18. Kennedy

“I can’t believethe school bought you this house.”

I stand in the middle of the hockey team’s new living room basically stunned. The house is incredible. They’ve got 5000 square feet of prime Nevada real estate with a beautiful outdoor space. It’s insane.

“There are so many other productive things they could have done with the money like expand the business school’s internship program.”

“I told you it wasn’t the school who bought it, so don’t go around talking shit about our new abode.”

“Whatever, Shane. What kind of drugs are these boosters on? I just saw a gigantic poster of you hanging up in the commons building. They’re throwing money at you all hand over fist.”

“Can you help me move those boxes over there inside without making me feel guilty about it?”

“Fine.”

While we work on moving Shane’s things into the house, he makes it a point to introduce me to most of the team. The guys seem really friendly and act as if I’m an old friend which makes me feel a lot more comfortable about this task that Shane has dragged me into.

But I’m not the only girl here, and I have yet to figure out whether that’s a good or a bad thing. From what I can see, the other girls are clearly sleeping with some of the players, which makes me wonder if Shane’s teammates think I’m sleeping with him. It’s starting to give me hoe-like motorcycle clubhouse vibes.

“Who are they?” I ask Shane about two girls in particular who are giving the kitchen a deep clean in crop tops and bootie shorts.

“That’s Gia and Vikki,” he says rather dismissively, and my spidey senses go on high alert.

“Are they friends of yours?”

“They’re friends of the house.”

“You just got the house. How are they friends of the house?”

“Damn, I left something in the moving van. I’ll be right back.”

Not smooth at all.

After Shane leaves, I decide to introduce myself. I’m not at all interested in making friends with these interlopers, but I need to know who they are and why Shane just made a run for it.

“Hi, I’m Kennedy. I’m not sure we’ve met.”

“I’m Vikki, and this is Gia.”

Gia rakes her judgemental, beady little eyes up and down my body, and instantly, I know. She’s either fucked Shane already or she wants to.

“Nice to meet you,” she says dryly.

“Do you need any help with the kitchen?” I ask, knowing damn well I’m not going to do anything to help them. Shane already has me doing enough. But I just want to see their response.

“No, we’ve got it.”

I got the message loud and clear.

They’re territorial little bitches.

“Okay, thought I’d offer.”

Bass notices the three of us talking and approaches. “Hey, girls.”

“Hi, Bass.” Vikki’s eyes light up

“Where’s Shane?” Bass asks me, looking suspiciously nervous.

“Getting something from the van.”

“Oh, let me see if he needs a hand. It might be heavy. There he is!” He runs over to Shane, says something quickly under his breath, and then takes a large box from him and carries it upstairs.

Shane’s eyes find mine standing in the open kitchen, and he wastes no time walking over to us.

“Thank you for all your help, ladies,” he says to Gia and Vikki but Gia barely grunts back a response. “Kennedy, are you ready to help me unpack now?”

“Sure, let’s do it.”

The moment we enter Shane’s room, I make it a point to close the door.

“We need to clear the air,” I tell him.

“About what?”

“Gia.”

“Gia?”

He reaches for a box cutter and starts slicing open some of the sealed boxes in the room.

“Yes, Gia.” I take a seat on his bed. “Don’t play dumb.”

“What about her? Did she say something to upset you?”

“Shane, are you fucking her?”

“What?”

“Are you suddenly hearing impaired? I asked you if you’re sleeping with that girl?”

His posture lengthens as he finally faces me, an unreadable expression on his face.

“And what if I am?”

His response shocks me.

“What?”

“You told me that it was never going to happen between us so why would I wait for you?”

“You’re such a dick and you’re so good at hiding it.”

“What you mean is that I’ve got a big dick and I’m no good at hiding it.”

“I helped you move in. Wish one granted. I’m out,” I say, standing up to leave.

I turn sharply on my heels, making a beeline for the door. But with reflexes no doubt honed on the ice, Shane is there before me, hand pressed against the wood just above my head. His body is a barricade that blocks my way out.

”Wait.”

”Why should I?”

”I want you to hear me out.” His words are soft, but there”s a hardness in his eyes that makes me pause.

”Fine.” Pulling back, I cross my arms over my chest, leveling him with a challenging gaze. “Talk quickly.”

”Gia and Vikki are friends of the house,” he begins, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Some might call them puck bunnies.”

“Puck bunnies,” I echo the term.

“Yes, they”re friends of some of the guys on the team, and in exchange, they get carte blanche to hang out here whenever they want.”

“In exchange for what?”

“You know what, Kennedy.”

“Sex.”

“For some.”

“You’re just moving into this house? When did this arrangement begin?”

“We’ve known them since we came for training camp. They were here for a summer program, and we met them just hanging out at the dorms.”

“So this arrangement started in the dorms?”

“It’s not necessarily an arrangement. They’re not paid sex workers or anything.”

”And have you benefited from this arrangement?”

“If you’re asking me if I’ve been with one or two of them since I got to VCU,” Shane lets out a nervous chuckle. “Then yes. I’m not a saint.”

“So you slept with one or both of them?”

“Gia,” he mumbles incoherently.

“Who?”

“I slept with Gia.”

I fucking knew it.

