“Anything else?”
“Sorry?”
“Was that all you wanted?”
Wanted! Freaking hell, I actually wanted to push him back into his room then step inside after him. I wanted to jump his bones and take all my clothes off. I wanted to find out what he tasted like, and most of all, I wanted to know if all his sexiness would be worth me throwing myself at him and begging him to have sex with me.
“Um, yeah. S-sorry I disturbed you.”
“Are you sure that’s all?”
The corners of his mouth turned up in a sexy smirk, and I felt busted. The guy could read my mind, I was sure of it. God, why, oh, why, was I so obsessed with José? He had a reputation that was far from glowing, the very definition of a player. I had it on good authority—that authority being Mia—that José never, ever dated any of the women he went with. I’d even seen it for myself, too many times to count. The latest time being that girl at Mia’s wedding. No way were they just talking out in the garden; her hair had had his fingers running through it, I’d bet my life on it.
“Only, you’re holding two beers, and I was wondering if one of them was for me?”
“Beer?” Somehow, I managed to pull myself together and thrust a bottle towards him. “I wondered if you’d like one, I hate drinking on my own.”
“Sure.” He took it from me. “Come in.” José stepped aside and my legs almost gave way. He was inviting me into his room!
I stepped inside the impeccably tidy bedroom, and couldn’t help but notice how different it was to any other student’s room I’d ever been in. The bed was made—not even a wrinkle in the comforter—all the surfaces were clear and there was nothing dropped on the floor. His clothes must have all been put away—either that or he didn’t own any! I couldn’t even see as much as a stray sock peeping from under José’s bed. In fact, if I was a betting girl, I’d wager if I got on my hands and knees and looked under it, I wouldn’t even find a dust bunny under there. Mia had told me her brother was a little obsessive about his room, but seriously? This wasn’t being tidy, it was… a whole other level.
He twisted the cap off his beer with his hand and then held it out to me. “Here.”
I took it and handed mine back to him, and he repeated the action, then put the bottle to his lips. “Please take a seat.”
I looked nervously at the two options. First the bed, which looked incredibly inviting but was rather too presumptuous, and the less appealing, computer chair that was pushed under the desk. José climbed on to the bed and scooted up to the headboard. He lifted his knees and they splayed out as he casually leaned an arm on one.
Oh, lord, this was freaking ridiculous. Everything he did was turning me into a quivering wreck. I glanced over at the computer chair and decided that was the safest option, but before I could pull it from under the desk, he patted the bed in front of him.
“You’re not going to sit all the way over there, are you?”
I took a sip of my beer for courage and went to the bed. “Mia told me you were a neat freak, and she didn’t exaggerate. I don’t think I have ever seen a room so immaculate. My mom is super proud of her cleanliness and order, but this puts her place to shame.”
He chuckled, and the sound seemed to reverberate around him. “Guilty as charged. I sleep better if there is no clutter.”
“Do you have problems sleeping?”
“Sometimes. If I get caught up in my head over a game, or if I’ve had a stressful day.”
I wasn’t sure what else to say to him. Even though I’d obsessed about the guy for fourteen months, I hardly knew anything about him. The only thing I knew for sure was he was interested in hockey. “So, it was a good result at the match, yeah?”
His brow furrowed. “Not really, I let in four goals and then took a seat. Cullet got the win.”
Shit, shit, shit. He already said he got benched, rub it in, why don’t you? “Huh, but that was Coach just trying to change the momentum, right? You’ll be back in net next game. You’re the best goalie they’ve ever had.”
José sighed and traced his middle finger around the rim of the bottle. “Something was off tonight.”
His gaze went to mine, and for a moment, I got lost in those peat-colored eyes. How could eyes that dark still be that expressive? Sadness–no, it was more than that, perhaps there was a little fearfulness, too–seemed to dominate them. I reached out and put my hand on his thigh, and immediately regretted it because tingles rushed through my fingertips. “Everyone has an off day once in a while.”
