Page 47 of Replay

Sam snorts. “Who knew he had it in him. Although it seems the Saints boys tend to lean toward slightly unhinged.”

“You really don’t want to live with him?” Riley’s eyes are intense on me. “I mean no offense but your place is kinda small.”

“Not you too. It may be small, but I can afford it and not have to bust my ass on expensive rent when I don’t have time for a part-time job half the year. I save all I can in the spring and summer, and it carries me through hockey season,” I explain, the same way I did to Hawke this morning when he blindsided me and demanded I move into his place.

“Let me guess, Mr. Tittiewhipped number two offered to take care of you,” Sam says, reaching for another chicken wing. Riley blushes and grabs for some of the pizza on the table.

“Something like that,” I sigh. If only they knew how the conversation really went.

I did not expect Hawke to attack the minute we woke up this morning. This past week after our one night away from each other, he’s been demanding I stay at his place. I don’t mind, and I’ll never admit it now, but I like his bed more and I can studyeasier there in his apartment without the campus commotion outside in the hallways or the parking lots. I also don’t mind the many orgasms I receive all week. Hawke is a man possessed with how often he wants me. If we aren’t in class, at practice, or sleeping, he is inside me. His fingers, his tongue, his cock, always there. So when I woke up again with his head between my thighs, I didn’t question it until he leaned back on his knees, hands pinning me to the bed and said I was moving in.

“You’re moving in here today. After the game we can go to your place to get your things, but I need you here. Tonight. Every night.”

My eyes widen and my heart beats wildly. “Hawke, that's something we should talk about. I can't just up and move. I have a lease.”

He plunges two fingers inside my core and my eyes roll back. “I'll worry about your lease. Just say yes, Em, and we don’t have to pretend that you don’t want this too.”

My body starts to respond to him, lust building in my belly, and I want the release he can give me. It gets harder to concentrate on what he’s saying the more my body chases my orgasm and that’s when I realize what he’s doing. Grunting, I push myself up in bed, his glistening fingers falling out of my pussy.

“You can’t distract me with orgasms to get what you want, Hawke.”

“Fine, Emmarys, how about we make a bet.” He reaches out, grabbing my ankle and pulling me down the bed.

My eyes widen and my hands clench into fists. “A bet? Seriously.”

He nods his golden head, like it absolutely makes sense to take this huge step in our relationship and make it a bet. “Deadly serious. I need you here. You’ve been here all week andhaven't complained once, so I don’t see what the big deal is. We both want this.”

“I’ve been here all week because you sound like you need me here,” I retort.

He smirks, laughing darkly. “You can tell yourself that but you can’t lie to me, Em. You’re more relaxed here. You have time to take care of yourself here with the quiet and me taking care of you.”

“I don’t need you to take care of me, Hawke.”

“I love taking care of you, Em. I’m not complaining, I’m stating a fact. I’ll take care of getting your lease broken and you can keep the rest of what you saved for rent and use it for something else you want.” He shrugs like money just grows on trees and I realize that for him, it does. Hawke grew up wealthy, and now he’s a millionaire in his own right with his inheritance. Money has just always been there for him. Even knowing he’s offering, I still feel an icky sludge move through my chest. What if the press or his fans think I’m only with him because of the fame and money?

“We’ve barely been dating a few months, Hawke. This is too soon,” I murmur, fighting to hold in the shakiness of my voice.

His eyes flick all over my face, reading me, trying to find my weak point. “We’ve been together for four years, Emmarys. Nothing is too soon.”

I scoff and push at him, rolling off the bed and grabbing my discarded t-shirt. “We haven't been together for four years. I don’t want to rely on you that way, Hawke. If anyone?—”

“I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks or says, Em. Not our friends, our families, your ex-boyfriend or your hockey team,” he growls. I watch as he slides his sweatpants on and stalks toward me.

Hawke’s fingers clench around my jaw, tilting my head up to look at him. “You have been the only woman for me since themoment I saw you. I’ve loved you ever since. To me that means taking care of you, living with you, and holding you every night.”

“Why are you so adamant about this? Why would you bring up my team and Jax?” My voice hardens and my chest aches for what he might reveal.

“He took it upon himself to warn me off of you because of shit the girls have been talking. I could care less what he says. I want to know why you didn’t tell me.”

My shoulders drop and tears spring to my eyes. “Because it doesn’t matter what they think. A few of the girls were saying shit and I took care of it. That was the day I found you in the parking lot. Since then, no one on the team has given me any grief.”

“The day you claimed me?” His grin widens and he leans down softly kissing my lips. I manage to nod my head.

“It was time to show them that you are mine.”

Hawke groans and his forehead falls to my shoulder. “You can’t say shit like that to me, Em. I won’t survive it if you leave me. Take the bet.”

“What are the stakes?” My voice is quiet, my head spinning. Could I really do this?

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