Jersey Girl (Sticks & Hearts #1) (20 page)

I lean down and kiss the tip of her pert nose. "It's my pleasure, Dimples."

The smile she offers is one I'll store in my memory for years to come, maybe forever, because as soon as it leaves her lips it comes straight for me and pierces my tattered heart. At this moment I have no doubt I'm falling for this girl, and that knowledge paralyzes me with fear.

I bypass the seats and take up residence near one of the exits. I watch in awe as she walks out and takes her place at the piano. The way her fingers move over the keys and knowing how committed she is to this song, tt hits me. Hard. If it weren't for the wall holding me up, I'd surely have fallen to my knees, just as I feel myself falling for her.

When her piece is over and the crowd comes alive with applause, I take that opportunity to sneak out and head home. I was going to surprise her by taking her out to dinner, but I don't think I'm able to face her right now. Everything feels like it's coming at me so fast, and I spend most of the night locked in my room, going over every day we've spent together. Every word we've ever spoken. I analyze it all. I come to the realization I've felt this way about her from the start. She'd wanted me then, and I'd been the one to throw those stupid rules in her face.

Now, I'm the one about to break them all.

***

I considered not coming to this party. They all end the same, and I usually end up back at my apartment drunk and asking myself why the hell I'd gone in the first place. Cassie asked me last week if I was planning on going, and I'd told her no, but I changed my mind after hearing she agreed to go as Dan Harwood's date. Dan Fucking Harwood. For the life of me I can't understand why she even bothered saying yes. Lately, he's been showing up wherever she is, and it's pissing me off. He tries talking to her before class, then waits by her chair afterwards to walk her out. She's always polite, but in the end she walks out with me, and I always make a point of throwing my arm around her shoulder as I walk her to her dorm. I've begun to wonder if maybe she does like him and I've just been too blind to notice.

When I enter the frat house the first person who latches onto me is Natasha. There was a time when I would have welcomed her attention. But after that night outside the dorms, Cassie's the only girl I've had on my mind.

I have every intention of going further inside the house with hopes of finding her, but I don't make it far before someone stops me to talk about last week's game-winning play. Before I know it, fifteen more minutes have passed, and I excuse myself from that conversation only to find myself locked in another not more than a minute later. This is precisely why I avoid these parties. I love that people enjoy watching me play, but secretly despise all the attention once I'm off the ice. Right now, I'd like nothing more than to be home, watching SOA with Cassie. If we were there, we'd be lying on my bed. She'd be on her stomach with her head at the foot of the bed, while I would lean against the headboard and give her a foot massage. She would be eating popcorn, going on and on about the guy who plays Jax. While I'd fantasize about riding a Harley down the California coastline with the wind at my back and her arms wrapped around my waist.

I find myself thinking about the way she smells. I think about how hot it would be to see her hand holding my cock. Or how good it would feel to bury myself inside her. I know it's wrong, and against everything I swore to uphold, but I think about her all the fucking time, and it's confusing the hell out of me.

We move deeper into the house, and I finally manage to lose Natasha to a group gathered around the keg. Music thumps loudly from the next room, and I hear guys chanting
more
and
take it off
. Naturally, I'm intrigued, so I push my way through the crowd, blocking the doorway to the conference room. A group of guys have gathered around a large table that's been turned into a makeshift bar for the party. Beyonc
é
blasts through the speakers and three girls are using the table for their own version of Coyote Ugly. They're dancing seductively, every move cheered on by their personal cheering section. I push my way through to get a better view, and what I see stops me dead in my tracks.

Cassie is up there, swaying her hips and touching herself in a seductive manner. She looks sexy as hell, and perhaps a bit drunk. Her arms rest behind her head, holding her hair away from her neck, and as she dances, her eyes are closed. It's clear half the room is lusting over her. Raw sensuality and confidence oozes from every pore with each sway of her hips. She rocks forward, spinning on her heel, then stumbles when one of the guys grabs her by the ankle. I turn and find Dan standing next to me. His eyes are glued to Cassie's chest and his mouth hangs open, making him look like a perv.

