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“I’m worried that she’s taking risks. That she’s young. Or she’s doing this for a thrill. Or she’s going to escalate and maybe do something stupid.”

She studies me for a long moment. “You’re worried about a total stranger?”

I sigh. “Yes.”

“Because she’s a young woman.”

“Yes. And while you and I know that Beckett isn’t a problem, she doesn’t really know that. She shouldn’t be sneaking around and coming to his house. I want to see if she’s coming alone. What she does when she’s here. Just…get a read on the situation. If we can figure out who she is, maybe we can… I don’t know. Stop it?”

“What if she’s our age and it’s perfectly safe?”

“Again, she doesn’t know that.”

“Maybe she does. Maybe she knows him.”

Okay, that’s possible. “Fine. But it would be good to know.”

She thinks about that. “That’s…actually really nice.” Then her gaze drops to my mouth.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I hate when she does that.

She does it often.

And yeah, I think about kissing her every time.

CHAPTER 5

LAWSON

If there is one thing I could change in all of the things that have happened since I came to Rebel, it would be Beckett telling me that he saw Sutton’s journal open and read the entry where she said she wants to have sex with me.

First of all, her fucking brother never should’ve read her journal. I don’t care if it was open on the kitchen table or not.

Second of all, he never should’ve told me that.

Third of all, I should absolutely not think about that three or four times a week. Or every single time I see her. Or at least three or four times a week when I’m not seeing her, in addition to all of the times when I do see her.

And then there are the times when Beckett is being a pompous ass and not listening to her during practices when she is trying to coach our choreography, and I can’t take it anymore, so I tell him to shut the fuck up, and we end up arguing and sometimes even shoving each other.

Or the times when she is demonstrating something, and I’m her partner, and Beckett stands there watching us as if I’m feeling her up right there in front of him. Which makes both him and me edgy. Which also results in us arguing and sometimes shoving each other.

Or the times when she’s laughing with her friends, or she’s at the arena early skating alone before everyone else shows up, or the times she’s bending over…

But I’m supposed to not watch her? She’s gorgeous when she laughs with her friends. She’s breathtaking when she’s lost in in the moment during a solo skate. And when she bends over…

Beckett and I end up shoving each other then, too.

And then there’s the time she overheard me tell him that I was never going to touch her for any reason.

She wasn’t supposed to hear me say that.

I was saying it not so much for Beckett's sake, but for my own. I need almost constant reminders that keeping the peace on the team, getting along with my teammate, should be more important than my feelings for his sister.

I can’t kiss Sutton Moore. And she knows I can’t.

The other thing I tell myself is that Sutton is not my type. I don’t go for sweet, quiet women.

Because I am so overly protective, I tend to overwhelm the sweet ones. I’ve learned to go for women who are tough, mouthy, sassy, and bold.