Page 37 of Stick By Me

My dick woke. “You think giving me a blowjob is going to prove to me that you don’t have a concussion?” I chortled. “Not that I’m going to turn it down.”

He traced his fingers over the growing bulge in my jeans. “I can do other things. You tell me what you want and I’m all yours.” As his gaze fixated on my mouth, he tongued his lower lip.

A tickle of sensation played over my shaft and my breath quickened. “I’ll uh, I’ll think of something.” But what? I needed to start googling some things. Too bad I wasn’t out to Remy. He’d have been a good person to talk to about all this.

“So, let’s hurry over to my place. The guys have a big pot roast in the slow cooker, and we need to get there before they eat it all.” He grabbed my hand and strode toward the parking lot and his waiting SUV.

After parkingin the driveway of his house, he turned to me. “Leo, there’s something you should know before we go in.”

“Okay.” I unbuckled my seatbelt. This looked serious.

“We saw Axel at the Five Guys on campus today over lunch.” He pursed his lips. “I felt like you should know, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”

I stared at him. “And what happened?” My thoughts raced back to earlier today, before me and Remy had left for the game. Axel had seemed his normal self. He hadn’t said a word about it.

He placed his hand over mine on the center console. “You told Axel you were out with a woman named Angie last night.” He pressed his lips together.

A laugh burst from my throat. Not cool. “Oh, yeah, I did. He was up studying with Remy when I got home, and you know my brother. He’s gotta have his nose in everyone’s business.” A knot formed in my gut. Did he have a problem with that? He knew I wasn’t out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to say.”

“Yeah, I get it. But Mason and Jonah were there, so they know about it, too.” He kissed the back of my hand. “Don’t take it badly if they give you shit about it, okay?”

“Are they mad about it?” The knot in my stomach tightened. I didn’t want these guys not liking me and I sure as hell didn’t want them to think I’d hurt Archer in any way.

“No, I don’t think so. They just…” He dipped his head for a beat, then focused on me. “They don’t understand it, is all. Especially after talking to Axel and his buddy Caleb.”

Slowly nodding, I said, “Yeah, I can see where it looks a little odd.” I sank back into my seat, blowing out a breath. Now I was going to be on edge with his friends. This sucked. “Give me time, okay?”

“I am.” He wrapped his hand around my shoulder and pulled me to him. “Come here.”

As I turned and leaned in, he pressed a kiss to my mouth. “Don’t worry about it. I just wanted you to know in case they tease you about it. It’s all good, okay?”

“Yeah.” I twisted my lips and let my gaze wander out the windshield. Maybe this would be a good opportunity for me to show them I wasn’t fucking around with Archer. I was serious with him now, wasn’t I? The wrenching of my heart when he went down on the ice, that meant I was…I was what? Falling for him?Shit.

“Come on.” He opened his door and climbed out.

I stepped out of the car and followed him inside the house, then shut the door behind me. The scent of cooking beef with ahint of garlic and spices floated on the air. “Damn, that smells good.” I focused on their kitchen, the dated wooden cabinets, older white appliances and white tile counters.

The guys huddled at various positions in the kitchen, Mason setting out plates on the counter, Jonah stirring something inside a pot and Ace cutting a slab of meat on a wooden cutting board on their kitchen island. Ace looked up at me. “Just in time. Look at this bad boy.” He tapped the meat with a carving fork.

“Looks great.” My stomach rumbled. I’d eaten a burger at the start of the game, but that was a few hours ago.

“I’m going to go set my duffle in my room.” Archer sauntered off down the hallway.

“Sure.” I clasped my hands over my chest, my thoughts rummaging through the discussion in his car. “So, anything I can help you all with?” I strode to the kitchen and looked into the pot on the stovetop. “Mashed potatoes?” Cooking was my thing. I was comfortable in a kitchen.

“Yeah.” Jonah stirred them with a wooden spoon.

“Can I make some gravy?” I stepped to the crockpot and peered inside. There was a good amount of juice in there.

“Shit, could you?” A man with longer, dirty blond hair turned to me, his brown eyed gaze giving me the once over. He held out his hand. “I know we met, but I’m sure you don’t remember us all. It’s been a few weeks. Tyler Hodge, defense.”

Shaking his hand, I said, “Of course. Just get me a flat pan, some flour and do you have Worcester?”

“We do. We enjoy bloody Marys on occasion on a Sunday morning. Itisour only day off.” Mason winked at me, then dove into the refrigerator for a bottle of it.

“Here’s a pan and some flour.” A blond man set the pan on the stovetop, then a bag of flour onto the counter. “Name’s Myles, right winger, in case you forgot.”

“Thanks. I remember all your faces, but you know.” With a shrug, I got to work scooping the meat juices into the pan and heating it. So far, so good. No one was giving me any shit.

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