Page 46 of The Puck Player

“Careful, love,” he warns, and when I snap my eyes to him, he has a dark look in his, one that almost renders me speechless.

“You need to put on a shirt,” I snap, a little breathless, and the infuriating asshole fucking smirks, as he towers over me and glares down at me.

“Why?” he asks, that insufferable smile still in place, and I swear he flexes a little, and I bite the bullet and rise to my feet, shoving past him.

“You own a fucking mirror, you know why,” I toss back, not missing his soft chuckle, as he turns and leans on his desk as I begin to pace.

“Oh, I do, but I want to hear you say it,” he dares, his words teasing me in a way they shouldn’t, and the knowing gleam in his eyes gives me confidence I definitely don’t feel.

“Fine. Put on a shirt because your body is distracting,” I grit, and his smile only widens.

“Anything for you, love,” he winks, rising back up and grabbing himself a shirt, before nodding his head toward the bed. “I usually sleep on the right if that’s good with you,” hecontinues, moving to pull back the covers, and I freeze as I look between him and the bed, only now just processing what’s going to happen.

“Oh, right, so like, we’re both sleeping here, in your bed, together?” I ask to confirm, and he pauses his movements.

“I can go sleep downstairs if that makes you more comfortable?” And I can tell from the genuine tone of his voice that he really means that.

No anger, no pressure, just complete sincerity.

“No, no, of course not, it’s fine, I’m just not really used to sleeping with anyone,” I admit softly, moving to the left side of the bed, and he nods in understanding.

“You and me both, Trouble.”

“Please, you’ve probably had a hundred girls in here,” I scoff playfully, ignoring the bitter taste of jealousy on my tongue. “Shall we call back your harem of hot tub girls, because you know I could always sleep on the sofa,” I tease, as I climb into bed, and I feel the heat of his body almost instantly, as he joins me and turns down the light.

“Well, who knew you had such a vivid imagination of my sex life,” he drawls, turning on his side to face me with a knowing smirk, and I’m glad he turned down the light, because at least he won’t be able to see me blush. Before I can deny his statement he adds, “And I have never fucked anyone in here.”

“Bullshit,” I yell almost immediately, unable to keep it in, and he laughs at my outburst.

“I may be a bit of a whore, but I am not a liar,” he replies smoothly. “I don’t lead girls on, it gives them false hope of something I was never able to give them. We flirt, have our fun for one night, and then go our separate ways, it’s transactional, and everyone is aware of that up front.”

His words are candid, a thought that has me wanting to claim bullshit again, because all he has done is flirt with me since we first met. Was that transactional, or something more?

“Now go to sleep, it’s been a rough night,” he adds in a demanding tone, and I smirk into the dark, as I reach out, finding his hand and giving it a soft squeeze.

“Thank you, Alexander, you really are one of a kind,” I tell him truthfully, meaning that more than he could ever know, and when I move to pull my hand away he tightens his hold, not letting it go.

“Goodnight, Aubree.”

And the last thing I remember is him rhythmically stroking the back of my hand until I fall asleep.

Every part of me feels soft and warm, comforted, like I am wrapped up in the world’s most perfect blanket. It smells sweet like candy, and feels smooth like butter, and I tighten my arms around it and inhale deeply, feeling more settled than I ever have before. Except when I tighten my arms the blanket starts to stir slightly, and my eyes snap open in confusion. I’m in my room, in my bed, except I’m not alone. I flick my eyes down and sigh in relief, when I find the epitome of hope with her head laying on my chest.

I’m on my back and Aubree is cuddled into my side, her arm across my chest and resting on my shoulder, her leg draped across my groin like she has done it a million times before. Both my hands are holding her against me like I am a cocoon, and her pink-tipped hair is spread across one of my pillows that clearlyshe didn’t feel was good enough to sleep on. It’s only when I take in her sleeping form that everything from last night comes back to me.

The drinking, the fighting, her fucking boyfriend, or should I say ex-boyfriend? Fuck I hope so. All I know for sure right now is that she is sleeping peacefully in my bed, with me, not him, and that my knuckles hurt like fuck. Shit. I really should have iced them. I flex my hands around her, and the movement has her snuggling deeper into the side of my chest, a content little sigh slipping from her lips that has my cock rapidly waking up.

“Aubree,” I say softly, not wanting to startle her, but also not wanting her to be attacked by my morning glory, well, not until she is ready that is. “Aubree, wake up,” I whisper, using my hold on her to shake her a little, and this time she groans.

“Noooo,” she drags out sleepily, rubbing her body onto mine, and if she doesn’t move quickly I don’t know how much more restraint I will be able to show.

“Keep rubbing on me like that, love, and we’re going to be having a very different kind of morning than the one I was planning,” I groan, trying my hardest to contain my erection, but I know the second she realizes where she is, and who she is with, because her entire body freezes.

Her eyes snap open and she shoves herself up roughly, taking in our position, before quickly scrambling away to the other side of the bed. “Oh my god, Alexander, I’m sorry, I forgot where I was,” she gasps, delighting me with the pink blush now staining her cheeks, and I take the opportunity to tease her a little.

“I can think of worse ways of waking up than a beautiful woman pressing herself against me,” I muse, pushing myself up until I can lean on the headboard, and I don’t miss the way her stare tracks the muscles in my arms as I stretch them over my head.

“I was not pressing myself against you,” she snaps in denial, and my smirk only widens.

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