My anger quickly builds, and I tear into his ass. "Dude, what the fuck are you doing? She shouldn't be up there. These guys will be all over her in a second. I'm putting an end to it."

"Why the hell would you do that? I'm horny as fuck and she's just the girl to take care of me." His words come out slurred, and any idiot can see the guy is clearly wasted, but that's no excuse for what he said. There's no way in hell this guy, or anyone else for that matter, will get the chance to be with her. My fist connects with his nose, and he hits the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Stepping over him, I plow forward, shoving back a few bodies as I go. A few guys start to mouth off, but when they see who I am, they back the fuck up. No one bothers paying attention to their buddy on the floor. The guys on the football team are pretty big, but everyone knows a hockey player will never back down from a fight, even if he is outnumbered. Several guys take a step back and let me through. Without a word, I reach up, scoop her off the table, and cradle her my arms.

"Hey, B. You came to my rescue," she snuggles against the crook of my neck as I carry her up the stairs to John's room. Thankfully, the room is empty. I reach one arm behind me and lock the door so no one will barge in on us. "I love being in your arms. I feel safe when I'm with you," she whispers in my ear.

"You are safe. I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever," I reply immediately. Without a doubt, I know I would do anything to protect her.

"See," she places her lips on my neck and the heat from her kiss sears my skin. "I knew you liked me." She pinches her thumb and forefinger together before releasing them to allow a fraction of space between the parted digits. "Maybe just a teeny tiny bit."

I shake my head but don't verbally deny it. "Just how much have you had to drink tonight?" I lean back and get a good look at her eyes. Now that I'm up close I can see her eyes are crystal clear, not glassy at all.

It's only when I'm sure she's okay that I release her legs and set her back down. Looking her over, I take in the vision before me. She's wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a black camisole and cropped jean jacket. I look at her feet and find her signature Chucks, only tonight they're deep purple. The left side of her mouth quirks into a smile, showing off the dimple in her left cheek.

"One beer and a shot. I'm not drunk, B. We've both been dancing around this subject for weeks. I'm just finally brave enough to tell you how I feel." Her tongue peeks out and glides slowly over her bottom lip. My eyes track the movement hungrily as her fingers reach forward and delicately trace the hard planes of my chest. "Thank you for rescuing me from those guys down there."

"Yeah, well, someone had to. Besides, your brother would have killed me if I hadn't stepped in. There's no telling what those assholes might have done if you'd stayed up there much longer."

She takes another step, and I put my hands behind my back to keep myself from pulling her against me. But I want to.

"Uh huh," she speaks softly, licking her lips once more as she moves closer, until there's no more space between us. Her hand slides up my body until her fingers thread through my hair. "I'm not buying it. You didn't pull me off that table for Scotty's sake. You did it for your own benefit, and you know it."

My breathing comes to a halt, and I know I should tell her to stop, but it feels too damn good. I've missed having a woman touch me this way. The way she looks at me with those big, blue eyes that scream
take me
. And believe me, I want to so fucking badly.

"Cassie," I hiss as she caresses me with the palm of her hand. I'm already hard. Christ, I've been hard since I saw her on that table.

She covers my mouth with her fingers and stands on her tiptoes. "Shhhh. Don't talk. Just shut up and kiss me."

My hands settle on the curve of her hips, and my thumbs toy with the hem of her shirt. The pad of my thumb makes contact with her skin, and a low hum falls from her lips. I carry her over to the futon in the corner of the room. Her hands lock around my neck as our mouths come together, and when they meet, it's as if we've never been apart. She's so familiar. The slant of her mouth. The curve of her tongue.

I don't want to rush this. It may be a one-time opportunity, but I'm taking it. I've suppressed my feelings far too long and it's killing me inside. For three solid months my dick has been painfully hard for this girl. All I've thought about was what it would feel like to call her mine, and just for tonight I'm going with it. Consequences be damned. She feels too good to let go of.