“More than once?”

I know I shouldn’t be jealous. Just because Shane made me come once doesn’t give me the right to grill him like this is an inquisition. I’ve got a lot of nerve, but a deep, dark part of me wants to go back downstairs and kick her in the teeth. I at least want to know if I’m justified in feeling that way.

“Kennedy,” his voice tries to become commanding as if I’m suddenly wrong but I don’t give a shit what he thinks.

“You put your hands down my fucking pants. Just tell me the truth.”

“Yes, more than once.”

“Recently?”

“No, Kennedy.”

My eyes narrow, scrutinizing his face for signs of deceit.

”You sure about that?” I ask.

Shane shakes his head. “I haven’t been with anyone else since the crawl.”

It”s tough to accept his explanation straight away. But Shane”s earnestness has slowly started to chip away at my skepticism. He”s always been candid with me, and it doesn”t make sense why he”d lie now.

”So you aren”t... involved with her or the other girl?”

Shane shakes his head again, this time more emphatically. “If I was, I wouldn’t have brought you here and introduced you to my teammates. They all know who you are, Kennedy. They know you’re special to me.”

“I’m special?”

“Absolutely. We’re two people with this oddly fated connection, but more importantly, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” I nod, my head still tilted up, staring into his thoughtful gaze.

“We could be so much more if you let us, but I’m not going to push you. I know the whole our parents are dating thing is making you hold back.”

I shrug my shoulders like it doesn’t matter, like I don’t know what he’s talking about. I’m only fooling myself. My body continues to give me away.

“It must be difficult to want me like this and not give yourself permission to have me,” he says in a thick voice, caging me in against the door.

“You think very highly of yourself,” I say in a croaked voice.

“Do you want to touch me, Kennedy? Maybe see what I’m working with? I bet you’re curious.”

“Or maybe you’re just hoping I’m curious,” I retort.

“Or maybe you actually are,” he challenges. “And are too afraid to act on what you really want, and what you want is me.”

I”d expected many responses from him, but this was not one of them. The tension between us is palpable, almost a living thing in the small space of his room. It crackles with electricity and pulses with heat. For a moment, all I can hear is the whoosh of my own heartbeat and the ragged breaths that Shane and I take.

“Maybe you’re right.”

Shane”s eyes darken at my admission, his lips parting slightly as if he”s taken aback by my boldness.

”Not so cocky now, are we?” I murmur, pressing my body closer to his. I can feel my nipples harden beneath my shirt, aching for his touch as much as it infuriates me.

”Maybe,” he says huskily, his voice rough with longing. “Why don’t you find out.”

We”re a dangerous game of push and pull; desire unleashed among raw words. Our connection is primal, its potency unnerving. But there’s an honesty in his eyes that keeps me anchored in this room and this moment.

Without another word, I reach out, trembling fingers lightly brushing over the bulge in his jeans. Fuck, he’s big. I daydream about how he’d fill me to the brim if I ever allowed us to happen. His breath hitches at the contact, but he doesn’t stop me. Instead, he lets out a soft moan, his forehead tilting forward against the door.

“Kennedy.”

“You’re right,” I whisper against his lips before breaking away from him completely. “I wanted to touch you.”

He blinks at me bemusedly before chuckling softly under his breath. The cockiness has returned to Shane’s eyes now, sparkling brighter than ever.

“Are you impressed with what you found?”

“Gia was a lucky girl.”

“Don’t do that,” he cautions. “I was honest with you. Don’t use it against me.”

“Whatever.”

”So what now?” he asks after a long moment, his voice a gravelly murmur that sends a quiver down my spine.

”What do you mean?”

”Well,” he breathes, his eyes flickering to my lips, ”you”ve touched me. I can”t help but feel it”s my turn.”

A shiver of anticipation passes through me as I remember what it feels like to be touched by this hockey god.

”I think,” I say in a low voice, “if we do this again that we”re going to need some ground rules for this little arrangement of ours.”

”Rules?” Shane quirks an eyebrow at me, the corners of his lips curving into a half-smirk that makes my stomach flip.

“Yes, rules. You have a genie wishlist and I have some rules.” I take a step back from him, putting space between us so I can think straight.

As much as I”m drawn to him – as much as every fibre in my body is screaming for his touch - I need to ensure I keep my emotions out of this as much as possible. Emotions can’t be trusted.

”Alright,” Shane says after what seems like an eternity of silence. ”What are these rules?”

I take a deep breath before answering, hoping my confidence in my voice doesn”t betray the nervous beating of batwings in my chest.

”Firstly, no kissing.”

”No kissing?” He laughs lightly at this rule. “I think that ship has sailed. We’ve already kissed…repeatedly.”

“Things get complicated when feelings develop, and kissing always leads to feelings.”

I’m not even sure I believe what I’m saying myself, but Shane seems to buy it.

”How very Pretty Woman of you”, he says with a hint of amusement in his tone.

“I think you’re holding out on me, Shane Sullivan. That’s another classic movie I think you’ve seen.”

“Maybe,” he grins one of his panty-melting smiles, and I know everything’s about to change when I drop to my knees in front of him.

“Holy shit, Kennedy.”

But I don’t give a damn.