Chapter Four

Ava

"You wanna get out of here?" I ask, glancing up at Colter.

Something about being in his arms makes me feel so protected and safe. It's why I decided to take him up on the deal after he offered me a room to stay in.

Colter reaches for my hand, and neither of us pulls away as he leads me through the bar again and toward the door.

I notice a group of guys heading inside, the first one stopping near the door attendant to show him his ID. The bouncer nods to let him in as his friends follow behind him, doing the same.

My stomach drops when I realize it's Alec, and I jerk my hand away from Colter.

Colter glances at me and I shake my head. I tilt my head down, using Colter's tall frame to hide me until I'm able to push through the other door on the opposite side leading out to the parking lot.

He hollers my name, but I don't bother to turn around. I hear the familiar sound of rocks crunching on the ground, though, so I know he's not far behind.

"You want to tell me what's going on? Why are we running?" he asks.

I fold my arms and keep my head dipped down to my chest. When we step outside, I head toward the back of the lot where Colter's pickup truck is parked.

"Did you notice the group of guys coming in as we were leaving?"

He shakes his head slowly. "No, why?"

I swallow hard, avoiding his gaze. "My brother showed up with some of his teammates."

"Shit," he mutters under his breath, and I wince. "I guess that makes sense."

I drag my hand through my hair roughly. "Is there a reason you wouldn't want him seeing the two of us together? Aside from me being his former teammate and now, I guess, one of his rivals."

He crosses his arms, leaning against the side of his truck. I try not to think about how they feel around me, or how strong he is, and how easily he could hoist me into his arms and press me against the side of his truck without an ounce of effort.

I nod, biting my lip. "I mean, that's part of it."

"So what's the reason? Why are you taking me up on the offer to stay with me? It's not like you'd need a hotel room. I'm sure he'd offer you a place to stay. If you told him not to tell your parents, wouldn't he keep it between the two of you, right?"

I press my lips together and glance over toward the bar again.

I could go stay with Alec at Keaton. It's not like he wouldn't let me. That's not the point, though. If I told Alec what happened, and he told our dad, then he'd be in his car and driving down to Braysen in a matter of minutes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm lucky to have a dad who would do that for me. It's just that I'm finally living on my own and out of his shadow for the first time in my life.

It was hard enough getting him to agree to let me go to school at Braysen. I was sick of relying on them, though.

"If it's too much to ask, I completely understand." My voice drops low, and I realize this isn't exactly answering his question.

Colter shakes his head and reaches for the door handle, opening it for me.

"It's never too much to ask with me. C'mon." He nods toward the door, and I grab his hand, using the other to boost me up into his truck.

He chuckles when he watches me climb in, shutting the door behind me.

The drive to Colter's house is short. He doesn't live too far from Whiskey Sinner's. A light on the front porch is on, but his roommates appear to be out when we pull up.

"Where are your roommates? I thought you said there were three of them."

"Oh, they're at a party out at Greencastle tonight. I skipped it, though, you know…"

You know, because of me.

"You didn't have to do that. We could've gone to another party instead if you wanted."

He shakes his head, leading me inside. He motions around the living room and into the kitchen, muttering under his breath for me to make myself at home.

"I know we didn't have to go to Whiskey Sinner's. I mean, I don't have to do anything, right? I wanted to, though. Just like I wanted you to stay here. You said back there if it's too much to ask, and I just want to say again that I don't mind you staying here. I have a room you can sleep in, whether it's only for tonight or until you can get into your place. I just didn't understand why you wouldn't want to stay with your brother, that's all. I thought you might feel more comfortable with that option."

I shrug. "I mean, I feel comfortable with you too. Besides, I don't want him to report back to my dad. It's not something I want to deal with. Plus, he has a roommate, and we don't exactly like each other."

He nods in understanding, but there's curiosity in his gaze, like he wants to know more but doesn't want to press me on it.

"Have you heard of Tanner Freeman?"

"I'm familiar with the name," he says, leaning against the kitchen counter, pulling out a bottle of whiskey. "I've heard rumors that he's the reason Alec left to play for Keaton."

Colter opens the cabinet next to him and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. He holds it out, silently asking me if I'd like a shot.

"I'll take you up on it."

He grabs two glasses from the cabinet and untwists the cap, pouring two fingers of the dark bourbon into each glass.

"How well do you and my brother know each other?" I ask, taking a sip. I grit my teeth and suck in a sharp breath at the bite.

The liquor coursing through my system and the lust in his gaze make me feel hot. Mostly the look in his eyes if I'm honest.

