She had nothing else, so she threw on Eric’s shirt, which went down to the middle of her thighs. Besides that, the only thing she was wearing was underwear.
The door slammed open, and Dan’s eyes immediately found her. Things did not look good. She had clearly spent the night with Eric. Her hair was messy, she had no pants on, and the bed was a tangle of sheets and blankets.
“What the hell, Alexa?” he growled. He went into the room and grabbed her wrist. “I expected better from you.”
“Don’t touch her like that,” Eric demanded, getting between Alexa and her brother and forcibly removing Dan’s hand from her wrist.
“Excuse me?” Dan asked. He seemed shocked Eric would dare to speak to him in such a way.
“You heard me,” Eric said. Alexa couldn’t see him because his back was facing her but he was sure his eyes were narrowed and steely. She could see his body tense, the way his skin stretched across his muscles every time he moved made Alexa think of what they had done last night—what they could still be doing if Dan hadn’t interrupted them.
“She’s my sister,” Dan said, “and if I don’t want her anywhere near you—"
“You don’t get to make those decisions, do you?” Eric said. “Alexa does.”
“I expected more from you.”
Alexa blinked. Even though Eric was positioning himself in front of her in order to keep Alexa protected from Dan, she knew he was talking to her. She stiffened and released a breath.
“You know Eric’s reputation. You know he doesn’t give a shit about the girls he’s with. You know all of these things, and yet, you don’t care. You still decide to sleep with him like some slut who wants attention from a big-time hockey player—"
Before Alexa even realized what was happening, Eric stalked towards Dan and socked him in the face. Alexa immediately sprang into action, dashing around Eric in order to come between the two. She knew Dan well enough to know that he wasn’t afraid to hit back. Even as a goalie, Dan had no problem interjecting himself into a fight if he felt he needed to stick up for himself or for a teammate. He was the goalie with the most penalty minutes in the entire NHL, which he regarded as some sort of accomplishment.
“Dan,” Alexa said, her voice firm. Her arms were thrust out at both men, trying to keep them apart. She knew if they really wanted to, they could have moved her aside easily but she hoped they would at least keep away from each other. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason two best friends, two teammates, were at odds with each other.
“What?”
“I don’t remember telling you who I was sleeping with or asking you to criticize me for it,” Alexa said. She was surprised by the firmness in her voice, by the fact that she was able to look Dan in the eye without flinching or looking away. “I don’t remember it ever being your business. I don’t remember casting the same judgments on you and who you sleep with. Or calling you a slut for sleeping with easy women who just want to get close to an NHL player.”
Dan shifted his weight, his face still tense. “It’s different,” he muttered.
“It’s not, and you know it,” she snapped. “Don’t be a hypocrite. I’m a consenting adult. I’m allowed to have sex with whomever I want. Neither you, nor anyone else, can stop me.”
“But with Eric?” Dan asked, furrowing his brow. Alexa bristled at the judgmental look on his face. “You’ve been around me long enough to know the type of person he is, Alexa. Come on. Even you aren’t that stupid.”
“Tell me, Dan. What kind of person is he, then? Please let me know.”
“He doesn’t love you,” Dan said.
“I didn’t ask,” Alexa returned almost immediately. “He doesn’t have to love me. That’s not what this is about.”
“Then what’s it about?”
“It’s none of your business,” Alexa repeated. “I know you think you’re protecting me from being hurt, but it wasn’t like Eric seduced me. I came to him. I asked for this.”
“But…why?”
“You wouldn’t understand, and again, I don’t have to explain myself to you,” Alexa said. She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at her brother. “I can understand you being shocked and maybe a little hurt. I get it. But I’m not sorry. I don’t regret what happened between Eric and I at all. If you think that makes me a slut, if you think me wanting to sleep with him makes me easy, fine. I can’t change your perception. I can’t change your thoughts. But that doesn’t mean you get to stroll in here, into Eric’s place, and start calling us names. That’s not how this works.”
Dan sighed, looking away. Before he did, Alexa noticed a flash of regret in them.
Good.
He should regret his behavior. It was despicable.
“I just…” He picked up his eyes so they locked with hers. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. And I know that Eric will hurt you.”
Eric opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but Alexa took his hand in hers and squeezed. She wanted to be the one to take care of this. Eric might make things worse—and for good reason.
“What happens between Eric and me is a risk we both are willing to take,” Alexa pointed out. “At the end of the day, we haven’t actually talked about the future. We don’t know what we’re planning to do just yet. And for you to make assumptions based on what you think you know… That’s not fair, Dan. Unless you want me to start doing the same thing to you.”
Dan looked away again.
