Hockey With Benefits(42)

“Sorry to say, but you are looking seriously hot, Daniels. In a way where I want to do dirty dirty things to you.”

I showed my teeth, rounding on Gavin, but it wasn’t him that spoke. It was one of his brothers, who I didn’t know his name.

I glared instead.

Gavin laughed, touching the guy’s forehead and shoving him back. “Down, boy. She ain’t like that. You can look, but don’t approach. Trust me. She took my balls on more than a few occasions.”

The brother was wasted, his eyes almost cross-eyed, but he stared at Gavin. Something mean and dark flashed in his gaze. He opened his mouth, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear whatever he was about to say, but Atwater exploded. Again. “Finally!”

He pushed past us, shoving the frat brother back, and Gavin into me.

I was winded from the impact. It took a little before Gavin extricated himself. He was that drunk, which I figured he would be. I figured most would be since everyone started drinking before the game today. They won, but lost yesterday, so there would’ve been a renewed sense to drink in celebration.

It was then that I saw who Atwater was greeting. A pretty girl. Long dark hair. Hazel eyes. She was tall and slender, and looked a little familiar. She was with another girl, and a guy. Both of their faces were turned away, but they looked at me, and my stomach dropped.

I recognized the girl. She was on the same floor as myself last semester, and the girl with her was Tasmin Shaw. Taz’s boyfriend was on her other side.

“Daniels.” The same frat brother fell into my side. His bourbon breath wafting over me. “They got a whole dance floor set up downstairs. What do you say? Wanna go and grope each other in the dark?” He belched, but remained smiling at me.

Two things happened after that.

I saw Cruz across the room. He was standing by the wall, talking with a bunch of people. A girl was there. He pushed up one of his arm sleeves, his fingers going through his wet hair. He must’ve just showered. He was wearing jeans that hung from his lean hips, and a Grant West vintage hockey shirt. His number was in the top left corner, over a pair of crossing hockey sticks. The back would have his last name in big and bold faded print, some parts of it chipping off. It was the design of the shirt, but I had a weakness for those types of clothes.

God. I could feel the press of him against me. How he ran his hands up the inside of my legs, how he spread them.

My body went from cold, to inferno levels, back to cold because that girl was on him, almost literally. She had a hand on his bicep, and another just above his wrist.

She was tracing his arm.

The air seized out of me. An icy rage had formed in me.

He looked down, his eyes going to hers as her head was tipped up towards him.

She leaned more into him, swaying, giving him a great view of her cleavage. Or hell, if he could see down her shirt.

Pain sliced through me because he wasn’t shoving her hand off. His lips were moving. He was talking to her.

Her head tilted back. She was laughing and as she did, she swayed back into him, using the movement so her whole body was almost pressed into his.

It was all happening in slow motion now, and she reached for his neck, and stood up on her toes. Her head angled for his.

The second thing that happened: Tasmin started for me. I noticed it from the periphery of my eyes, and I wanted to look anywhere else, but I couldn’t. I was watching a bad dream happening in real life, right in front of me, and I couldn’t stop it.

She caught him, her hands going to each side of his face, and she smashed her lips to his.

My stomach dropped to my feet.

I ripped my gaze away.

Taz had started to approach me, but she paused at seeing my face. “Mara?”

My gaze went past her, seeing Flynn Carrington walking into the house with a bunch of his brothers and girls. One girl was hanging on his arm, but he saw me, and a cocky smirk came over him.

Then a body passed between us. It was Cruz.

I wasn’t thinking anymore. I shoved past Taz, going for him.

I could feel Carrington’s eyes on me, but it was nothing compared to the burn inside of me from seeing Cruz and that girl.

He noticed me a few steps away. “Mara—”

I took his arm, a tingling already starting from just the one touch, and dragged him down into the basement.

My head was swimming. I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew I needed to do something. Anything. I needed to get away, but the burn was rising in my body.

His hands found my hips. “Wait.”

He tried halting me, but I kept going, shaking my head. I was digging in here. “No.”

Gavin’s friend had said dancing in the dark, but I hadn’t known what he meant. I knew now. They set up their main living area in the basement as the entire dance floor, but it was almost completely in the dark. Dark shadows could be seen, grinding against each other, as the music was blaring from the corner.

I stopped at the end of the stairs. Did I want to do that? Dance in the dark with him?

Cruz took over, taking my hand, and led the way this time. He wound us through the couples until we were in a far corner. My back was to the wall, and he was in front of me. Over me. His hands went to both sides of me, and he leaned down. His head was bent towards me. He was so close, his hips touching mine. I reached down, touching his sides, intending to push him away.

I pulled him in.