Chapter 22

The energy in the arena is electric.

Fans are standing up all throughout and waving shirts over their heads, yelling and screaming, as well as chanting ‘let's go Sailors, let's go' as Matthew sinks one into the net. The buzzer is painfully loud as it sounds off, but even I'm so excited that I jump to my feet alongside everyone else and bounce.

"Holy shit!" I yell at Cheyenne, grabbing her cold hand in mine and squeezing it.

"Told ya." She winks. "Knew you'd love hockey."

I can't even deny the game is fun and relatively easy to learn with Cheyenne's help; even so, I can't pretend I'm not here for a certain someone. Yeah, I might enjoy watching, but it's who I'm watching that matters too. And that someone has already scored two goals tonight, putting the Seattle Sailors at four goals while the opposing team still sits at zero. There's only a few more minutes left of the third period, and everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what Theo's next move is.

"What do you think is going to happen?" I ask Alicia, who's standing to my left side.

"Honestly?" She smirks, flipping her blonde hair to the side. "Theo is a beast. Everyone is expecting him to score again."

"How much do you want to bet he'll flop?" Chey asks us with a broad grin, and I narrow my eyes at her.

"Shut up, trouble," I reply. "Don't be hateful just because Jer gets on your nerves."

"Getting on my nerves is putting it lightly," she mutters.

I focus my attention back on the game and watch Theo. He looks incredible, zooming past everyone, a rocket ship on skates. There's something so hot and satisfying about seeing him in his element, and I just cannot tear my eyes away. Not that I'm trying really, but still. It's hard.

Theo gains speed on the ice, blocking the net and helping out Oliver. He gets control of the puck, stealing it from the opposing team and flying down the ice with it. He passes it to Jeremy—which is hard as fuck to keep up with since it's happening so fast—and Jeremy passes it back. If I blinked I wouldn't have been able to see it—that's how quickly he rears back and releases a hell of a?—

"Slapshot!!" Cheyenne squeals.

"Oh my God," I mumble, my eyes still transfixed on Theo, unable to look away.

The buzzer goes off again, and suddenly everyone begins to toss their hats onto the ice. Soon enough no one can skate—that's how many hats are on there, it's kind of obnoxious. Die-hard hockey fans. But if I had a damn hat, I'd be throwing it too. Maybe next time.

"Hat trick!" Alicia and Alejandra squeal, grabbing my hands and Cheyenne's until we're all jumping up and down like middle school girls who just got their first kiss.

Cheyenne briefly explained what that meant before we got here, and that's the only reason I know it's a big deal. I look at him, ready to give him a huge smile, when he turns around and points right at me. My blood turns to ice in my veins, and it's as if a bucket of freezing water has been dumped over my head when the Jumbotron focuses on my face. And since that's not bad enough and the universe must actually hate my guts, Theo comes barreling down toward me and slaps the glass in front of me, pressing his lips to his glove and blowing me a kiss.

Right. In. Front. Of. Everyone.

Fuck. Me.

I shake my head rapidly while my face heats, and he frowns. But when I look up and see that my face is still focused on the massive screen, I want to run away instead of explaining why this is a problem. He should know this was supposed to be between us, never mind the fact that I'm wearing his jersey—number ninety-eight.

I clearly made a huge mistake. Maybe doing this was telling him I was fine with us being public about this? I don't know what I did to communicate that, but I don't have time to wrack my brain when the entire Sailors Fandom is staring right at me.

Cheyenne pinches me, and when I look back at Theo, he seems slightly hurt. Although none of this would've happened if he hadn't just put me on display like this, I still have a nagging feeling of guilt. This is the only reason I'm propelled forward until I blow him a kiss back, and it's definitely the only reason I'm pressing one hand to the glass and my forehead to it as well.

Theo's smile makes my whole body warm and freeze up simultaneously. Then, when he returns the gesture, pressing a gloved hand up to mine and his forehead to mine, I shake a little. Not subtly either, but more like full-body shakes. It"s as if I'm dying of hypothermia or something. God, I need to get out of here.

I peer up to find the ice finally cleared out, which means it's time for Theo to go back to his team and for me to go back to the girls. "What the fuck was that?" I ask Cheyenne with a biting tone, wondering if she knew he'd pull a stunt like this.

"What do you mean?" she asks with a slight furrow to her brows, confusion pulling them in.

"Why did he do that?" I huff. "The last thing I need is to have more attention on me and?—"

Cheyenne laughs, "Oh, that?" Mischief dances in her eyes, and mine narrow in return. What the fuck is so funny? "He dedicated his goal to you. They do it all the time if the right person is in the stands."

"And you failed to mention this, because?"

"I don't know." Chey shrugs nonchalantly. "I figured you knew."

"When I know absolutely nothing about hockey?"

"It's a sport like any other."

We both know that's a damn lie. "I don't watch any sports, Cheyenne."