“Now, I think the two of you need to talk,” Alexa said. “Or, at least, figure out your friendship. The last thing I want to do is come between you guys. So, I’m going to go.”
“Alexa, you don’t have to go,” Eric murmured.
Alexa closed her eyes, enjoying the way the words washed over her. She released a contented sigh and smiled.
“I know,” she said, “but I should. We can talk later. I just want to make sure you and Dan are okay.”
She disappeared in Eric’s bedroom, quickly got dressed, and left before either man could say another word to her. The minute she was safely in her car, her strength disappeared and she allowed herself the time to break down.
10
Eric
Eric had the sudden urge to go over to his best friend and sock Dan in the face. He didn’t give a shit about their history. He didn’t give a shit about the fact that they were teammates. He didn’t give a shit that bros should come before hos. No one was allowed to talk to Alexa that way, not even her own family.
Before Eric could stop her, Alexa all but ran out of his place and didn’t turn back. There were tears forming in her eyes, and Eric wasn’t sure if it was because she was suddenly confronted with the realization of what happened between them—and now regretted it—or if it was because she felt compelled to leave in the first place. Eric just hated watching her go at all. He could have had Dan leave. He wouldn’t have minded if Alexa wanted to stay for a couple of hours or a couple of days.
Everything had changed. Everything. And Eric was ready to face that now.
“My sister?” Dan asked, tearing his eyes away from Alexa’s retreating figure and shooting them at Eric. “Do you have no fucking lines, or will you fuck anyone who breathes? Should I call my mom and see if she’s available?”
Eric glared at Dan. “You don’t understand,” he growled.
“No, I think I do,” Dan said. “You wanted a challenge, someone you’ve never even thought to try, and my sister was perfect. Congratulations, you got her. Was it worth it?”
“I’m in love with your sister,” Eric said before he could stop himself. He blinked, surprised he had actually admitted it. And yet, he couldn’t take the words back, no matter if he tried.
Dan punched him in the face. “Those lines might work on your victims, but they sure as shit won’t work on me,” Dan spat. “The only person you love is yourself.”
Eric smiled despite the pain shooting in his jaw. “And your sister,” he added, just to piss Dan off. “And I’
m going to go after her so I can tell her myself. Now, you can either support us—that is, if she wants to be with me in the first place—or not, but either way, get out of my way.”
Eric didn’t wait for Dan to make up his mind. He shoved past him, leaving the door to his place open. He wasn’t sure why, but he figured Dan would shut it for him. More than that, he had already lost enough time, and he didn’t want to lose any more. He hopped into his car and tried to think of where Alexa would go. He tried calling her, but each call went directly to voicemail.
This was not how he expected things to go.
In the end, he decided the safest place to try was her home. He pulled up to her apartment complex and scanned the lot for her car. He couldn’t see it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. He stepped out of the car and headed to the building, only to slow down his pacing until he came to a full stop. He glanced up at the lilac sky. Dusk was nearly finished. Night was fighting for control.
What are you doing, Eric? he asked himself. Why are you here?
That was the question, wasn’t it? Why was he here? He had had sex plenty of times with a variety of women, and none had ever made him feel the way Eric felt when he was with Alexa. He wasn’t sure why that was, and he didn’t particularly want to figure it out. He wanted to enjoy it. He wanted…
At the very least, he wanted her.
Was it love?
Eric had never been in love before, so this part of sex was new. However, he didn’t want to be away from her for long. She was the only person he had any interest in fucking, and the thought of her with anyone else made his heart quicken and his blood boil. And yet, it was more than just lust. He liked being around her. He liked the way she made him feel. Most importantly of all, he liked the type of person he was when he was around her.
The crazy thing about all of this was Eric acknowledged that he didn’t feel any different with Alexa now than he had before. Which meant there was part of him that had always felt this way about her, even if he didn’t recognize it. The sex had brought it out in him. The sex made him realize that this was different from everyone else.
And he needed her to know that.
He took a breath, glancing around uneasily. He had never told anyone he loved her before. He wasn’t sure how to go about it, but he knew he needed to do something.
As such, he pushed himself forward.
Eric had been to Alexa’s place a couple of times over the past few years and still remembered which apartment she lived in. He knocked on the door, holding his breath. There was a chance she wasn’t here. He understood that. This could all be for nothing.
Then, the door opened and there stood Alexa, wet hair over one shoulder, wearing pajamas, bare feet popping out from flannel pants. She looked beautiful.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hey.” She seemed unsure as to why he was there, which was fair.
“I had to see you,” Eric said. “You see, I have this problem.”
“Oh?” She arched a brow, tilting her head to the side and exposing the long column of her throat. He smirked when he saw the small, almost unnoticeable marks he had left on her skin, almost as though he was staking a claim.
