Page 111 of Just Friends
He puffed. “Thing is, I realized that I don’t have a chance in hell of winning a Cup without you.”
“Oh, isthatwhy you want me to be your girlfriend?” I asked, and smacked his shoulder playfully. “Is everything about hockey in the end?”
“I mean …” he trailed off, answering me only with a shrug that implied in the end, everything in his lifewasabout hockey indeed.
I groaned. “Oh no. What have I gotten myself into?”
“I was kidding!Kidding!” he reassured me. “Trust me, I know there’s more to life than hockey. I guess I didn’t really get that until I almost lost you. So,” he said, a joker’s grin spreading, “I’ll make an exception to that no-girlfriends-before-I-win-a-Cup rule for you.”
“How kind of you!” I said sarcastically. “And I’ll bendmydating rule for you, too.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Which rule?”
“No boyfriends who haven’t had a serious girlfriend and/or experienced heart break.”
He chuffed. “Ihaveexperienced heart break, by the way.”
“Oh yeah? News to me,” I said with a ripple of jealousy. “Who broke your heart?”
He clutched at his chest. “You did, when you started talking about moving away.”
I groaned. “You’re such a cornball.”
“Am I?” He gave it a moment’s thought and laughed at himself. “Hell, I guess I am. But I really do mean it, Piper. The thought of losing you made my heart feel like it was ripping in two. You’re the girl of my dreams—I don’t know how I’d live with myself if I let you get away.”
“Aw.” I touched my warmed heart. “You really like me, huh?”
His lips upturned into that classic Jax handsome smile. “I really, really do.”
“Show me.”
He bent down, his knuckles grazing my cheek, and claimed my mouth. Our last kiss was slow and sensual, but now that the live-stream was over,thisone was pure heat. Our plump lips locked, consummating years-long forbidden desires and pent-up frustrations. We touched tongues in a wet, electric frenzy and his salty, manly scent filled my senses.
Jax scooped me up and I ended up in his comforting arms again; I thinkbothour necks needed the relief because of the height difference. With my arms draped around his neck, Jax kissed me deeper, naughtier, and a balmy heat began to throb between my thighs. Wanting to be even closer to him, I wrapped my legs around his back and squeezed, pulling us closer together. We both gasped with surprise and panted with desire when my scorching-hot mound pressed against the rock-hard bulge in his trousers.
“God,” he whispered, his breath warm on my ear. “I want you so bad, Pipes.”
“I want you, too,” I panted.
Butthathad to wait. We had a dinner to attend.
As if on cue, the balcony doors opened. We turned to see Emma poke her head out, beaming. “Hey, you two. Sorry to interrupt.”
“Hi,” we answered in bashful unison. Quickly, I slid out of Jax’s arms. I tried to put distance between us, but he wouldn’t let me go; he quickly positioned my body in front of him and held me in place, his arm held around my neck. When I felt the hard protrusion against my rear, I suddenly understood why—he didn’t want Emma to see the bulge that was undoubtedly tenting his trousers.
“First of all, congrats!” Emma cheered, oblivious. “You guys are so friggin’ cute together.”
“Thanks,” we both said.
I teased Jax in secret, wiggling my butt against his dick ever so subtly. I felt his Adam’s apple gogulpagainst the top of my head.
“And welovedyour stream.” Emma winked and gave Jax a finger-gun gesture. “Nice job, pal.”
“Thanks, Emma,” he croaked.
“Yeah, wasn’t that sweet?” I chimed in as I covertly writhed my rear against Jax.
“It was the sweetest!” Emma sang. “Anyway, I’m just letting you guys know the shuttle’s here, so we’re heading down there now. You guys wanna come with us, or …?”