But she just smirks and grabs my hand, squeezing it softly. "Just be happy, Bai. You're okay."

"I'm not okay, though," I mutter. "What if Robert saw?"

"Robert?" she bites out. "Why would he see?"

"Oh, I don't know, Chey?" I almost sob. "Maybe because I'm on national fucking television!"

"Okay." She nods. "Take a deep breath. The game has one minute left, and then we can leave. I promise. But stay for Theo." She stares me dead in the eyes. "You came for him."

I take a deep breath and wait for the buzzer to confirm the game is over, then gather my purse and walk out of the seating area. Cheyenne grabs one of my hands, and Alejandra grabs the other, and they pull me until we're standing in front of the locker room. I roll my eyes at them, huffing with exasperation at being intercepted. Cheyenne knows I want to leave, yet she won't let me.

"You're not running away, Bai," she growls at me, squeezing my hand painfully. Alejandra lets go of my other one and walks over to Alicia, who is hanging back a little bit. "Don't be stupid."

"Why not?" I ask with a shaky voice. "He knows I didn't sign up for this."

"Above all, he's your friend." Her eyes plead with me. "Don't fuck him over."

I nod slowly, because she's right.

We stand in silence for a while, and just as I'm about to tell her that I want to wait in the car, a hand wraps around my bicep and drags me inside the locker room, where a dressed Theo presses me against the wall, out of sight from outsiders.

"What the fuck was that, Bailey?" Theo growls, caging me in with his arms, pressing closer against me. "Why were you about to leave me?"

I cringe and close my eyes, breathing in deeply. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I told you I needed to keep this casual—hence, friends with benefits."

"Fuck that." One of his hands cups my cheek, and I open my eyes to see his blue ones brimming with emotion. "I can dedicate my goal to you and still be friends."

"Did you not see the camera right on my face, Theodore?" I snap. "Maybe you don't remember much about that night at the hospital with Robert, but let me make this very clear for you. I cannot afford to be put in situations where my location is obvious to him. I was just on National Television, and I bet you anything now he knows how to get to you and me as well."

Theo's eyes rapidly shift as he stares at me and his chest heaves. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he mutters. "I'm so sorry, B. I wasn't thinking…it was just the high of the game. I just wanted to dedicate my goal to you. It was a big deal to me, but it's silly. You're right."

"It's not silly, Theo," I reply, sighing, and his eyes snap back up to mine. The blue of them is getting smaller and smaller as they dilate. "I should've said something before the game, but I didn't know how any of it worked."

"I guess now you know, and so do I. I won't be making the same mistake again," he assures me. "I'm sorry."

"As long as you're not claiming me for the world to see."

Something changes in his demeanor. "You are my girl, though, Bailey." Theo's hands trail down my body until his fingers dig into my hips, then he cups my ass and squeezes. "Relationship or not—" He pulls me into him, away from the wall, until my front is plastered to his front. Our lips brush, and he nips at my bottom one. "You're fucking mine."

I gasp when he bites me again. "Yours?"

"So mine." He smiles against my lips and I kiss him softly. "Only mine."

I know I shouldn't like how that sounds, but I do. More than anything, I wish I could give him a chance…a real one. Only trust is hard to come by for me, and I don't know if I'm ready to give him my heart.

"Let's go?" I ask him with a breathy voice, and he nods once.

I walk out of the locker room first, and thankfully, the reporters have cleared out. Cheyenne is still waiting for me, and when I nod, she smiles and walks away. Theo grabs my hand and I follow behind him, trying to make sense of the maze he is pulling me through. Before I can question where he's taking me, we're standing outside right next to his vehicle. He opens my door for me and then joins me in the car.

The drive to his condo is quiet, yet the silence is charged with something else. The air is thick, and I find it hard to breathe when he rests his hand over my inner thigh and squeezes tightly, like he's trying to restrain himself. I feel it too, and I'm tired of waiting for him to give me what I want. If he doesn't fuck me soon?—

We pull up to his parking spot, and he rests his head against the seat, his nostrils flaring. But then he gets out of the car and comes around to my side, opening the door. With a hand wrapped around my bicep, he drags me to his front door and unlocks it in a rush. As soon as we're inside, he pushes me against the door and cages me in again.

Heat rushes down my spine as he grabs my ass with both hands and squeezes. His forehead falls to mine, and his nostrils flare. Theo's lips brush against my own, and I reach up and cup his cheeks.

"Do you feel this between us, Bailey?" he whispers, and goosebumps break out on my arms. "I can't fucking breathe when I'm around you. I want you so damn bad."

"So what are you waiting for, then?" I taunt, knowing he's been the ever-respectful gentleman, but if we're going to seal this deal of friends with benefits, he needs to— "Fuck me."

