Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

T he Other Night Needs to Stay a Secret

Finn

I always enjoy a night out with my boys, but having to see Charlie everywhere is becoming a real nuisance. I told her things about me I haven’t told my closest friends here at school. Add to it she is now working for the team, and my dick won’t get the memo she is off-limits. This whole situation is a clusterfuck. Seeing her with her cute little plaid miniskirts and toned legs is driving me up a wall. Then there’s that stupid ex of hers. There’s nothing I hate more than a cheater. I shouldn’t have intimidated the guy the way I did because it looked weird. The guys kept asking me why I was bullying the nice French dude, which meant I had explaining to do. I couldn’t very well tell everyone I hooked up with our new social media coordinator. I’m the fucking captain. I am supposed to be setting an example, not breaking the rules. I love my teammates and respect them all, but I can’t trust them with this secret. They could get drunk and accidentally let it slip to Coach. A part of my appeal to the teams recruiting me in the NHL is I come across as mature and responsible. I don’t need my chances getting fucked up. Not for a girl, even if my dick wants a second round with her, and he usually never wants a second round with any girl on this campus.

Cade gives all of us a ride back in his truck and we all disperse inside the house, except for Macklin and Cade who follow me to the kitchen.

I take a glass out of the cabinet and fill it with water, and when I turn around, Macklin is leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest watching me expectantly. Cade is beside him looking much more relaxed, but he’s watching me too.

“What do you guys want?” I snap, looking between my two friends.

“Are you kidding, bro? Why did you lose it on the French dude?” Macklin asks.

“You guys are making a big deal out of nothing. I already told you that I saw the dude cheat on her at school the other day,” I explain, figuring that keeping the story close to the truth is the best option.

“So you met Charlie at school?” Cade asks. “Because I’ve never seen you so protective over someone before.”

His word choice makes me scoff. “Dude, I was not protective. You two are being idiots. I don’t know what you’re looking for, but there is nothing to figure out.” I think I’m playing it cool with my friends when Charlie saunters into the kitchen.

“Oh, hi.” She waves. She’s clearly still drunk.

“Hi, yourself.” Macklin waves back and I watch as his gaze runs over her body. She’s wearing a pair of short shorts and a tank top.

“I need water,” she says, pointing at the fridge.

“Cups are in the cabinet there.” Cade points.

I chug down my water, irritated with how the guys are checking her out. Not that I can blame them, she’s smoking hot.

“Thanks.” She grins and bounces her way to take a cup.

“You have really strong legs. Are you an athlete?” Macklin asks.

I smack him in the chest. “She works for the team,” I remind in case he forgot.

“It was an honest question,” he says, feigning innocence. I’m beginning to think he said it on purpose to test me. Since he damn well knows she is on the track team.

“I’m on the track team,” Charlie explains and she walks over to the fridge to fill her glass.

“Well, have a good night.” Macklin waves and he turns out of the kitchen. Asshole.

“Charlie, tell Ruby I’m sorry if Scar offended her,” Cade says. “She doesn’t mean to say shit like that. She really is sweet.”

I snort. “Scarlett is not sweet, Cade,” I retort, then I look to Charlie. “What did she say to Ruby?”

“She asked her what type of Botox she uses on her lips,” Charlie shares. “Ruby doesn’t care about stupid shit like that.”

Cade looks very remorseful for his bitch of a girlfriend, even though I bet she had no qualms about being a bitch to Ruby.

“Cool, I like Ruby and she’s Hayden’s sister. I don’t want there to be any hard feelings,” Cade states. He seems like such a sweet guy, I don’t know why he would put up with a girl like Scarlett. She seems selfish.

“I mean, you’d have to talk to Ruby, but I don’t think she cares all that much and she is not holding a grudge from what I know. It isn’t her style,” Charlie explains.

The girls at this university can be very dramatic and get into each other’s business or compete over us, but Charlie and Ruby do seem different.

Cade exhales. “Cool.” He leans in and gives Charlie a half hug, throwing her off.

“Oh.” She laughs and hugs him back.

“You have a good night,” Cade says, and he leaves the kitchen. I should leave too, but I turn to the fridge and fill up my water.

“He’s a real softie, eh? He really is a nice guy. I don’t know why he’s dating such a bitch,” Charlie declares.

I practically spit out my water, surprised by her honesty.

“You got that right. Scarlett has him wrapped around her little finger. She can do no wrong in Cade’s eyes,” I explain.

“Rough,” Charlie says, rolling her eyes. It’s then I realize she is holding something tight in her hand.

“What the hell is that?” I narrow my eyes on the thing. It kind of looks like a stuffed doll.

“This?” she asks, opening her palm to show me a thing. I’m not sure what it is.

I nod.

“Are you into some weird voodoo shit?” I ask.

She snickers. “It’s my emotional support potato.”

I blink twice. “Excuse me?”

“My emotional support potato, it’s like an emotional support pickle. I collect them. This one says. ‘I may be a tiny potato, but I believe in you. Go do your thing.’”

