Thank god.I hated losing.
I set my cup face down, flicked it, and on the first try, it landed. My side of the table jumped up and down and cheered, and I expected Ryann to be pissed.
She wasn’t.
“Good game, J.D.” She looked at the green hat guy. “Again?”
We played three more times, my side winning three out of four, and Ryann grinned up at me as we headed back inside.
“Does winning make you smile or is it the beer?” she asked, stumbling a bit. I didn’t think about it before reaching for her, wrapping my fingers around her forearm to settle her. She glanced up at me. “Oh, thank you,” she said, a little breathless.
“Of course,” I said, my voice rough and deep, probably from the warm buzz of alcohol and not at all to do with the fact she didn’t recoil from my touch.
She trusts me.
I should remove my hand from her softness, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I kept it there to make sure she didn’t trip. That was why. But her gaze dropped to my hand, and I released her too fast. She wobbled again, and I had to grip her waist to prevent her from busting ass. “Shit, Ryann.”
The entire side of her body pressed into mine, and she laughed. Her sweet giggle caused all sorts of inappropriate thoughts, which escalated when she leaned into me for a second. Her floral scent intoxicated me almost as much as the beer, and she grinned up at me, the tiny gap between her teeth and all. “Thanks for catching me.”
“You’re tipsy.”
“Yes.” She placed one hand on my chest, pushing off me with it, and a slight blush crept up her neck. “Are you?”
“Am I what?”Thinking about how soft she feels? Yes.
“Tipsy? Having fun? I really wanted you to have fun tonight, and it seems I got carried away.” She closed her eyes and swayed to the music. “Dancing. Ilovedancing.”
She didn’t wait for me before moving into the house toward the make-shift dancefloor in the basement. I followed her, because what else would I do? Talking to people who I didn’t know sounded awful, and being around her gave me a level of comfort. She knew my past and how important hockey was to me…I could be myself with her and didn’t have to worry.
So, I trailed her, admiring her tight jeans and all, and blinked when we arrived in the basement. The meaning of her words hit me as I watched her sway her hips side to side. She wanted to make sure I had fun. Me. She tried for me.
I stood frozen, unsure if I should walk us home, dance with her, or try to convince her to drink water. Maybe a combination of all three. But the way she moved her body made me feel like a moth to a goddamn flame.
Dancing with her was too personal. Too much. Too everything. So, I waited, unable to take my attention from her until another guy approached. He slid in behind her, and what the hell?
There was no reason to feel white hot anger when his hands went to her hips. I slammed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. She had every right to dance with anyone. I needed to get away from the dance floor before I did somethingstupid. She was my teammate’s damn sister, and I had no business wishing it was me holding her.
7
Ryann
Dancing to the upbeat music released the pent-upsomethingthat took root in my stomach all day. Warm hands rested on my hips, and I moved to the beat, not thinking about running into Derrick, how attractive Jonah was when he relaxed, or how I’d regret having too much beer. Sweat pooled on my forehead by the time the song was over, and I thanked the guy who joined me for a few minutes.
He grinned and moved onto someone else before I could blink. Fair enough. Some people used the dance floor as prime hook-up potential. If meaningless flings were my jam, then I’d probably do the same. After my life spun out of control when my parents died, I craved stability, and while flings could solve the loneliness for a night, they left me feeling empty. I liked relationships.
I fanned myself by lifting the edge of my shirt to get air on my skin, and I scanned the crowd for Jonah. He’d followed me downstairs, that much I knew, but his large frame wasn’t sticking out anywhere. I frowned, hoping he didn’t head back without me, even though that seemed unlikely. While I didn’t know him well, I trusted him enough to assume he wouldn’t ghost me.
My breath caught in my throat at the harsh reminder of seeing Derrick, and I swallowed, searching for a bottle of water. There were a stack of them on a table in the corner, and I uncapped one and took a long swig, the uncomfortable feeling in my throat easing up.
Suddenly, my body sagged. I was tired. The fuzzy feeling from the beer started to wear off, and I wanted to wash my face and put on comfy clothes. It was already midnight, and if Jonah needed tolet loose,he did a great job already. With my new mission, I went upstairs in search of him.
Michael walked past me on the stairs and put a hand on my shoulder. “Anyone get too flirty with you?”
“Jesus, no.” I rolled my eyes and shrugged his touch off. “I can take care of myself, bro.”
“I know. Just want to make sure. Guys get rowdy here.” He narrowed his eyes, but the irritation in them disappeared. “We have a bet going about J.D.”
My insides twisted at his tone. “What?”