Instead of protesting the way I thought he would, he picks me up carries me through the condo, then throws me on the bed. Theo makes quick work of my shoes and pants, lowering them in one swoop along with my lace panties—okay, so sex might have been on my agenda regardless of the outcome today—then throws them over the side of the king-sized bed.

His fingers dig into my thighs as he spreads them wide, and his mouth descends on me. I groan at the way his tongue twirls around my clit expertly, knowing exactly when to flick, when to swirl, when to suck. He already knows me so damn well it's unfair, and the worst part is that he knows it too. My hips buck off the bed when he sucks my clit between his lips, my fingers finding purchase on the back of his head where the wavy strands of his hair are in disarray.

"Oh, damn." I hiss, "Theo."

He smirks, removing his clothes and giving me a full glimpse of golden skin and abs for days. "Now show me that pretty pussy." His blue eyes take me in as I widen my legs for him. "God, I'm gonna fuck you so good."

Fuck.

Theo gets on his knees and crawls toward me, putting his hands on my hips and flipping me over in the blink of an eye. My face gets buried in the sheets and I shove them away, pulling my pillow toward me a little instead. I lift the jersey up to expose myself to him, and he squeezes my hips.

"You're dripping for me, Bailey," Theo groans as two of his fingers bury themselves in my pussy, curling deliciously as he works me. "Are you ready for me?"

"Yes," I breathe, pushing back on him so his fingers go even deeper. A broken moan floats past my lips as he pulls them out, replacing them with the head of his dick.

"When I fuck you, I'm not going to be gentle, baby," Theo groans as he pushes in an inch, "You're not gonna break on me, anyway."

And then he buries himself to the hilt with a single thrust.

The breath whooshes out of my lungs as he pulls back and snaps his hips forward again, making my body jolt on the bed until my face is buried into the mattress once more. I groan when his hand snakes around and finds my clit, rubbing it in a way that has my toes curling already, and he's barely even gotten started.

Theo pushes me down on the bed until the only thing separating me from the mattress is his hand between my legs, and I push my hips back and forth to get him to start moving.

"Baby," Theo whispers against my ear. "You feel fucking amazing…just like I knew you would. But this? Damn, this is better than any memory."

His hips set a languid pace, one in which the thrusts are long and slow, and it has my eyes rolling to the back of my head when his two fingers continue to rub my clit at the same pace. He's driving me absolutely insane, and I need relief right now.

"More," I beg him.

"So impatient, baby." He bites the space between my neck and shoulder.

I moan as he hits a spot inside of me impossibly slow, over and over, like a little button begging to be pushed. When my pussy clenches, he rewards me with a moan of his own, and I fist the sheets between my fingers and push back against him.

"Greedy," Theo murmurs against my ear. "Fuck me back, baby. You know you want to."

So I do.

I fuck him back, shifting my hips back and forth faster, moaning into the blankets. But he doesn't let me for long. Instead, he firmly plants a hand on my upper back and fucks me hard and fast. His fingers speed up to the new rhythm, and his hips slap against me so hard my ass is beginning to get sore, but the pleasure he's bringing me makes that insignificant.

My toes curl and my eyes roll to the back of my head, leaving me a panting mess. My sounds echo as Theo makes good on his promise to fuck me, and when he wraps my hair around his fist twice, he yanks my head back.

"If you need to scream, bite the pillow, B."

I bury my face into the pillow, moaning, groaning, and panting. Making noises I never thought I'd be capable of making. But damn is he making me feel good.

My toes and fingers begin to tingle, and so does my spine, all at the same time. He's still rubbing up on that little spot inside of me that's lighting a fire deep within my core, and the way he's rubbing my clit has me seeing stars. But it's when he bites my shoulder again that he pushes me off the edge, and I fall off a precipice so high I can't see the way down.

But right now? I don't even care.

"Yes, Theo," I moan. "Right there, baby. Oh myGod, yes." I shift my face and bite the pillow, screaming into it as my orgasm crashes into me.

Theo groans. "I'm right…" Thrust. "There…" Thrust. "Fuck." Thrust.

His movements become uncoordinated as he comes inside of me, and the little moans leaving his lips are something of fairy tales because there's no way the warm fuzzy feeling coming to my chest stems from sex alone.

No, this feeling is dangerous; if I'm not careful, it could ruin everything. Because there's no way, after all the shit I've talked, that I'm in love with him.

There's no fucking way.

Right?

Except that's exactly what it feels like.

"Baby," Theo breathes. "You're amazing. I l?—"

Love you.

No.

"Are you a cuddler, Theo Anderson?" I ask him instead, hoping I'm mistaken and he wasn't about to say those three little words. "Cuddle me."

I look back at his soft smile and my heart threatens to stop in my chest, "I'll do whatever you want me to do, Bailey."

And just like that my heart melts a little more, and it's a dangerous game we're playing now because I don't know how I'll come out of it unscathed.