Then she let out a laugh, softer this time, more tired than bitter. “God, my brain is exhausting. I just—I need a break from it. From myself. From picking apart every emotion like it’s a puzzle I have to solve.”
I smirked an idea forming that I knew she’d be down for. “You wanna turn your brain off for a bit?”
“Yes, please. That would be fucking great.”
“I have just the idea.”
“Oh, I know that tone.” Jordan’s energy shifted. “I’ve missed this tone. Chaotic, wild Preston is visiting, and I love him.”
I chuckled. “He never left. He just hid for a little bit.”
I took a turn, and instead of going home, I went toward the quad. It was slow this time of the afternoon, and it took seconds to find a parking spot. “We’re playing hide and seek, and if I find you within ten minutes, you do whatever I tell you to.”
“Oh fuck.” Jordan’s eyes widened with glee. “Okay, and what if you don’t find me?”
“I will.” I scanned my credit card on the meter, my heart racing with adrenaline. “But we can pretend for a minute.”
“You’re getting too cocky, my man. Ten minutes is plenty of time to fool you.”
“Sure, but I know you, J.” I bent down and ran my finger over her lips, loving how her breath hitched. “If I can’t find you, then I’ll do whatever you want the rest of the night without question.”
“Even if it’s cleaning my bathroom?”
“If that’s how you want to use me, then yeah. But be more worried about what I’ll do to you.”
“Is it weird I’m turned on right now?” she whispered. Students and bikers were all around us, but when I was with her, it was just her and me. Everything else faded.
“That makes two of us.” My eyes flashed. “Timer starts now.”
“Wait, I can go anywhere?”
“Any building on the quad. That’s the rule.” I started the timer on my watch. “Go, Jordan. Better run.”
She huffed in a breath and took off, her purple coat standing out in the crowd, and I just smiled. This totally pushed her out of her head, and yeah, it turned me on too, thinking about finding her. I wasn’t fully cleared to play hockey yet, but I was working out and jogging. I could find her and play without worrying.
While I waited, I scanned an email from J.D., who wanted to talk more about my insight. He and I had gotten closer since I couldn’t be on the ice, and he showed me a different side to the sport. I still itched to play and be there for the guys, but the future wasn’t as worrying for me. I had choices.
If I made it to a team, hell yeah. But if I didn’t, then I’d go for coaching. Win-win in my opinion. It wasn’t an either or situation, rather, whichever path was right for meand Jordan.
My blood heated in anticipation of finding my girl, and I checked my phone. In her haste to run, she’d forgotten to disable the location setting on her phone. Her, Logan, and I agreed to always share our location, and it seemed my beautiful woman forgot—like I knew she would.
Scanning it, she was somewhere in the math building. Why? I had no idea. The building was large and probably haunted, but then again, if I was going to tease her, she would be down for ghosts to watch.
I started walking there, waiting for the timer to hit zero, and when it did, the same feeling I got when I was on the ice hit me.Challenge.
I was gonna win.
The math building had three stories with a lot of classrooms. I started on the first floor, but that would be too easy. She wouldn’t do that. She’d go too crazy sitting and waiting. Plus, like a psycho I was, her perfume wasn’t down here. I’d know her scent anywhere, and I followed it up the stairs.
The second floor had less students, but the rooms were lettered instead of numbered. Hmm. I peeked into three classrooms, all empty, all dark. Jordan would want to watch me, to spy on me, which meant windows. A spike of urgency went through me, and I ran up the stairs faster. Third floor felt different. My skin prickled, and I realized no one was up here.Bingo.
Floors creaked, and pipes banged in the walls, and I shivered. I wasn’t afraid of ghosts… but I wasn’t a fan of them.Find Jordan.I scanned the different classrooms, debating which one she’d choose. She’d want it dark, easy to fit into a corner. I tiptoed into the first room and checked everywhere, not hearing anything. I did the second and third, the first blip of losing hope hitting me.
I confirmed on my phone app that she was still here.
There were two rooms on the south side, not facing the quadbut instead the busy street with all the restaurants. I went in there and felt her. She held her breath, for sure, but her perfume was there, and I grinned. “I missed you.” I walked along the rows of desk, moving toward the front of the room. The teacher’s desk had a cover on it, so I couldn’t see behind it. She had to be there.
“I knew I’d find you here. God, what am I gonna have you do? Strip down right here and let me taste you? Take you against that window where people on the street can see? Make you scream so loud they’ll wonder if it’s a ghost downstairs?”