He picked up my hand and threaded his fingers through mine, and as he examined my fingernails, he appeared to become lost in thought. My heart read all sorts of nonsense into the gesture, but honestly, I think he was just chewing stuff over.
“You’re going to think this is stupid, but I’ve been over everything in my head, and the only thing that was different about tonight was that you weren’t there.” His gaze returned to mine, and I stifled a laugh when I saw he was serious.
“But you didn’t even know who I was until fifteen minutes ago.”
“No, not true. I, um, do have a problem remembering your name for some reason, but you lived with my sister for a couple of months and I’ve seen you at some of the team parties.”
My face fell. I know it did. As soon as he said he could never remember my name, the muscles that were holding my smile together just lost the plot.
“Okay, hear me out, because this sounds a little crazy. But I’m not crazy. When I had my first game for the team, you were on the bleachers. You were all on your own, and you wore a bobble hat in the team’s colors. I got a shut-out that night, and I remember you banged on the glass at the end of the game.”
I remembered it, too. It was probably the moment I fell in love with José Estrada. He was right, as it was the first game I went to, and it was probably about six games into the season. It was also the night I met Mia. A little embarrassing, actually, as she was standing next to me, and I made some comment about the goalie being hot, and she told me he was her twin. After that, we became firm friends, and I started going to more games.
“And you came to the next two games, and my team won both matches. I racked up a stupid number of saves, and Coach Peterson ran with me for two straight months. But you never came for two consecutive games in January, and I took two huge losses.”
“I had the flu. Um, in January… that’s why I wasn’t there. But honestly, José, I was at games where you didn’t win, too. It’s just coincidence. You shouldn’t put stock in this stuff.”
“True. But you see, I have this habit of keeping statistics. My brain just logs all this crap—I can’t stop it. Even though we did lose sometimes, when you came, there was only one statistic that really mattered, and that is, whenever you don’t come, I always play my worst.” His thumb brushed the back of my hand. “So, you see, I need you to not miss any other games, because you’re my good luck charm.”
“Okay. I’ll be there.” My head was reeling. José had noticed when I was missing from the games! He wanted me to go watch him, and he thought I was a good luck charm! Okay, perhaps, not quite the way I wanted him to notice me, but I’ll take it.
The intense atmosphere in the room broke, as he let go of my hand and picked up his beer again. He smiled, and I wondered if my reassurance to watch all his games had put him more at ease. “So, um, do you have any other good luck charms?”
He wrinkled his nose, and I fleetingly got an idea of what José must have looked like as a little kid. Impish and cheeky, not so serious as the man I’d seen on the ice.
“A few.”
“I hear hockey players are very superstitious. Angie says Kai keeps a lucky penny in the pocket of his shorts. And Mia told me Charlie always has to play with odd laces on his skates. So, what do you do? Any lucky rabbit’s feet hidden in your goalie equipment?”
“No dead animal parts. But the usual, you know. I have a ritual for the day, the things I eat, the routine I go t
hrough at the rink when I warm up. Um, and I wear the same stuff under my hockey gear.” He blushed slightly, and a cheeky smirk appeared, bringing two dimples with it that just about made me swoon. Not that I was very familiar with the action of swooning, but if I was ever going to do so, José’s dimples were surely going to bring it on.
“I’ve worn the same underwear since high school.”
“What? Like every day? Jeez, tell me you wash it sometimes!”
“No, not every day, but every game. And, yeah, I wash it. You really don’t know me very well, do you, Nora?”
Nope, I did not, but I sure hoped to get to know him better! “Huh, I should probably have guessed from how you keep your room that you wouldn’t be slovenly with your underwear.” Okay, I cannot believe I am discussing his underpants with him! “I probably should leave you in peace. I’m sure you’re tired after the match.”
As I got up off the bed, he reached out and caught my hand again. “Actually, I’m not. It takes a while for me to come down and switch off after playing. You want to watch a movie?”
