Theo’s brow wrinkles, but he seems to accept the answer. Annoyed, I spin on my heel and march into the next room to find Alex. He’s leaning over the back of a couch facing a large flatscreen TV, laughing. I stop once it occurs to me I walked willingly into the crowded party.
He spots me and holds out an arm in invitation. Keeping my head down, I put one foot in front of the other until I’m within reach. He guides me to stand in front of him, his chest pressing against my back as he braces his hands on either side of me on the couch.
“Why play virtual hockey? You just played a game,” I point out.
He chuckles in my ear. “Love of the game. Losing team has to stay sober and cook breakfast tomorrow.”
I feel like the center of attention situated in the middle of the room with only the couch and Alex as my shields, but no one’s staring at me like I’m out of place.
This isn’t as hard as I pictured, though. All we’re doing is standing around while attached at the hip. He hasn’t made me sit on his lap or actually kissed me. I can do this whole fake girlfriend thing.
My stomach dips when his arms wrap around me in a hug, his chin resting on my shoulder. He’s warm and I’m aware of the hard lines of his body everywhere he touches me. I don’t know if he’s doing it on purpose, but his hand splays against my torso and caresses me every few minutes. He doesn’t move lower orhigher, but every brush of his fingertips makes my pulse pound between my thighs.
“Excuse me,” I blurt when my entire body tingles with overstimulation. “Bathroom.”
Alex holds on for a beat longer before releasing me.
“Upstairs, to the left,” Easton says without breaking eye contact with the screen while he smashes buttons. “Damn you, Reeves. That was a cheap shot.”
His teammate chuckles. “It worked, didn’t it?”
I slip away and find my way to the front door to catch my breath. Cool air hits me when I step out on the porch and lean against the door. My eyes close and I sigh.
A soft meow sounds at my feet. I peer down to find a cat stretched out in front of a bowl of water. It gets up and twines around my legs with another faint cry.
“Hello.”
The cat presses into my ankle, purring louder while it rubs against my calf. It calms the rapid pace of my anxious pulse until I breathe easier. It’s chilly out, but I like the stillness of the night air.
“I’d rather be here with you than in there,” I murmur to the cat when I take a seat on the porch steps.
It responds with a talkative trill that makes a smile tug at my lips. I’m not seated more than a few seconds before the cat helps itself, climbing on my lap. It bumps its head against my chest to ask for more attention. I oblige, stroking the cat’s back.
“Your fur’s very soft for a stray.”
“It should be. Easton is always out here brushing her.”
I jolt at Alex’s deep voice behind me. Rather than drag me back inside to his party, he sits next to me, offering his fingers to the cat, holding still while she sniffs him.
“She keeps coming around because he feeds her,” he says. “He’s got the rest of us doing it, too. She’s basically claimed this place as hers now.”
As he explains, he gives the cat plenty of affection. She flops on my lap to show him her belly, purring so loud that I feel the vibrations in my legs.
“I didn’t hear you come out,” I say.
“Did it get to be too much in there? You can tell me if you need a break.” His eyes lift to meet mine.
My stomach dips from his unwavering attention. “I told you I don’t go to parties.”
“I’m glad you came.” He nudges his knee against mine. The warmth cuts through the cold night. “Did you like the game?”
My usual refusal of all things hockey sits on the tip of my tongue. Instead I swallow it back because it’s not true. Once upon a time, I didn’t mind hockey so much. Until it stole all the good things from my life.
“I had fun. You’re really good at it.”
He smirks. “I train hard. I love the game. You should come more often.”
“Maybe.” I’m not ready to cross that bridge.
