Page 213 of Ruthless Kings of Havoc

He’s been complaining about that each practice. I originally thought he was doing it to get off the ice since he’s been subbing for Flex, but when he’s sleeping like this, of course, you’re going to have a fucked-up neck.

“Make me,” he grunts sleepily. “Where’s Dolcezza?”

“In my bed,” I huff, annoyed by his stubbornness. “That going to get you up?”

“Hmph.” He doesn’t care.

Which means…

“You already knew she was in my room.”

“Mhmm.”

“Are you going to sleep?”

“I am sleeping.”

“In a proper bed so you don’t fuck up your neck, stupid.”

“Not with that attitude,” he grunts.

There’s always been something that ticks me off with Zander. I can’t put my finger on it. This competitive need to be better than him. To irritate him to the core, but it only goes so far.

I don’t like that.

He opens his eyes halfway when I’m gripping his chin and forcing his head further back, so he has no choice but to look up at me as I stand behind his chair.

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

“I’m aware,” he mutters. “You say that shit a lot during hockey.”

“Meaning you study me.”

“I study everyone.”

“That’s bull.” I dismiss his attempt to act like this about ‘everyone.’ It’s far from just everybody. It’s about whatever this shit is.

With Precious Gem included.

“You’re annoying,” Zander mutters. “Everything about you is annoying.”

“So I grind your gears,” I say in a tone of mockery as I inch closer, knowing my closeness would further piss him off. “Good. Fucking likewise.”

“Liar,” he mutters and narrows his tired eyes. “You don’t hate me.”

“I never said I did,” I grumble, not liking this tension building between us. It’s familiar, yet foreign.

A sensation I’m not used to feeling with a male.

“Your existence bothers me… but I can endure it,” I dare to admit. “Doesn’t mean I like you or some gay shit.”

“Meaning you’ve never fucked a guy?”

I’m intrigued that he asks that, but I don’t take offense to it, oddly enough.

“No.”

“Kissed a guy?”

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