Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ZACH

" W histler? Why the fuck there?"

Jon yawns and then whispers something, I assume to Felicity, though I can't hear it, and I'm not sure I want to. Those two are kind of sickeningly in love. Nice if you can find it. I think I'm more likely to wake up and be fluent in Italian than I am to find it for myself.

"Vancouver isn't using it for training this year, and Coach wants us there in July for an offseason team-building week. Good chance for the rookies and new trades to settle in."

I lean forward on the veranda, coffee in hand, watching Luna complete her morning swim routine. As pervy as it is, I can't seem to stop myself. It's been a week since she recovered from the stomach flu, and this is the first time she's been well enough to get in the ocean. To be honest, I kind of missed it. I missed her smile, but mainly I just missed her.

"So, you thought you'd call me at seven in the morning to tell me?"

"We're headed to the airport in a minute. We're flying back to the UK to see Darcy for a week and taking Jack with us, so this is the only time I'll get." Jon has all but adopted Felicity's two teenage children Darcy and Jack. Darcy is due to start college in England this September, and he's grown close to her son Jack, who I hear is an NHL star in the making, especially since Jon started on the coaching staff for Seattle University. Honestly, I don't know how he finds the time, but he's a committed family man now. And I'm fucking proud.

I take the last few sips of coffee and track Luna as she exits the water. She's wearing a royal-blue bikini today, and man is it doing things to my dick.

I turn and head for the living room, knowing I need to divert my attention and stay in the friend zone—my daily mantra.

"Try not to punch anyone again." By anyone, I'm referring to Felicity's ex-husband and total douchebag narcissistic prick, Elliott. To be honest, with the way he treated her, I'm impressed Jon hasn't buried him six feet under.

A growl rumbles from his chest. "He's going nowhere fucking near her. The only thing he'll get to see is the massive fucking rock on her hand, reminding him that she upgraded to someone who treats her right."

I chuckle, still trying to get my head around the one-eighty my best friend and former prolific playboy has undergone in a year. "So, July tenth we're all meeting? In three weeks?"

"Yeah. It'll be good to see you, man. I guess you'll be climbing the walls by then, ready to get back and see me. I know how easily missed I am."

I think about the week I'll spend away from Luna and how quickly the offseason's already passing by. I've barely thought about Seattle or anyone back there, which surprises me. As do the next words that leave my mouth. "Not really, buddy. I've been kind of preoccupied, which has been nice."

The line goes silent for a hot minute before Jon speaks. "Call me crazy, but am I totally off base when I say you being preoccupied is to do with a girl?"

Something shoots through me—excitement, fear, happiness…I don't know what it is, but it's there. I shift from one foot to another as I pour myself another coffee, knowing all too well I'm going over my daily caffeine allowance before eight a.m. I don't lie to anyone, let alone my best friend.

"You still there, man?" Jon breaks the silence.

"Yeah, I'm here." I pause and run a hand through my hair, knowing any minute, Luna will waltz through my front door, ready to start today's tasks. "She's an old friend, and the friendship has kind of grown into something, I don't know…complicated."

"Complicated? So, you want to fuck her."

Jesus, playboy ways die hard.

"Yes, no, maybe. It's complicated. I'm not doing relationships or sex of any kind, and she's…she's kind of off-limits."

"Off-limits how?"

"Off-limits because of my self-imposed sex hiatus. Off-limits because Amie left me fucked in the head over trusting anyone ever again." I draw a deep intake of breath and continue, finding it oddly therapeutic to say all this out loud after weeks of it building inside me. "Off-limits because it's Luna Johnson and there's history there, history that?—"

"Oh, woah. Bro, shit." I don't need to finish; he's already connected the dots since he's met Luna before. "The cute redhead? The one who dated your former high-school buddy, Luke?"

"How do you remember all this?"

He laughs, and it's kind of evil-sounding. "Because, my friend, despite me being wrecked that night, it didn't take a fucking genius to see the eyes you were giving each other. It also didn't take a genius to see that her ex was still head over heels for her."

I throw the hand that's not gripping my phone with white knuckles in the air. "Well, why didn't you point it out back then?"

"Not my business. Plus, you never mentioned it. We got back to Seattle and fell back into a routine. Then you met Amie, and I guess the rest is history."

I lean forward on the counter. "I'm spending nearly every day with her. She's helping me with this place, painting and plastering. She's even helping me paint my fucking bedroom today. I know... I know it's dangerous, but I can't seem to stay away. I'm so scared of losing our friendship. She means a lot to me."

He blows a breath. In a low but serious tone, Jon begins to lay it all out. "Remember when I was pussyfooting around Felicity and shit scared to push things further?"

I think back to the multiple conversations we had last year. "Yeah?"

"Well, all I'm saying is you told me women like her don't come around too often, and if it's what I want, then I need to put myself out there. Put myself on the line. I needed to lock it down."

"Yeah, I get that, but you were fucking gone for her, over the edge man. I wouldn't say I'm gone for Luna."

"You're gone for her."

I stand up straight, panic rising within me. "What?"

"You were into her three years ago, and you're still agonizing over her now. You can't stay away from her; you sound like being friends with her is the best yet most torturous thing you've ever experienced." He laughs. "You just sound a lot like me."

Shit. Am I? "We have a strong bond; that's all."

"Keep lying to yourself, buddy."

Frustration swells within me. "Yeah, well it's not like I can do anything about it anyway."

"Why not?"

I scoff. "Luke. Ruining two friendships for sex."

"One, they were together fucking years ago. Two, it's nothing that can't be solved by talking to him before you do anything. Three, it's not just sex. If I thought it was, then I would be telling you to back the fuck off because all the above wouldn't be worth it just to get your dick wet. You're making excuses to be around her. You don't even want to come see me and the team in Whistler."

I groan and drag a hand down my face. "I was supposed to come home to get away from complex bullshit like this."

I imagine if he were standing next to me right now, he'd be patting a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. "Look at it this way. If she's your girl, then maybe you just made your life far more straightforward than you could ever imagine. The moment I knew Felicity was it for me, nothing else really mattered. Life has never been so easy."

The door clicks open, and my eyes shoot to the entryway. "I gotta go, man."

He full-on belly laughs, the fucker. "She's just got to your place, hasn't she?"

"Yes," I reply in a hushed tone.

"Remember, when you give it to her for the first time it's best if you?—"

I cut the call. As much as I appreciate his initial words of wisdom, I'm not about to take a sex pep talk from him while the woman in question stands in my kitchen, looking like a fucking dream in a tasselly, barely-there, tie-dye, soaking-wet beach dress.

I look up and force a smile as Luna walks toward me and dumps her bag down on the counter then strides over to the coffee maker. Her gorgeous, toned legs are on full display as her ass sways, and I can just about make out the outline of her bikini bottoms.

Stop fucking staring, Zach.

"Morning, grumpy. Shall we get started?"

Fucking hell.