Page 5 of Puck Right Off

“S-she doesn’t n-need to a-apologize.”Her voice is low and shaky, an embarrassed flush stealing over the apples of her cheeks, enhancing her beauty. Her eyes widen before lowering to her hands on my chest, and I inwardly groan as she shivers.Dazed eyes lift to mine, two liquid pools of desire. My gaze moves to her mouth, nearly growling when her teeth sink into her bottom lip.

Goddamn.I’ve never been so jealous of teeth before in my life. A strong desire to lift my hand to her face, free her lip from her pearly whites, and then kiss the hell out of her in the middle of broad daylight consumes me. I’m barely able to resist the urge.

Jordyn snatches her hands away from my chest. Despite the warmth of the day, I’m immediately cold from the loss of her touch.

She looks down at her untied shoelace, and I follow her gaze. “I’m such a klutz.” She shakes her head before looking up at me. The sadness tingeing her aqua irises steals the breath from my lungs. But her next words shred my insides. “You don’t have to defend me. I’m not worth it.”

Who the hell made her feel insecure and like she’s not worth defending? I wanna beat the shit out of them.

I do my best to keep my anger at them in check as I answer. “I want to defend you, and I will.” My voice shakes from the passion in it, surprising us both.

The engine’s roar pulls my attention to the car idling on the street. Janelle slams on the gas, racing away. I shake my head, glad she’s gone but pissed at the chaos left in her wake.You helped create the chaos. You never should’ve touched her.

My gaze moves to Jordyn, who kneels, tying her shoe before she stands. Casting me a furtive look, she bites her lip before focusing on the lone suitcase in the driveway. “Well, I should?—”

“I’ll help.Noarguments.” My voice lowers, embarrassed by what she witnessed. “It’s the least I can do after the shit show I put you through.”

“Please don’t feel obligated to help because of… Well, all that.” She makes a feeble gesture, emitting a nervous laugh. “It’s a memorable way of meeting your new roommate.” She flashes a lopsided small, easing the sting of my humiliation.

“Yeah, this is definitely a first for me.” A bitter laugh escapes me. “Not my finest hour.”

The smile dies from her lips. “Everyone makes mistakes. I’ve made my share of them.” A shocked look covers her face as though she’s embarrassed at the words she just said. “Well, umm… thanks for defending me, although you didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, I guess we all make mistakes.” Stepping closer, I gently touch her arm, noting the goosebumps that immediately spread over her skin when I touch her. “Don’t thank me for defending you. You’re worth defending.”

Her soft expression warms my cold heart. I jerk my hand away as though someone dumped ice water over my skin.What the hell are you doing?You made a promise to yourself not to get involved with anyone. You have goals to focus on. The last thing you need is to drag anyone else into your darkness.

Turning away, I move to her suitcase.Just help her get her stuff inside and leave her the hell alone.

As I bend to lift her suitcase, her words haunting me, I make the mistake of looking at Jordyn. Her doe eyes stare down the street in the direction Janelle’s car traveled. Her shoulders slump in defeat, a wistful look on her face before she looks down at her outfit and frowns.

A protective vibe I haven’t felt in a long time rises, taking me over. For so many reasons, I should force it away.

But Ican’t. Something draws me to her, tethering me to her like a rope.

My reactions and movements are raw, unconscious, as I set her suitcase down and straighten. I step into her personal space, my finger sliding beneath her chin, lifting it to mine. “I don’t know who failed to defend or protect you, but they’re assholes.” A lump is in my throat when I see the gratitudeshimmering in her eyes. “Janelle had no right acting bitchy to you. She did because she’s insecure. She’s beneath you, and she damn well knows it.”

We stand there, our chests rising and falling in unison, unable to look away. The heat rolling between us and the electricity in the air is something I’ve never felt before.

The roar of a car engine coming down the street rips us from the moment. The rope tethering us together snaps, and in unison, we step back, averting our eyes. My teeth gnash together as I inwardly berate myself. What the hell are you doing? You know better than to get involved withanyone, least of allher. My teammate’s stepsister.

The car continues down the street, and we exhale, relieved that it’s not Josh. It’s a crude reminder that I need to get my shit together.

The sound of Jordyn’s retreating footsteps draws my attention back to her. “I’ve got this, Tristan,” she calls over her shoulder. I hate the coldness in her voice.

She hauls another suitcase out, slamming it on the pavement. My brows furrow as I watch her, silently fuming as she hauls out a duffle bag.

Realization spreads through me. She felt it, too. That’s why she’s reacting so coldly toward me.

I shake my head, irritated by my reaction. Everything was going just fine until Janelle and Jordyn showed up.

CHAPTER 4

Jordyn

Tristan sets my boxes of books on the floor with a soft thud. My body hums from the proximity to him. Inwardly berating myself, I keep my eyes averted from his muscular torso and arms, irritated by how sexy I find his bulging muscles, not to mention the outline of his cock in those gray sweatpants.Dammit. Knock it off.

My eyes skip around the room, resting on a floor to ceiling bookcase in the corner of the room. I’m drawn to it, the smell of the wood infiltrating my nostrils as I inhale deeply.

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