Page 3 of Mistletoe Misconduct

“Fine,” I agree, dragging my luggage to Liam’s old room. “But I’ve got to get to practice, and I’m not dragging my shit back downstairs beforehand, so he’s just gonna have to deal with me taking up space in your old room for the day.”

“I’ll let you know what he ends up deciding before you get done at practice.”

Mona and I sit beside each other on the locker room bench, drenched in sweat with our chests heaving.

My muscles are fatigued as hell, and I feel a twinge of a headache coming on. “You have an electrolyte packet in your bag?” I ask Mona, and she nods, bending forward to rifle around in her duffel. When she finds one, she tosses it to me.

“Thanks.” I nod at her, pouring it into what’s left of my water.

“I’ll order another—” she says, her words getting cut off mid-thought. “Shit, I guess Iwon’torder another box for the apartment.”

My heart sinks just the smallest bit. “It’s fine. I’ll pick some up on my way back to Liam’s.”

She raises a dark brow at me as she stands to undress for a shower, now that we’ve caught our breath.

“And how’s that going? Kai okay with you moving in?”

I roll my eyes at her. “No, apparently, Liam hadn’t even asked him, so I had the immense displeasure of arriving to hear thembickering like an old married couple. I knew Kai was never my biggest fan, but I guess I never realized just how much he can’t stand me.”

Her brows pinch together, confusion written plainly on her face. “Lea, I think you’re delusional. That man looks at you like he wants to eat you for all three meals and snacks in between.”

“Now who’s the delusional one?” I ask, rolling my eyes as I get up to head to the showers.

“Clearly, still you. I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation for why he wouldn’t want you living with him. Hell, maybe he doesn’t think he’ll be able to keep his hands off of you,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Yeah, don’t think that’s it,” I say with a laugh. Thankfully, our conversation is cut short as we enter our separate stalls by our teammate’s voices that are too loud to speak over the partition.

By the time I make it back to my car, Liam’s left me two voicemails and six texts. All of which tell me that Kai has “gotten over himself” and is “happy to have me.” Which I’m certain are Liam’s words, not Kai’s.

I shake my head, toss my phone in the passenger seat, and head back to the apartment. I’ll have to take Liam’s word for it because, as it stands, I don’t have anywhere else to go anyway.

Chapter two

Kai

Ican’t believe that fucker got me to say yes.

Actually, scratch that, Icanbelieve it. But that doesn’t mean I like it.

The worst part is that Liam has a game tonight, so he had to go before Lea got back, which is bound to make this much more awkward.

I’m sprawled out on the couch, my head resting on my forearms as I try and fail to keep my eyes on the TV when Lea makes her way inside.

Her sweet vanilla scent permeates the room, making me feel dizzy. My teeth grind at the thought. I hate how she’s always had that effect on me.

“Hey, Kai,” she says noncommittally as she passes me in the living room and lets herself into the room that used to be Liam’s.

“Leonora,” I say, working to control the tone of my voice and giving her a curt nod.

I can practically feel the eye roll she’s giving me right now. She hates it when I call her by her first name.

Which is precisely why I do it.

Yes, I realize I’m a grown-ass, twenty-six-year-old man, but it’s the simple pleasures in life that make the world go round. And mine happens to be childishly calling my best friend’s little sister a name she despises.

It’s her fault though.

Maybe if she weren’t so goddamn pretty, I wouldn’t have to say dumb shit to keep her at arm's length.

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