Page 26 of One Last Puck

“Umm… sure. Why not?” I said, deciding a little distraction could help me keep my mind off Jax.

My eyes darted to him on the other side of the room. His eyes burned a hole in my body. The chemistry we shared was undeniable. I could feel him all the way over here. This was supposed to be a brief entanglement, just an escape. How had we gotten here? Pulling my eyes away from Jax, I focused on Liam. He was the perfect person to let Jax know I couldn’t be tied down. I was a free spirit. I’d already met the love of my life.

I sipped my drink, feeling the bubbles tickle my throat. I needed to shake this feeling, so I focused on Liam and leaned closer.

“So, what about you? Did you enjoy the ceremony?” I asked, attempting to make small talk.

“It was decent,” he replied, leaning slightly closer to me. “But seeing you is definitely the highlight of my night.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, you know?” I shot back. Usually, I lived for a guy flirting with me, but right now, it just wasn’t doing it for me.

“Oh, I’m not trying to get anywhere.” He winked. “Just having a conversation.”

My eyes drifted back toward Jax, and my heart twisted at seeing him surrounded by women. They were all half naked and obviously flirting with him. When one of them slid into his lap, it turned my stomach so much I almost threw up.What the hell? Are you jealous?

“Hey, beautiful,are you even listening?” Liam’s voice startled me, pulling my attention back in his direction.

“Umm… I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little tired. What did you say?” I replied, faking a smile while my gaze lingered on Jax.

Liam leaned closer. The scent of his cologne made my nose burn.

“I just wrapped up a deal with Nike. Maybe I can get you some merch.” He bragged, puffing up his chest as if he had just scored a winning goal.

His charm was dripping with arrogance, and not the sexy kind. It was giving “Like me because I’m rich,” and I found myself nodding along and smiling. Maybe if I stayed quiet, he would leave.

“Yeah. These shoes are a part of the collection. These mugs aren’t even out yet.”

He held up his feet, and my eyes rolled so hard they could have gotten stuck.

“Yeah, no. I think I’m heading out. I need to get this blog up tonight and get some rest.”

I stood from the leather sofa. I wasn’t gaining anything by staying here, and Liam was irritating the hell out of me.

“Let me walk you out,” he suggested, flashing an overconfident grin. I shook my head.

“No. Really, it’s fine. I can walk out alone,” I insisted.

“Come on. Let a gentleman get you safely to your room.” He smiled, not taking no for an answer.

Not feeling the need to say anything further, I began walking away. Maybe that would help him get the picture.

“Hold up!” Liam called, falling into step beside me anyway.

“I’m good, Liam!” I grunted.

I was clearly annoyed. I didn’t want to be rude but having him trailing me felt a bit creepy.

“Come on. Don’t be like that. I won’t bite… unless you want me to.” He grabbed my arm.

“Get… the fuck…”

But before I could finish, Jax’s body wedged between us. His eyes flashed with anger.

“You’re not leaving with this nigga.” He had the same jealous look from before in his eyes.

“I’m not... I...”

“Hey, man. Stop cock blocking,” Liam mumbled, grabbing me again, and Jax looked between us. A sense of clarity washed over him as he observed the situation.

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