Page 38 of Dirty Pucking Tease

"Sounds good. Now go get dressed so I'm not late." She was cute when she barked orders.

An hour later, we were dressed and walking into the arena. She went left to meet up with Petrov and her new partner, and I went right to get my skates out of my locker. By the time I got my skates on and hit the ice, Kaia and her new partner were alreadytwirling around the ice while Petrov shouted orders to them. Jealousy bloomed in my chest at the sight of her hand in his, and I reminded myself she wasn't his. I didn't know much about ice skating, but even I knew the two of them moved beautifully together.

I had zero intentions of putting in ice time this morning. My first class was at 7:00 a.m. It was 6:20 a.m., but before I could leave, I needed him to see me, to see I was here with her. I needed him to know she was mine.

I leaned against the wall, my arms crossed over my chest as I watched them glide by, and when my gaze met his, I knew he got the message.

25

Kaia got off at ten, and I pulled the bar door open at exactly 9:50 p.m. I liked to be here on the nights she worked, but tonight, I'd gotten caught up with helping Trystan and lost track of time. Her day shifts didn't bother me, but I didn't like her on this side of town after dark. The bar was located in the part of town with the highest crime rate. It was known for drugs, gangs, and violence. Since she started working here, I'd always been here when she left, even if she didn't know it.

My gaze scanned the busy bar for her. "What the fuck?" I muttered when my eyes landed on her sitting at the bar with Parker. My lip curled into a snarl as my fist clenched at my sides. Apparently, he hadn't gotten my message today, or he did, and he didn't give a fuck. Anger surged through me, but I controlled it, remembering she was leaving with me this weekend for Rock Fest.

"I thought you got off a ten," I said, not bothering to hide my annoyance. Parker and Kaia twisted to look at me.

"What's up, man?" Parker smirked, leaning back against the bar cockily, and I felt the anger still simmering in my veins. Kaiadidn't know what that smirk meant, but I did, and that answered my question; he didn't give a fuck. I couldn't act stupid here with Kaia. If I punched him in the throat right now, he won because she would be pissed at me. So I had to live with the fact that she'd be sleeping in my tent tomorrow night.

"I got cut an hour ago," Kaia said. "And Parker was here, so we were hanging out." They were fucking hanging out? The quirk of his lips told me he was satisfied with my irritation, and the quirk of mine told him he didn't stand a chance.

"Let's go," I snarled, refraining from snatching her off the stool, throwing her over my shoulder, and carrying her out like she was mine.

Kaia slid off her stool, and I twisted to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow night, Kaia," Parker said.

I was stunned, but I didn't stop walking. Did he say, 'I'll see you tomorrow night'? Because tomorrow night we would all be at Rock Fest. Did she invite him? I shoved through the door so hard it slammed into the outside wall. He was wrong if he thought he was sharing a tent with her, and I'd be happy to correct him.

"Wait up, Jax," Kaia called out. I didn't stop, but she did catch up. "What's your problem?"

"Get in the truck." I jerked open the passenger side door, but she didn't move. "Kai, please get in the truck." I'd said please, but my tone said to get in the truck, or I'll throw you in the truck. It had been one day since we'd made our agreement, and it was already over. She was going to invite him into her tent.

Kaia climbed in, and I slammed the door before running around the front of the truck and climbing in.

"What's wrong, Jax?" Kaia asked as I pulled the truck into traffic.

"Did you invite him to Rock Fest?"

"Yeah," she said, confusion twisting her face. "Trystan said I could."

"Did he?" She nodded. "And will he be sharing your tent?"

"What?" His brows knitted tightly. "No. He's bringing his own tent." She cocked her head. "Wait, is that what this is about? You thought I was going back on our deal?" I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the road, afraid if I looked at her, they'd give too much away. "Jax, no offense but your communication skills suck."

I huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, no shit."

"Parker and I are just getting to know each other. I'm not ready to share a tent with him."

"Do you like him?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. He's attractive and easy to talk to, but I've heard about his reputation with the ladies, and I'm not interested in being just another notch in someone's bedpost." It didn't sound like I had much to worry about. "I want someone who makes me feel like..." She trailed off.

"Like what?"

"Like you do when you're not a commitment-phobic asshole."

I laughed. "Well, your communication skills are on point." I swerved the truck into the driveway, parking in the darkness. Hitting the button to unbuckle my seatbelt, I lifted the center console and clicked her belt loose.

"What are you doing?" she asked as I slid into the center of the truck. I looped an arm behind her, wrapping it around her waist, and hooked my hand under her knee on the opposite side, and with one swift pull and a tiny yelp, she was straddling me.

My hands curled around her bare thighs just below her ass. Maybe I liked her work shorts more than I realized. Her hands slid around the back of my neck.