“That’s weird,” I say.

She bursts into laughter.

“Come on, Finn, you must know what this means. Do you have someone in your life who just believes in you unconditionally?”

“Yes, myself,” I deadpan.

“You don’t have family members who believe in you?” she asks.

My stomach sinks. “My dad taught me how to play hockey, but he was a hard-ass. My brother, Jacob, has been supportive and he pushes me to do my best, but he can be an ass too.”

“Well, I have my dad. He believes I can do anything but I don’t see him often. I can’t afford to go home and he can’t afford to come here. He got me my first emotional support pickle as a going away gift in my freshman year at Riverside. I’ve been collecting them ever since,” she says. This conversation has somehow gotten a little too deep for my liking. I’m supposed to be keeping a distance from this girl, not trying to find out what makes her tick. I’m also still pissed she ditched me on the beach after we spent the night together there. I don’t spend full nights with girls because they can get the wrong idea but the night we spent on the beach and we both fell asleep, she could have at least had the decency to wake me up when she left.

“Have a good night.” I nod and move to leave.

“Finn?” She reaches out, touching my arm and having her touch me makes me feel things I should not be feeling. I also like the way she says my name. I raise my brows.

“Thanks for standing up for me earlier with Raph,” she says.

“You’re welcome,” I reply awkwardly. My gaze drops to her chest. She is clearly wearing a bra, and I can’t help but take in the fullness of her breasts and my need to see them. Maybe suck on her nipples so I can hear those sweet sounds she makes when she’s moaning.

I blink.

“Charlie, no one can know what happened,” I warn quietly. “I can get into trouble. I obviously didn’t know you’d be working with the team.”

“Yes, well, I didn’t know you were an athlete.” She raises her brows. “Do you usually lie about who you are?”

Fuck, she’s got me there.

I sigh. “I kind of liked that you didn’t know who I was. Girls hit on us because of the hockey team.”

“So that makes it okay to lie?” she asks.

“I’ve never had to lie before. Besides, you’re one to talk. You ditched me after I was nothing but nice to you,” I remind.

She winces. “Finn, those girls are after you because you’re hot.”

I try to hold back my laughter because she has clearly not sobered up completely from earlier.

“And I didn’t ditch you. You said it yourself, you don’t do relationships. I took that night for what it was and found my way back to campus,” she explains.

“You could’ve woken me up instead of sneaking off,” I tell her.

She purses her lips. “Is that how hookups work?”

Fuck, she is difficult.

“Do you sneak out in the middle of the night, or do you wait and tell your partner you are leaving in the morning?” she asks, narrowing her gorgeous green eyes on me.

“Whatever,” I say because I don’t have something better, and I want to throw that word back at her because she told her friend I was “whatever.”

She watches me like she doesn’t get me. “I was supposed to be working with the basketball team, but it fell through last minute. Don’t worry, I can’t let anyone find out what happened between us either. I need this job.”

“Good.” My eyes drop to her legs now and back up to her face. I force a smile, but it’s so fake it’s making me nauseous. What is going on with me?

“Good,” she repeats, giving me the same attitude I just gave her. “I was worried we may have gotten off to a shaky start and we need to work together.” She goes to lean on the counter with her elbow. She misses it and falls over.

“Shit,” I mutter.

She catches herself and holds on to the counter. “Are you okay, Mr. Potato?”

“Um, I’ma go now.” I point to the door. Chick is talking to her little stuffed crochet potato.

“Wait,” she calls out. “You didn’t answer me.”

I take a few steps, closing the space between us. I note her intake of breath as she stares up at me with her gorgeous emerald eyes. “Keep our little secret and we’ll work just fine together,” I assure, but if she thinks we can be friends she’s wrong.

Her pouty lips tip into a frown.

She’s sweet, it’s unfortunate.

“Have yourself a good night, Charlie.” I turn and leave the kitchen but the sweet scent of her body lotion and her hot body are burned into my mind. I head up to my room, place my glass of water on my nightstand, and lie back on my bed. I’m hard as a fucking rock. I should’ve brought the girl home who was hitting on me at the bar. Problem is, my dick didn’t want her. It wanted Charlie with her soft brown hair, those emerald-green eyes, and her toned legs. I wrap my hand around my dick without thinking and I begin to pump. Memories of last night with Charlie enter my mind. I usually don’t offer to go down on a girl. I do enjoy it, but not with everyone. When Charlie had admitted her boyfriend didn’t get her off, I felt like a man on a mission. The alpha in me reared its ugly head, and all I wanted was the challenge of making her come completely undone. I pump my dick harder, rougher, as I think about how good she tasted. As I think of her pussy swelling and the loud noises she made when she completely lost herself in the ecstasy. I come hard all over my abdomen like a teenager. It just angers me more because Charlie used me and left me on the beach. I don’t get used. I’m the one who uses. My ego took a hit, but it won’t happen again. Whatever attraction I am feeling toward her doesn’t matter because she and I are a dead end.