Page 29 of Tempting the Goalie
He grins and turns back to campus.
“So, remind me your roommates names.”
Luc shifts. “There’s Annie and Cade. Macklin—we call him Mack—he’s with Ruby, who is Hayden’s sister. Ruby and Annie are good friends. Last is Aaron, he’s my guy best friend, and he’s with Briar. They’re having a baby together,” he explains.
“Whoa, that sounds serious.”
“Yeah,” Luc agrees, looking on to the road. “Look, Izzy, I don’t discuss my past or family stuff with the guys.”
“Really? I thought they were your besties.”
“You’re my best friend. They’re all really good guys, but I don’t like to talk about my past,” he says, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles whiten.
“I know, Luc. I know you like the back of my hand.”
“You’re the only one who really does.” That comment should make me happy, but instead it saddens me because Luc has always had his walls up. Ever since his mom died, he holds the world at arm’s length, except for me. It makes me grateful, but I hate seeing him so closed off because he has so much to offer, and he doesn’t see it.
“So, I’m guessing your friends don’t know about me. I met some of them that day I came to the arena when I met West. I remember you introducing me like I was just some Joe Schmo. I knew it was because you didn’t want them asking questions about the girl who followed you all the way to Riverside.”
“I followed you here.” He laughs. “You got in first. That’s when I accepted their offer to be on the hockey team.”
I don’t have a response to that. We promised each other when high school ended, we would try to stay close to each other. We didn’t want to drift apart. Luc was as much my lifeline as I was his.
“Your friends might have questions about us. Especially, if they happen to remember me,” I note.
He blows out a breath. “I’ve been closed down so long I’m getting tired, Mon coeur.”
“Will you tell them the truth? That we’re faking a relationship?” I ask.
“Nah, the relationship may be fake but what I have planned for you when we get back to my room is very real.”
I press my thighs together, needing relief from the heat of his words.
“Although, I should warn you, my friends’ girlfriends can get kind of loud, if you know what I mean.” He grins.
I shift uncomfortably in my seat as he pulls into his driveway. “When you were at my place, you know when we. . .well, Norah heard everything. I was so embarrassed.”
“You can’t even say the words, Mon coeur.” He laughs, shaking his head. “We need to get you more comfortable with talking about sex. I have just the thing.”
“Should I be worried?” I ask with a giggle.
“Worried? Nah. Excited? Definitely. Now, come on. I don’t know who’s around downstairs this time of night, but it’s time for my two worlds to collide.”
We leave the car, and I follow Luc into the dark house. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Luc, but in hindsight that wasn’t true. I didn’t know what he looked like when he felt ecstasy. Now I know the sounds he makes when he comes. I know how glorious his cock is. I know he is an exquisite lover and it’s my prediction that I am going to be learning a lot more.
CHAPTER TEN
Luc
Bringing Izzy to the house feels weird. I’ve kept her away for so long. From everything that this place symbolized, sex, parties. . . now, I’m wondering if me keeping her away wasn’t really for her protection, but mine. She’s beautiful and real. Maybe I was scared one of my friends from the team would see her and fall in love. I did act like a crazy jerk at Black Jack’s when I saw Seth kissing her. I was jealous is what it boiled down to. Acknowledging my jealousy means accepting my feelings for her have run a lot deeper than I ever allowed myself to admit. It makes my choice to bring her to the house so I can have my way with her questionable. I told her not to fall in love with me, but I fear the opposite is more likely because I am about to make love with Izzy, my best friend, the girl who has owned my heart ever since I can remember. We spent the last almost three years living separate lives at Riverside. She was dating West for the past two
years, and the thought of them together made my skin boil. She had given him her virginity and I had done my best to not think about it because she was happy, and we were good. Nowthat she’s free something shifted. It feels like years of pent-up feelings have surfaced. Our friendship was always something we guarded. Now it feels like we lit a candle in the wind…beautiful, but never meant to last.
I unlock the front door of the house. Briar and Aaron are cuddling on the couch.
We walk inside to only a lamp lit in the family room. “Briar, Aaron, this is Izzy. She’s my friend from back home.”
Aaron stands and shakes her hand. “It’s an honor to meet one of Luc’s friends from home. Tell me all his secrets.”
