Shut Out (Bayard Hockey #1)(49)

“Not if you want to walk out of here on unbroken legs.”

Justin’s head whips around to see Jacob standing behind him, all big and tall. Jacob lifts one eyebrow and stares him down. I blink and my hand goes to my throat. Whoa.

“Just a joke, man.” Justin frowns. He glances at me questioningly.

“Uh, this is my boyfriend.” I nearly choke on the word. “Jacob Flass. Justin’s in my Research Methods class.”

Jacob lifts his chin and narrows his eyes.

“Uh, yeah, good to meet you, man.” Justin shoots me a regretful grimace. “See you around, Skylar.”

“Yeah. See you.”

Justin vanishes.

I glare at Jacob. “What the hell was that?”

“What?” He frowns at me. “I was protecting you.”

“I don’t need protecting.”

His lips thin. “Are you saying you’re interested in that guy?”

His rudeness and overbearing attitude annoy me for some reason and what comes out of my mouth next is probably not well thought out. “Maybe I am.”





Chapter 18


Jacob


I suck in air between my teeth at Skylar’s response.

She glares at me. “You didn’t need to be rude to him. He’s a friend.”

Blood runs hot through my veins and I have to relax my hands. Okay, okay, I know Skylar’s not really my girlfriend. But she can’t be flirting with others guys when I’m not around. We both agreed we wouldn’t do that.

Which in no way explains the magnitude of my anger.

He had his eyes all over her and he was touching her. Touching her lei anyway, and making a dirty joke about it, and she might be interested in him, and…f*ck.

I’m f*cking jealous.

I shake my head. What. The. Hell.

“Where were you for so long, anyway?” She lifts her chin. “With one of the many girls stalking you?”

I shake my head. “For Chrissake, no.”

“You didn’t seem too upset about Julie feeling up your abs.”

She’s jealous too. And being jealous and angry is not conducive to having a calm, rational conversation. Because I was about to throw down something that couldn’t be taken back. I was about to ask her if she wants out of this deal. And I’m too afraid to hear her answer to ask that question.

“Let’s go.”

“What?”

“Let’s go.” I take hold of her arm. “We’re not having this discussion right here and now.”

She starts to argue with me, but then she huffs out a huge, long-suffering sigh. “Fine.”

My anger is fading already. I can have a quick temper, but it’s usually over just as quickly. Drop the gloves, land a few punches, get it all out, and then it’s done.

I’m talking hockey, of course. I am not going to punch Skylar. But the testosterone and adrenaline and possessiveness pumping through me definitely make me want to do something else to her.

The drive home is silent, the air in my truck thick. Once we get back to her place and we’re inside, she tosses her coat over a chair and turns to face me, arms crossed, hip cocked, lips pouting. “Okay,” she says. “What was that?”

“I was rude. You’re right. I apologize.”

She blinks and her arms drop to her sides. Then she plants her hands on her hips. And damn, she’s so goddamn gorgeous, bare legs beneath that ridiculous grass skirt, the smooth curves of her torso in the bikini top, her long hair flowing down her bare back. Christ. My dick stands up and salutes her beauty. I wish we were on a beach in Hawaii and I could stretch out on the sand next to her in that tiny pink bikini and rub coconut-scented sunscreen over every inch of her body and then…

“Jacob?”

I blink. “Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

“Fantasizing about doing you on a tropical beach.”

Her eyes go wide, then hazy. “Oh.”

We stare at each other, and the air goes electric around us. The backs of my thighs tingle and my dick hurts. Then she’s in my arms and our mouths are fused.

“Damn.” I pull her bottom lip into my mouth, then her top lip. She moans and we kiss again, openmouthed, tongues sliding. She’s plastered against me, arms wrapped around me, mouth devouring mine, and I’m devouring her back. “Damn, baby.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

My mouth twitches but I comply. We need to talk, but hell, I’d way rather do this.

I back her up against the wall and slap my hands on either side of her head, pressing my hips into hers. She moans into my mouth and her hands slip under my shirt to my bare skin.

“You know what should happen now?”

She licks her bottom lip and looks up at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “Fucking? A blow job?”

“Aaaah.” I groan and kiss her again, fast and hard, my dick twitching at two of my favorite words. “Okay, that wasn’t what I was thinking, but now that you say it, hell yeah.”

She gives a breathy laugh. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking you should totally do a hula dance for me.”

“Oh. Hmm. I’m not sure I know how to do one.”

I step back and spin her around like I did earlier, then release her. “Okay, baby, bust a move.”