It was easier than worrying about what the hell this was between us. I scrubbed a hand over my face, irritated and annoyed. She’d been great—a great fucking friend to me. It messed with me.
Was she doing this as a friend or because she had feelings for me? It wasn’t like I could ask her out for another date either. I couldn’t do anything.
“Hi,” she said, her voice soft as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Her gaze took me in, but there wasn’t warmth on her face. “How was your checkup?”
“Not great.”
“What does that mean?” Her brows furrowed, and her eyes lit up with annoyance. ”Give me more than that.”
“What do you want to know? That I can’t even skate for another two weeks, probably not play hockey for four more? That I can’t have sex yet? That I have to watch the team play and miss a whole month?” I hated how I sounded. I hated the annoying edge to my tone.
I was spiraling and taking it out on Jordan. Closing my eyes, I pinched my nose, wishing like hell I could get it together. Between the pain, the lack of hockey, and the unknown with Jordan, I was a mess.
“Check that tone, Preston. You’re speaking to me like I’m the reason you’re so fucking grumpy.”
Her words were a wake-up call. “You’re not, I know. I’m…all over the place.”
“And avoiding me, yeah? You want me to sleep next to you at night and let me take care of you, but during the day…” she trailed off, her eyes going wide with dramatics “…you want nothing to do with me.”
“That’s not fucking true,” I snapped.
She arched a brow, a challenge evident on her face. The thought excited me. I loved fired up Jordan, angry Jordan. All facets of her, I loved. Even now, with her angry expression and attitude, I wanted her.
“It sure is, Preston. You haven’t hung out with me once since we got back.”
“What are you talking about? We’ve spent a ton of time together,” I yelled, all the feelings crashing into me from every direction. “What more do you want from me?”
She stiffened, uncertainty flashing across her face before she swallowed. I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. It was the wrong thing to say to her.
“Jordan, that’s not—I didn’t mean it that way.” I scrubbed a hand over my face, my shoulders sagging in defeat. “I’m struggling.”
She chewed the corner of her lip, tapping against her forearm before she pushed off the wall and neared me. “Do you need an emotional punching bag? I can be that. Do you need to be an asshole to someone to get it out of your system? I can handle that. You want to fight? Let’s go, Charming. You want me to spoon you at night but not talk to you during the day? I’ll do that too, but tell me what you fucking need because I can’t guess.”
God, she was beautiful. She spoke with her hands, and her eyes told the truth. She meant the words.
“I want to fucking kiss you.”
“Then stop being a prick and do it.”
I gripped the edge of her sweatshirt and yanked her to me with my left hand. Her chest hit mine, and I steadied her against me, then I dropped my mouth to hers with a deep, satisfying groan. She tasted so fucking good, and it unleashed the anger and frustration inside me. I bit her bottom lip, pulling it until she hissed. “That’s it, baby, I want your sounds.”
She dug her nails into my pecs, a deep guttural moan escaping her mouth, and I caught it with mine. I devoured her, holding onto her head with one hand and her back with the other, and I didn’t hold back. I kissed her hard, like it was the last kiss I’d ever get with her, and she met me stroke for stroke. Our teeth clashed, and our tongues slid together, and nothing but the sounds of our breathing filled the room.
It wasn’t enough to satisfy the pull in my gut toward her. It was like we were magnets being pulled toward each other, and I wasn’t close enough. I trailed my hand from her face toward her neck, wrapping my fingers around her slim throat. “I need to fucking feel every breath you take, feel every moan I give you. Don’t hold back, baby.”
She shuddered, and my body burned hot when her throat bobbed against my palm. I squeezed tighter, the tiniest drop of restraint leaving me. “I need to feel you,” I rasped.
“Are you cleared?” she asked, leaning back with her bright red swollen lips glinting in the light. A burst of pride filled my chest. I did that to her, made her look sexy and turned-on.
“I don’t care.”
“Preston,” she said, her tone letting me know she wouldn’t play around. “If you’re not cleared?—”
“Don’t you get it? I’m dying right now.” I ran my thumb over her bottom lip, grinding my cock into her stomach. “If I don’t feel you, I’m gonna implode. You asked what I wanted, baby, and it’syou.”
Her eyes flashed with heat, then she sucked my thumb, nipping the tip before she winked. “Follow me, Charming. I think I can help.”
She took my hand, tugging me until I followed her up the stairs. She smelled so good, her perfume mixing with sweat. My body shook with need, my cock hard as hell, and all these pent-up feelings of frustration threatened to overflow. She glanced over her shoulder at me, her eyes dancing with challenge, and god, I loved her even more. She met my anger and matched me, and that was the sexiest thing.
