending the next few nights. Letting go of someone you’ve spent a chunk of your life with isn’t easy. Justin and I were friends for years before we started dating. I still remember the first orgasm he ever gave me. We were both virgins, or at least I was. At the time I thought he was as well. Looking back, it seems like so long ago. I have a lot of memories of our time together, and for a long time things were really good.

  Until they went bad.

  Coming here had been the right thing to do. Time to shake off the past and focus on moving forward. I wasted two years pretending to be someone I wasn’t just to make Justin happy. It’s time I learn what makes me happy.

  CHAPTER TWO

  BRANTLEY

  It’s two in the morning when I stumble into the house and make my way up to my room. I’m exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. The house is dead silent, except for the snoring I hear coming from Davis’ room. Doing my best to keep quiet, I duck into the bathroom to take a leak before stripping naked and crawling into bed.

  I have a king-sized bed, and it
’s freaking huge. It takes up a good portion of my room, but at my height, I need room to spread out. Slipping between the sheets after being away for ten days feels better than anything I’ve ever felt. Wait. Scratch that. Feels almost better than anything I’ve ever felt. There’s only one thing I can think of that could top this, and it’s been a while since that has happened.

  Just thinking about sex makes my dick hard, and I seriously consider rubbing one out, but I really need to get some sleep. I want to get some time in at the gym tomorrow morning, and then I need to meet with coach and talk to him about how things went at camp. I roll over, curling up on one side of the bed, and I’m out before I even have time to reconsider my decision.

  It feels as if I’ve only been asleep a short time when I’m awakened by the sound of a garbage truck. Cracking one eye open, I see it’s now light out, and I’m in my own bed. But I’m not alone. A warm, female body is tucked into mine, ass pressed tightly against my now very awake dick, and my left arm is draped loosely over her body, while one hand cups a perfectly shaped breast.

  What the hell?

  I squeeze my eyes closed and open them again, checking to see I am, in fact, awake. Still not believing what I’m seeing, because I’m fairly certain I was alone when I came in here last night, I press my fingers together and pinch a soft nipple.

  “Ouch!” The strange blonde squeals, just before she elbows me in the gut.

  “Hrrumph.” The groan falls from my mouth before I can stop it. Using one hand to cover my junk, just in case her elbow starts flying again, I roll over onto my back. “Why the hell’d you do that?”

  “Me?” she squeaks, frantically rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I don’t recall giving you permission to feel me up.”

  “Yeah, well, I wasn’t expecting to find a hot girl in my bed this morning. Thought I was dreaming, wanted to see if you were real.”

  I’ve had my fair share of women in this bed. Women I’ve known. I don’t recall meeting this one, but one glance tells me I’d like to rectify that.

  The comforter’s been pushed away, and she’s wearing a pink lacy top over the skimpiest pair of shorts I’ve ever seen. She’s really tiny, not only in body weight, but she must be a foot shorter than my six-three frame. Long, blond hair falls to the middle of her back, and this morning it’s a hot mess of tangles, almost as if she went to bed with it wet. Before I know it, I’m picturing her naked in my shower, and suddenly my morning wood becomes a raging hard-on.

  “You’re not supposed to be home for two more days,” she grumbles.

  “Yeah, well, plans change, sweetheart. So, how’d you get in here, and why haven’t we met before? You’re really sexy. Are you aware of that?” My eyes skim over her once more before settling on the nipple I touched only moments ago. I find myself wondering how long she’s been in my bed and which one of the guys I’ll need to thank later.

  “Ohmygod! Why are you naked? And why the hell are you aroused?” Her mouth gapes open in complete surprise. I glance to where the covers have been pushed down to my knees and can’t help smiling when I see that not only am I hard, but my boy is so straight he’s practically saluting us. I burst out laughing and link my hands behind my head, proudly leaving myself on display.

  “Relax, sweetheart. I’m naked because this is my bed, and this is how I usually sleep. And, for the record, it’s called morning wood, though the sight of you in that skimpy outfit doesn’t hurt the situation.” I smile smugly but she only glares in return before reaching down and grabbing the corner of the comforter to cover me. As her arm swings over me, her hair tickles my chest, sending another shock wave to my already aching lower half. I catch her by the wrist and can’t mask my smirk when I ask her my next question. “So, any chance you wanna help me out?” My eyes dance between her and the obvious issue at hand.

  She yanks her arm from my grasp and recoils as if I’m some sort of leper. This one is definitely not like the other women trying to make it into my bed. I normally have to fight them off. “No chance in hell.”

  “Okay, then. Guess I’ll just have to take matters into my own hands.” I reach beneath the comforter and give myself a stroke. Big mistake, seeing as how I never had any intention of going through with knocking one out while this chick sits only inches away. Wait a minute. She hasn’t taken her eyes off me. In fact, she’s looking at the space between my legs as if she’s hungry for it. The tip of her pink tongue sneaks out to moisten her lips, and I picture what those lips could be doing. I give myself one more slow stroke. “You going to sit there with your mouth hanging open, or do you want to join in?”