Her soft moans tell me she wants more and she slides lower on the futon, allowing me to fill the space between her parted legs. Even though we're separated by denim, I can feel the heat between her legs as she grinds herself over my erection. I'm lost to the sensation, having denied myself pleasure for far too long. I know if she keeps this up, I won't last long.

Her arms press into my shoulders, drawing me closer, as her lips graze the space below my ear. I feel soft, sensual kisses on my neck, and my fingers slide under her shirt to brush over her breasts. Using the tip of my thumb, I trace over her pebbled nipple as she whispers in my ear.

"I want you, Brantley. I want your hands on me. Your mouth kissing me. Everywhere. I want you whispering dirty things in my ear. But mostly, I need to feel you inside me. I've wanted that for so long. Don't make me beg, 'cause you know I will."

I don't hesitate in voicing my reply. "You won't have to. I want you too, but not here. Not like this."

Her eyes close as she let's out a pained sigh. "Okay. You're right. Maybe we should wait."

"What? Hell no. I mean let's get out of here. We can go back to my place. Your brother's still out of town, and we can have the whole night to ourselves."

"The whole night, huh?" She smiles sheepishly, and my dick presses painfully against my button-fly jeans. "That sounds promising."

"Uh huh, and I plan on taking advantage of every last minute." My lips leave a trail of kisses, starting at her shoulder and moving slowly until finally coming to rest on her waiting mouth. "I just need to say one thing," I murmur between kisses. "After this weekend, we go back to the way we were. I can't pull off anything more with your brother around. I don't know if I'm strong enough to deal with that. Can you handle those terms?"

She places a gentle kiss on my lips. "I don't care about your terms, B. I'll take you any way I can get you."

I take control of the kiss, driving my tongue in deep, punishing strokes that leave her with a small taste of what's to come. "If I were you, I wouldn't plan on getting any sleep tonight."

CASSIE

The raspy sound of his voice, combined with what he's saying, leaves me breathless. Our friendship has meant so much these past few months, but I've dreamed of having him inside me since that first morning. Spending time together has only added fuel to the ever-present spark that's been smoldering between us. When he asks if I can handle being nothing more than a hook-up, I immediately say yes. I don't allow myself time to second-guess my decision. I only want to feel his body on mine. Deep down I know the aftermath might destroy me, but right now I'll follow him anywhere. Consequences be damned.

His hand finds mine and he leads me down the stairs, somehow managing to avoid being stopped by the crowd as we make our way out the door and down the walk to where his truck is parked. I hear the click of the lock, and then he's behind me, one hand on the door handle, the other on my hip. My breath hitches when he leans forward to whisper in my ear.

"Are you sure about this?" I feel his lips tickle over my skin and shiver in anticipation. He smells heavenly, a heady mixture of mint and the cologne he always wears. His body presses tight against mine, and I feel the hard lines of his chiseled physique. Years of training, skating nearly every day of his life, have left him lean and firm in all the right places. I arch my body until my ass brushes over his arousal, and he draws in a sharp breath. Overcome with lust, I'm able to nod, but just barely, before reaching behind me to run a hand over the front of his jeans.

With great effort, we break apart and I climb into the cab of his truck. We say nothing on the way over to his apartment, but we aren't able to keep our hands to ourselves. The slow stroke of his finger up my thigh feels so good. It speaks of slow seduction, infinite possibilities, and the promise of more. And I want a whole lot more. More kissing. More touching. More of everything. My heart thuds wildly in my chest, the dampness between my legs increasing as his finger reaches the apex of my thighs.

"Is it just me, or does this drive seem to be taking way too long?" My voice shakes as I lay my head back in the seat, while he makes slow circles over the seam of my jeans. I tilt my hips to meet his hand, and he lets out a low laugh.

"Patience, sweetheart, we're nearly there." His demeanor is far too calm compared to mine. I feel like I'm on edge and he's acting like we're going out for ice cream. I want to be angry with his easy-going attitude, but at the moment, I'm too preoccupied by what his hand is busy doing between my legs.

We finally pull in the drive, and when he reaches for the door, I grab his arm. "Wait! Are you one hundred percent certain no one else is home?"