"Not well. He had a chip on his shoulder because he didn't get much playing time last season. I mean, I get it. I'm close friends with the two guys who did. So I have that as a strike against me. Plus, I think he'd want to pop me in the jaw if he knew I was alone with his sister and the thoughts I have running through my mind."

"Why is that exactly?" I tilt my head to the side.

He smirks. "Well, for starters, if it was Wyatt in your shoes and one of my teammates were having the same thoughts about her, I'd be ready to haul his ass out of here to knock some sense into him."

My face heats at the visual, and not because he's threatening my brother, but from what he could be thinking.

I take a step toward him and lift my glass between us, finishing it off before I reach for the bottle to pour another. My hip brushes against his thigh, but I don't move, don't say a word, needing the liquid courage for what I want to say next.

Tingles spread throughout my body at the thought of being alone with him. It's only one night together, but how would I handle being with him if I stayed the whole week?

"Let me show you to your room," he whispers.

Colter caps the bottle of whiskey and puts it away in the cabinet. I don't say anything when he links our hands again and leads me to the room, stopping at a door at the far end of the hallway.

When he opens the door and holds his arm out for me to enter, it's pretty apparent in a matter of seconds that this isn't just any room.

It's his room.

It's neat. I'm actually surprised for a young guy in college that it's as clean as it is. There's a desk with a laptop sitting open on the far wall. Across from it is a dresser with various colognes and a watch sitting next to them.

I'm impressed. Maybe I'm used to living with Alec, but he never kept his space this nice.

I stop near the side of his bed and turn to him, raising my brow in confusion. I thought he said he had an open room, not that I'd be sleeping with him.

He steps into the bathroom, and I hear him open a linen closet before returning a few seconds later, holding a stack of sheets and a pillowcase.

"Umm, what are you doing?" I question, watching as he begins removing the sheets from his bed and replacing them with fresh ones.

"Getting you new sheets?" he says, with a hint of a questioning tone, like he doesn't understand why I'm asking. "There are clean towels and washcloths in the linen closet. You can use my shower too. I'm sure you have better hair and body wash products. You're welcome to use what I have in there, though."

He pulls a blanket out of the storage bench at the end of his bed and sets it down.

"If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask."

I study him as he pulls a pair of sweats out of the dresser and heads for the door.

"Wait! Where are you going? Aren't you sleeping in your bed too?"

Colter smirks and shakes his head. "You thought I was gonna sleep in here with you?"

Well… I mean, yes? This isn't what I expected when he offered me a place to stay.

"Well, where are you gonna sleep then?"

I let my eyes roam over his body, imagining a man of his size trying to sleep on the couch for the week.

"Don't worry about me. We have a pull-out bed I can sleep on."

"A pull-out bed? You've gotta be kidding. I can sleep there, and you can take your room. You've been kind enough to offer me a place to crash, and I didn't mean to kick you out of your own bed."

He rolls his sweats, gripping them in his large fist. I think about the size of his hands alone when he steps toward me, grasping my hip to stop me.

His voice drops low. "Absolutely not, you're a guest. I told you I had a room for you, and I meant it. I have no problem taking the pull-out. I'd feel better if you slept in here. I'll be fine."

"Okay, well, why don't you sleep in your bed with me."

"I don't think that's a good idea…"

I wince at the pang in my chest, the sting of rejection hitting hard.

"I don't know what you're thinking right now, but I can assure you if you think I don't want to sleep next to you, you're wrong."

I lift my chin, our eyes locking. "So why won't you, then?"

"You've had a few drinks tonight, and I don't want to do anything you might regret in the morning."

"Now you're just teasing me."

He sighs. "I'm serious."

"I am too," I defend. "I guess after all the little touches and holding my hand, I didn't expect you to turn me down. It's fine, though. I get it. You can take the pull-out, and I guess I'll sleep in this humungous bed by myself."

He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head.

"I'm not rejecting you, Ava. You have no idea how hard this is for me. This has nothing to do with not wanting you."

At the mention of hard, my eyes lower to the front of his jeans, and Colter clears his throat. He's right. The alcohol coursing through my system is giving me a sense of confidence I wouldn't have otherwise.

I've never been one to be this outright obvious about my attraction, but there's a lot about whatever this is with Colter that is all new territory for me too.

He leans his head down, pressing his lips against my cheek in a kiss. An involuntary shiver spreads through me, a small gasp echoing in the quiet room.

"Good night, Ava," Colter whispers.

"Good night."

When the door shuts and I flop onto his bed with a sigh, I realize then that if the opportunity to stay for the week still stands, I will take it. The attraction between us is heady.

And I'm not ready to come up for air yet.