  She blinks a few times and shakes her head back and forth, not saying a word. “Is that a no?” I tease once more, but only because her eyes are still focused on the movement beneath the comforter.

  “Are you really...? I mean... Would you actually do that while I’m sitting right here? You don’t even know me.” Her voice is soft and shaky as she offers me a shy, telling smile. One that reads both nervous, young woman and curious sex kitten. I for one would love to meet the latter of the two.

  “Oh, yeah. I’ve got no problem beating off in front of you, if that’s what you’re into. However, there are other things we could be doing. One in particular comes to mind.” I stroke myself slowly, and the way she’s looking at my hand tells me I need to stop. If I’m not careful, I’ll spew all over the sheets before she makes up her mind.

  “Ew. Did you seriously just ask me to give you a blowjob? You don’t even know me. That’s just... gross.” At this, she moves toward the edge of the bed, yet she still doesn’t leave entirely, instead choosing to sit cross-legged and watch from further away. Unfortunately, her comment kills the moment. I’ve never had a woman look at me and utter the word Ew. Definitely an ego deflator.

  Ego being my dick in this case.

  “Annnnnddd, on that note...” I move to sit up but am immediately pushed back as she clambers up my body and plants a kiss on my lips. It’s not the best kiss, but only because it’s unexpected and clumsy. She smells sweet, kind of like strawberries or some shit like that. It’s feminine, and I find I want to keep breathing her scent in. She pulls back, and we both stare at each other for a few seconds before either of us dares to make a move. I shift beneath her and study her expression. Her brows are drawn, as if she’s trying to decide where to go from here, and her lips tremble slightly with each breath she draws in. I lift my hand to her cheek and trace my thumb over the swell of her bottom lip.

  “Let’s try that again.” My words come out as a whisper between us as I cup my hand around the back of her neck and slant my mouth over hers. Her lips are soft, tentative at first, and I’m instantly caught up in the way she feels against me. It’s like we meld together in perfect unison. We take our time, kissing, breathing heavily, learning each other’s next move. And it’s good. Really, really good. Her lips press firmly against mine, then part as my tongue glides along the seam. As our tongues brush together, she makes this soft keening sound I love hearing. My lips move of their own accord and I work my way over her delicate skin, feathering soft kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Chicks love it when you do that. Her pelvis rocks slowly, teasing me with a quiet promise of something more. The soft cotton of her shorts glides over my length, and it feels so incredibly good. It goes on for a few seconds until I grab her by the hips and still her before I lose it.

  Since when did dry humping ever feel this damn good?

  “Sweetheart,” I murmur between wet kisses. “You never told me how you got in here.” I kiss my way down her neck, intending to make my way down her gorgeous body.

  “Scotty let me in last night,” she answers breathlessly, arching her body until her breasts press firmly against my chest. “He didn’t think you would mind.”

  “Trust me, honey, I don’t mind. In fact, remind me to thank him later.” I can see the outline of her nipples, and my mouth waters as I think about her squirming once I start licking and sucking them in the
next twenty seconds. “How do you know Rivers?” I hum as my tongue prepares to get down to business.

  She straddles my legs, grinding her pelvis over me, and it’s driving me out of my everloving mind. Her hair falls softly around her sweet face, and while everything about her paints a perfect picture, the only thing I see are her breasts as they bounce less than three inches from my parted mouth. Then, without warning, she utters three words that would stop even the strongest of men in their tracks.

  “He’s my brother.” My hands come up, shoving her off me as I scramble away. I can’t get out of bed fast enough. I’m standing beside the bed, sporting a semi, while she’s still kneeling, all sexed up and waiting to be taken. Only, I can’t touch her.

  Bro Code #1... NEVER EVER HAVE SEX WITH YOUR FRIEND’S SISTER

  Bro Code #2... NEVER KISS YOUR FRIEND’S SISTER

  Bro Code #3... DON’T EVEN CONSIDER CODE ONE OR TWO

  I am so screwed...

  “What’s wrong?” She looks up with innocent, blue eyes, and all I want is to finish what we started. But there’s no way I can. Rivers is my best friend. I would never do that to him. We both received a scholarship to play hockey and met on our first day of classes. Rivers is our goalie, and a damn good one too. Me, I’m a defenseman, one of the best around. He guards the net, and I guard the puck. We’re protectors; it’s what we do. Last month he asked all of us to watch over his little sister. Somehow, I don’t think this is the type of protecting he’d intended.

  Technically, I’ve already broken two codes, but in my defense, I had no idea who she was. Note to self, always get a name before you shove your tongue down a girl’s throat. It’s also obvious girls are completely ignorant to the whole friendship code guys have established. Maybe that’s why guys with sisters are so quick to enforce it when they meet new friends. Me, I don’t have any sisters, but if I did, I know I would lay that shit down within the first ten minutes of meeting a guy.