I nodded because all my words had left me the moment his hand took hold of mine. Oh, Lord! I was in serious trouble with this guy. Come on, Nora, you said you were giving up this nonsense.
“Great.” He scooted over on the bed and patted the place next to him. “Just be warned, I don’t watch musicals or horror. Otherwise, I’m game for anything.” He grabbed his remote and turned on the Roku before handing me the controller. “Here, you choose. What’s your favorite all-time movie?”
I winked at him. “Damn, it’s the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but I guess you’ve never watched that.”
Seven
José
Well, my night didn’t turn out quite the way I expected!
It was fifteen minutes before my alarm was due to go off, but I was wide awake, watching the cutest blonde sleeping next to me and ruminating over how the hell this happened. I could not remember the last time I slept next to a woman for more than a couple of hours, and I was pretty sure it had never happened with someone I didn’t even fuck!
Nora sighed in her sleep, and I wondered how anyone could be such an untidy sleeper. She was sort of splayed out on her back, her arms and legs sticking out in opposite directions. One of her legs was flung over mine, and the arm furthest away from me was reaching above her head and wrapped around her pillow. Her long hair was crisscrossing her face, and when she sighed, strands flew up, then resettled across her mouth. I wanted to reach out and brush them away, but she looked so peaceful and so damn cute that I controlled my urges to tidy her up.
On my side of the bed, the sheets were tucked in, the comforter still in place, but Nora must have tossed and turned all night, because all the bedding was rumpled beneath her, and the mattress was exposed at the bottom of the bed on her side. She removed her sweatshirt last night while we watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and it was currently lying on my floor with one of her socks and a hair tie. I couldn’t quite see them from my position, but I knew they were there, and I had a strong urge to do something about them.
In the end, I had to give in to my compulsion. Tiptoeing around the side of the bed, I folded her things neatly and laid them on my desk. She’d left a couple of empty beer bottles lying on the rug, half hidden by a fallen pillow, so I picked them up and put them in the waste paper basket. Mine were already in there, as I couldn’t sleep with them on the bedside table. Snatching up the discarded pillow, I wondered what to do with it, as I didn’t want to wake her to put it back in place. In the end, I put it on my side of the bed and headed to the bathroom to pee.
After I washed my hands, I straightened my hair with my fingers and studied my reflection in the mirror. I looked remarkably well-rested, considering I spent the night with Nora. It was surprising, because even as a kid, I couldn’t sleep if my friends stayed for a sleepover and slept in my room. It was one of the reasons I never stayed with any of my hookups.
So, what the hell happened last night? It wasn’t like I could even blame it on too much alcohol, considering we only had two beers each over a span of two hours. Nora convinced me to watch that stupid musical, which I had to admit was pretty good. After it finished, I got to choose my own movie, and put on Miracle on Ice. For some reason, I didn’t want her to go back to her room, and she seemed happy to stay with me. It was after midnight when she fell asleep, and I guess I followed her into the land of nod soon after. It felt natural, and despite the tiny creature taking over all my space, I slept like a baby.
Remembering that in about ninety seconds my alarm was due to go off and wake her, I hurried back into my room and cancelled it, but she stirred. Her eyes flicked open, and as she took in the empty space next to her, her expression changed, and she bolted upright. “Shit!”
I couldn’t stifle my chuckle as Nora looked under the sheets and seemed relieved that she was still wearing clothes. She looked up at me and, unlike last night, when she came to pass on Kai’s message but was too shy to make eye contact, she glared at me and jutted out her chin. “Oh, my God, did I sleep with you?”
Her tone was somewhat accusatory, but I didn’t think she was mad at me. I couldn’t help messing with her to see how she’d react. Scratching at the overnight stubble growth, I nodded, and she scrambled off the bed and grabbed her sweatshirt and sock off the table. In her haste, her hair band flew across the room and landed in some hidden corner, but she didn’t seem to notice as she yanked her tank top down, covering up a sexy midriff, and clutched her clothes to her chest. “I… um, should go.”
