All the Way (Hot Jocks #2)(35)

A buzzing over my intercom an hour before I’m expecting her makes my brows pull together. Did she mix up the time?

I hit the button and then pull open the door to find Teddy standing before me. I blink for a moment, confused about what he’s doing here, wondering if we made plans that I forgot about.

“Hey. What you up to? Can I come in?” he asks, smirking.

“Uh. Sure.” I take a step back, and he moves in past me. “What’s up?”

He shrugs, pausing beside the kitchen island to lean one hip against it. “Not much. I’m bored and wanted to see if you wanted to go out and grab a drink tonight or something.”

I stall, unsure how to answer.

“Dude, what is going on with you lately?” he asks, his perceptive green eyes narrowed on mine. “You’ve been weird. Weirder than normal.”

I let out an uneasy laugh. “I’m sorry. I know. It’s just that I have a girl coming over in an hour, and I’m going to be cooking her dinner, and . . .”

His eyebrows shoot up. “What the actual fuck? You planned a date? Who’s the lucky lady?”

Swallowing, I head to the counter and begin unloading the grocery bag filled with ingredients for tonight’s meal. “Jeez, don’t act so surprised,” I say rather than answer his question.

“Okay, fine, don’t tell me. But you’ve gotta admit this isn’t like you. At all. You don’t clean up or cook or have a woman over for a date.”

I finish unloading the bag and turn to face him. He’s right, but I don’t want to admit that right now. “I have time for one beer. You in, or what?”

He laughs. “Distracting me with free alcohol. Nice tactic. And yes, I’ll have a beer.”

I chuckle and retrieve two bottles of an IPA I know he likes from the fridge.

“Justin with Elise tonight?” he asks, settling on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island and looking around.

I twist off the cap of my beer and nod, leaning one hip against the counter. “Yep. They went to some art exhibit at the pier. Then they’re staying the night at Elise’s.”

I know I’ve said too much because he grins at me again.

“Which means you have the place all to yourself.”

I nod and take another sip of my beer. His nosiness is probably just genuine interest, because like he pointed out earlier, I don’t exactly do this kind of thing often. Okay, I don’t do this kind of thing ever.

Glancing at the clock, I see I have a good forty-five minutes before Becca is due, and I relax a little. It might even be a good thing that he stopped by—I could get some perspective on how tonight’s events should go.

Even though Teddy is known as a bit of a player, I know he’s one of the good guys deep down. He was in a serious relationship when he first got traded to Seattle, and he never once cheated or did anything to jeopardize that. Even though some of the guys on the team made fun of him for it, he video-chatted with his girl after every game. Ultimately, it didn’t work out because she wasn’t willing to relocate to the West Coast, but he’s still got more relationship experience than I do.

Working up my courage, I say, “Can I ask your opinion on something?”

“Of course, man.”

As I pick at the label on my bottle with my thumbnail, I consider how much to tell him. I don’t want him to know it’s Becca I’m expecting here later. I have no idea if she’s told anyone else about us, and until I know, I don’t want to betray her trust by running my mouth. Plus, I’m not the type to kiss and tell. It’s just not my style.

“So . . . how would you approach sex for the first time with a girl who had something traumatic happen in her past?”

He looks surprised for a second, and I wonder if he’s on to me. I pretty much spelled it out that it was Becca I was referring to.

Fuck! Way to go, Parrish.

I swallow. “I can’t say I’ve been in that position before,” he says, watching me closely.

“That’s a good thing. But I’m just . . . wondering. If you had, how would you play it?”

Teddy’s gaze narrows, and he looks down at his hands as he considers my question. “Uh, depends on the girl, I would think. You could probably go in a few different directions. But I would think she would probably just want to feel normal, know that she can trust you, and feel confident that if she says no, you’ll stop. Immediately.”

I nod. That sounds like pretty good advice. “Yeah, the trust thing is good. What else?”

He shrugs. “You’ll need to go slower than you usually would. Talk to her. Make sure she’s comfortable. Don’t just assume, especially if she’s quiet. Girls like to talk things over. Remember that.”

“Right. Okay.”

He takes another swallow of his beer, still thinking. “Just make it all about her. Make it fun, if you can.”

He’s right. All day I’ve felt so serious, like this huge cloud of responsibility is hanging over my head. Tonight should be fun. There should be laughter and smiles, not just moans of pleasure.

I nod, licking my lips. “I think I can do that.”

Apparently out of advice, Teddy launches into a story about the team trainer and what an ass he’s been lately, and I finish my beer in a daze. All I can think about is Becca and making tonight perfect for her.