Boarded by Love (Bellevue Bullies 1)

I laugh as I shrug. “She’s a game changer dude. I’m into her, big-time, and I don’t want anyone else to scoop her up.”

He still doesn’t look convinced, or maybe he just doesn’t understand how his brother who has never had a girlfriend wants one now. “The redhead?”

“Claire.”

“I mean, she’s smoking, but I still don’t get it. You don’t do this kind of thing. This isn’t the Jude Sinclair I know, and I’ve known you since I was born.”

I nod. “I get it, but sometimes you meet the one who changes it all, and she’s it, man, hard-core.”

“More power to ya, man, just don’t rush it. See how it goes ’cause you may feel like this now, but what if someone comes up with a hotter pussy, and you’re after them?”

I’m shaking my head before he’s done. The great thing about talking to Jayden about this is that I can be the real me and he won’t laugh. So I say the truth.

“Won’t happen. I’m telling you, she’s changed me. I’ve never chased after a girl, and I chased her. And I sure as hell never second-guessed having sex with one because I didn’t want to rush it. This is real, man, and it’s scary as fuck, but I can’t see myself without her.”

His face is a thing of horror, and then suddenly, he’s reaching for his phone.

I ask, “What the hell are you doing?”

“Calling Mom. You’re sick or something.”

Knowing that Rachael works out in the morning, I head to the gym after practice looking for her. When I spot her on the treadmill, I lean against the front of it and she sets me with a look. “Funny seeing you here, but sorry, I’m not in the mood. It’s that time of the month.”

I scoff. “That’s not why I’m here.”

Her brow comes up. “Then why?”

“I want to know if Claire Anderson made the dance team.”

Her brows come together as her nose lifts in the air. “Why would I tell you?”

“’Cause if you don’t, I’ll make sure that none of the guys from the team ever look your way again. I think herpes will keep them away.” Her face fills with shock and I say, “Now come on, did she?”

She sticks her tongue out at me, and I wonder what I ever saw in her. Yeah, her ass is great, but she isn’t very pretty most the time because of the bitchy face she always wears. “Of course she did. She was the best one who tried out, and she’ll probably be the best on the damn team. Why? You trying to hit that?”

I shrug. “That’s not any of your business. When are you posting the list?”

Still glaring, she says, “Four.”

“Cool, have a good workout.”

I hear her call my name, but I ignore her and head out of the building toward my first class. Talking to her has made me late, but I had to make sure Claire made the team. Checking my watch, I know I only have two more hours till I can meet her after her class and convince her to have lunch with me. I’m sure she won’t say no, but still, it makes me nervous. Like Jayden said, this isn’t me, and while I’m scared shitless of this, I can’t wait for the next moment I see her, the next time I can touch her and feel her underneath me.

Speaking of Jayden, I could kick his ass. He really did call my mom, and of course, my mom fussed and begged me to bring Claire to dinner, but I quickly squashed that. There is no way I’m doing that yet. While I want her to be my girlfriend, I don’t want to scare her off. Jayden told me to cool it, wait for her to say that she wants to be exclusive before I start slamming my chest with my fists and claiming her as mine. So I guess I’ll chill even if I don’t want to. I’ve always been the compulsive type on the ice, taking the shot when I know I have it, but in life, I calculate and make sure that everything I do is a good idea. Like which school to go to, what classes to take, who to be friends with, and who to trust.

Especial

ly with females.

I never lie. I tell them upfront that our time together is a one-time thing and that’s it. If they can’t handle that, then sorry for them; I don’t have time for crazy. I’m a busy, hotshot hockey player. There are too many girls who want one night with me, and the crazy thing is, I never uttered those words to Claire. They weren’t even there. The only thing that was there was lust and need. When she touched me, everything went hot. She left her mark on me, and I am honestly A-OK with that. I like her. A lot. And I want her to see her, over and over again.

Thankfully the next two hours pass quickly, and while I have no clue what happened in my classes, I don’t care as I run across campus to where her class is letting out. I left a little early to make sure I’m on time, and when I see her coming out of the building in a pair of sweats and a large purple Assassins sweatshirt, her hair down in waves along her shoulders, everything inside me stops. I don’t even know who I am as I stalk toward her, and when she sees me, she grins, but I don’t say anything. I take her face in my hands, kissing her hard against her sweet lips. Deepening the kiss, I feel her books fall to the ground as her arms come up to wrap around my neck, her thumbs playing with the back of my neck, curling my toes and making me hard in every place possible.

Parting, I kiss her bottom lip, running my thumb along her jaw as our eyes meet.

“Hi,” I whisper and she grins.

“Well, hello to you,” she says, her cheeks warming in such a lovely face.