I immediately regretted my teasing. She looked close to tears, so I confessed. “Don’t worry, sleep was the only thing that happened. The only clothing that got removed was your sweatshirt, and you took that off, yourself.” She glanced down at my PJ bottoms, but I was bewitched by a white tank top and some skin-tight yoga pants that were so damn form-fitting they spoke directly to my lustful side.
“Besides, I’m pretty sure you’d remember if we had sex.” I winked at her, and a crimson blush flushed over her cheeks and down her neck, spreading out across her décolletage. The crest of her breasts turned blotchy, and then my cheeks heated, as she caught me looking. I deflected by changing the subject. “Thanks for cheering me up last night. I have to admit that movie was kind of fun.”
She slowly side-stepped around me and headed to the door, but she paused before she got there and smiled up at me. For a second, I thought about closing the gap between us and sweeping her up in my arms. I was overwhelmed by a desire to kiss this girl, but I managed to keep myself in check.
“So glad you liked it. I’m not sure I can say the same about your movie. I really am sorry for falling asleep on you.”
I shrugged at her. “It gets better after watching it twenty times.”
She somehow made it all the way to the door, but when her hand reached the handle, there was a sound out in the hallway. The color drained from her face. “Oh, my God! Kai and Angie are up already.”
Their voices drifted through my closed bedroom door, and Nora seemed to be in a dilemma about leaving.
“You could always come back to bed, wait until they leave for classes.”
She hesitated, and for one moment, I thought she might do it. My heart started to beat a little faster, because if this girl took a step in my direction, neither of us would sleep. Maybe it was just my usual morning horniness, but all I was thinking about was helping her out of her clothes and scattering them all over my bedroom floor—and the neat freak in me wasn’t even protesting at the thought.
She shook her head, though. “I should go.” The next second, the door was wide open, and she was gone.
Angie and Kai’s voices drifted from the kitchen, and the smell of toast and coffee made my stomach rumble, but I was relieved they had not seen Nora leave my room. Not that it bothered me, but it would be unfair for the others to presume we’d had sex. I’d hate my reputation to stain hers.
I closed the door quie
tly and went to straighten my bed. After rearranging the pillows so they were even, I pulled on shorts and a sports shirt, and laced up my running shoes. My head was still full of that pretty little blonde—the first girl I ever slept with that I had never slept with! How the hell did I miss that chance?
My thoughts wandered back to when I woke, and how her leg was tangled with mine, and what a sexy mess she was when she was sleeping. My dick responded to the image of her chest as it rose and fell, and how that tank top was pushed up her abdomen, revealing a sneak peek of that rocking body. I grew a little harder. Damn it, I needed to go for a run before I found myself outside her room knocking on her door.
So far, my day had been awesome. I shaved off thirty-five seconds from my personal best on my run, found I got three straight A’s on the assignments I gave in last week, and at practice Peterson took me aside and assured me I was back in net the next game. He practically told me last game wasn’t my fault, and he only pulled me to shake up the rest of the team.
During practice, I could do no wrong. My moves were like clockwork, and every last damn puck that was fired at me ended up in my mitt or hit my blocker. Seriously, if I played like this tomorrow night, it’d be a shutout.
“Man, you were hot tonight!” Kai grinned at me like a lunatic as we walked back to his car. Kai had thrown everything at me in the net, and even his famed one-timer couldn’t dent the twine.
“Yeah, it felt good.”
“So, are you okay with what happened at yesterday’s game?”
“Not going to lie, I still don’t like being benched, but after that workout, Cullet won’t be seeing the inside of that crease for months.”
Kai pressed his remote, and the lock on his car sprang open. I threw my bag on the back seat, while he put his in the trunk. My gear wouldn’t fit in his compact’s trunk, as it took up more space than a sumo wrestler.
Shut Out: Contemporary Sport Romance (Hockey Boyz Book 3) Page 5