“Awesome, I love it.”
“You can wear it tonight.”
She looks up at me quickly. “Or we can drive my car or Jayden’s.”
“I’m the man – I drive. And Jayden needs his car tonight.”
Letting out a breath, she lets the jacket fall onto the bed. “Okay, well, prepare yourself because Phillip is gonna flip and hate you if you are driving my car, but even more so if we ride your bike. But since I have a new jacket, we’ll go that route.”
“He’ll love me,” I say confidently. “We both love hockey, love the same girl, and we like riding. It’s a match made in heaven.”
She gives me a deadpan look and shakes her head. “If you weren’t dating me that might be the case, but since you are, he instantly hates you. So just be ready for that.”
Reaching for her, I pull her to my chest. “It will be fine. I’ll charm him. Everyone loves me.”
“Have you ever met a dad or uncle in this case?”
Shaking my head, I shrug. “Nope, can’t be that hard.”
“Yeah, keep thinking that, babe,” she says as she laughs.
I know she’s thinking the worst, but really this is going to be cake. He’s a supercool dude. He can’t hate me – I’m a cool dude!
Claire then kisses my jaw before turning out of my arms to take my sweatshirt off. When I see that she’s bare-chested, I go to get me a quick grab but she smacks my hand away. “I don’t have time. Do me a favor, grab me a sports bra out of that drawer real quick. I know if I walk past you, you’ll attack me.”
I laugh as I open the drawer because she is very right on that. Reaching in, I grab the first bra and throw it to her, but then something catches my eye. Reaching for the big hunk of cash that is wrapped in a roll with a rubber band holding it closed, I look at her. “Damn, babe, why do you have all this money in here?”
Looking up at me, her eyes wide, she pulls her bra over her sexy breasts and then shrugs. “It’s my paycheck.”
“Oh man, you make a lot. Perks of being the best damn dancer in the world, huh?”
She grins as she nods. “You know it. Tuck that back under my underwear; I must have just tossed it in there last night, not thinking. I was dead on my feet.”
I do as she asks even though I want to open it and see how much is in there. It’s huge, but the only bill I can see is a hundred. Since it would be rude to ask, I close the drawer and then say, “Make sure you put that in the bank.”
“Okay, Dad,” she teases and I give her a look.
“Ha-ha, just saying.”
“I know, thank you, and I will. I’m gonna go out today actually,” she says as she puts my jersey on. I like how it looks on her, so much so that I close the distance between us and hug her tightly to my chest, dusting her jaw with kisses. “Jude, I have to go.”
“You can be a tad bit late,” I say just as my mouth meets hers.
But we weren’t late, we missed our first classes completely, but as I lay beside her, running my fingers lazily down her naked back, I can’t find it in me to care.
Kissing her lips, I smile as she whispers, “Love you. I’ll see you at five, right? You’ll pick me up?”
I nod. “Yup, see you then,” I say and then kiss her jaw again. “Love you, have fun at class.”
She sends me a grin. “Thanks, hope that Skylar has notes for the one I missed!”
“It was worth it,” I call as she walks away.
Looking back at me, she says, “Sure was, bye!”
“Bye, babe,” I say, and once she goes inside, I turn to head to my own class.
Waving at some of my friends as I pass by, I know I’m going to be late, but I really don’t care. I’ve never been much of a student. I try to study, but I don’t try more than I have to. I make sure my grades are good, but I focus more on the ice. That’s where I’m meant to be. If anything, I’ll get the notes off someone in class.