“May I come in?” he asked. Eric wasn’t sure if Dan was going to follow them or not, and the last thing he needed was Dan showing up and interrupting.
“Sure.” She stepped aside. The look of surprise was still on her face, as though she wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Eric being here. He couldn’t blame her. She was still on her guard, unsure how Eric would react, especially after what happened between him and Dan. Eric wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, hold her, bury his face in her hair, and tell her it was okay, everything would be okay.
Instead, he stepped inside her apartment, his arms tight by his side, and waited until she shut the door and they were truly alone. He turned so he could look at her. His breath caught in his throat. She looked beautiful, even in pajamas and wet hair, and tired eyes. He didn’t understand how it was possible, but it was.
“Is everything okay?” she asked. Her voice was tentative, cautious. He didn’t know what she was cautious about but he wished she would trust him.
“Actually, no,” he said. He took a step towards her and waited to see how she would react. When she didn’t move, when she didn’t back up, he took it as a good sign that she was at least open to continue. “You see, I’ve never been in this situation before, and I need help.”
“Help?” She seemed surprised. “Help with what?”
Eric cleared his throat. He stepped towards her again, and then again, until he was a foot away from her.
“There’s this girl that I’m crazy about,” Eric said, “and I want to tell her how I feel about her, but it’s hard for me to find the words. I’ve never actually done this before.”
Alexa picked her eyes up and stared into Eric’s. He had never felt paralyzed by a simple stare before, and yet, he couldn’t look away from Alexa. She seemed struck by what he said, like she couldn’t quite believe they had come out of his mouth.
“You’ve never…” She didn’t finish her sentence. He knew she was waiting for him to finish it because she didn’t want to make assumptions.
“I’ve never been in love before,” Eric clarified. “Which means I’ve never told anyone I’ve been in love before. So, I’m not quite sure how to do it. And I’m here because I’m hoping that you’ll help me figure it out.”
“Oh.” The word was simple but her voice shook nonetheless. “Well, I can do my best.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He gave her a soft smile. “What should I do first?”
Alexa took a breath. “After getting to her in person—because something like that must be done in person—you ask to come inside her place so it’s just the two of you and no one else. You start with small talk, ease her into it.”
“Really?” Eric asked. “All the movies show the guy stepping in from the rain and sweeping her up in a passionate kiss.”
Alexa nodded her head. “In all fairness, that could work too,” she replied. “You asked me what I think you should do, and I understand there’s a chance that I could very well be wrong.”
“I highly doubt that such a thing is possible,” Eric pointed out. “You? Wrong?”
“I’ve been wrong plenty of times before,” Alexa said with a grin. She seemed much more relaxed, easing into the conversation, smiling more. Eric found himself staring at her lips, wondering what it might feel like to kiss her again. Would it have the same power as before? Would he still be paralyzed? “Dating Tim was definitely one of those things I was very, very wrong about.”
“Not entirely,” Eric pointed out. He reached out and brushed a stray strand of wet hair from her face, curling it behind her ear. He let his finger linger on her skin. He felt her freeze underneath his touch and he waited to see if she would pull away. She didn’t. “Dating Tim brought you to me. And that was a good thing.”
“It was?”
He tilted his head slightly. “You don’t think so?” he asked.
“I was just curious as to how you felt about the whole thing,” Alexa pointed out, shoving her hands behind her back. “I know how I feel. That doesn’t mean that you—"
Eric decided now was the best time to kiss her fully on the mouth. He took her face in his hands and placed his lips on hers, cutting off her words, cutting off her thoughts. He wasn’t sure if the interruption would piss her off, but he had been wanting to kiss her for a while and he couldn’t hold it back any longer. She sighed into the kiss, locking her hands around his neck and pulling him closer to her.
“You know,” she said when they took a moment to breathe. She caught eyes with him, her face flushed down her neck, to her chest. “One thing you need to remember to do when you’re going to tell someone you love them is to actually tell someone you love them. You have to say the words.”
“My actions don’t speak clearly enough?” Eric teased.
Eric leaned down, his forehead brushing against hers. “Okay,” he said. “If you can learn to trust my suggestions, I can do the same for you. I love you, Alexa.”
She stood on her toes to kiss him again.
“I love you, too,” she murmured against his lips. She grinned up at him, a wicked glint in her eye. “Since you’re already here, let’s break in my bed. We have a lot of time to make up for.”
She grabbed his hand and dragged him to her bedroom, Eric laughing the entire way.
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Acknowledgments
My family
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My friends
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Sarah Paige - for the amazing cover
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Theresa Schultz, for your edits
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The Defenseman: Book 4 in the Bad Boys of the NHL Series Page 6