Chapter Six
I woke up and looked around, the alarm blaring through my bedroom. I got to sleep in today, but I wasn’t feeling the day. I rolled over and hit snooze on the device beside me. The beers weren’t affecting me since I’d only had a few but I still felt off. Fuck it. I got up and took a shower before I mixed up a protein shake and went to the gym. There was always some loud music playing there and a few guys to chat with. Just what I needed.
A couple of the guys from the bar yesterday were there too. I nodded at them and placed my bag against the wall. “What’s up?” I asked and took a long sip of the vanilla drink from my cup.
They were laughing, and I glanced at them with a curious gaze. “Jennifer was at the bar last night. Did you see her?” one of them asked.
“I think when I was headed out,” I replied in a casual voice, wondering what they were getting at.
“She left with Keith Adams from the Wings. I thought she seemed a little on the innocent side, but it didn’t take her long,” David told me. I felt rage flood my veins. “How was your girl?”
“Good. It was a package deal that came with a roommate,” I tried to sound pleased but I was too mad and jealous to feel that way.
“Nice. Are you going to see them again?” Brent asked me, and I shrugged. “That’s right up your alley.”
“I went home after we were done.” I wrapped a towel around my neck and looked around the room to see what I wanted to do. I decided to do a hard run. One of the guys turned on Alice in Chains. After the hard run, I worked on weights, and I was glad that my shoulder was hurting after the exercise. It was like I was hurting Jennifer directly somehow and it felt good in some twisted way.
I didn’t stop at practice, and I pushed myself as Coach urged me on. I didn’t look over too much on purpose, but when I finally did, I saw Jennifer sitting beside him looking pale and tired. She was sipping her coffee and her hair was twisted into a loose bun. She nodded at something Coach had said before she met my gaze. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned, forcing her eyes away from mine to look at the other players. What the hell was her problem? She went home with a fucking hockey player last night! “McLeod. Pay attention!” Coach yelled as I struggled to focus on the drill that we were working on. He pushed us hard, and we practiced some plays over and over for the upcoming game late this afternoon.
My shoulder was throbbing as we finished and I stomped to the locker room. “Do you need to see Jennifer?” Coach called out. I looked up and met his eyes.
“I'm all right, Coach.” I kept going and took a hot shower, not caring that I took longer than usual. I needed the heat, and I wasn’t about to go and see her for help. I grabbed some lunch with the guys before the game, and we headed back to change into our uniforms to do a quick practice on the field.
I glanced over to the sidelines to see the coaches and Jennifer standing there. They were talking and taking furtive glances at all of us. Chase ran towards them as Coach waved him over and Jennifer asked him something. She smiled lightly and nodded before she looked over at Coach with dread in her eyes. Chase left, and Coach searched our group for me. “McLeod!!” He waved me over and I strode to the group with a scowl on my face.
“What’s up?” I asked, looking into his face.
“How’s the shoulder?” she asked. She looked so concerned as I glanced at her and her eyes clouded over. “Are you okay to play?”
“I told him I was all right,” I snapped as everyone gave me a weird look. I went back out, and we prepared to start the game. I watched Jennifer sit down and stare at me. All of my lies came to the surface when I struggled with every play. At halftime, Coach yelled at me to get to the sidelines.
“What the fuck is your problem today?” he demanded as I rolled my shoulder and winced. “You said you were fine.”
“I was,” I replied as he ran a hand through his hair and glanced at Jennifer.
“Take a look at this idiot.” He left no question in his voice, and she and I headed to her room with a heavy silence between us.
“What happened? Nothing looked too bad out there,” she murmured. I sat down in the usual spot and let out a sigh.
“It’s been hurting all day,” I admitted. She frowned at me. “I didn’t want to see you.”
“Why?” Her face twisted in confusion and I glared at her.
“Keith Adams? Didn’t take you long,” I snapped as her mouth dropped open. I wanted to kiss her so badly. Her eyes flashed at me.
“He’s separate from this, and besides, you left with the damn blonde. Who are you to judge me for anything?” Her voice was rising, and she pressed her hands on her curvy hips.
“I wanted to leave with you, Jennifer. Damn you and your rules.” I stepped forward and kissed her out of anger and frustration. She gasped against my lips. She tasted so good, and she melted against me as I tugged her closer with my hands around her back.
“We can’t do this,” she struggled against me as I pulled her closer. “Justin, stop.”
“I can’t,” I whispered and slipped a hand into her hair.
“Not here,” she pleaded and I pulled away. “Let me see how you are. The team needs you.”
I pulled away and let her feel my injury as I took several deep breaths. She asked me to take my shirt off, and I complied as she looked me over hungrily. It seemed that Keith didn’t scratch all of her itches. Jennifer worked quietly and added some heat for a few minutes as I stared forward and tried to control my need for her. Once she pulled it off, she requested that I move my arm around and see how it felt.
“I can play, but I might need you after,” I said as I looked at her. Her lips were swollen, and I longed to kiss her again.
“I’ll be here,” she promised as I stood and dressed again. We both walked out after she fixed her hair and checked her face. I checked in with Coach, and he sent me back out after conferring with her. The concern on her face was overwhelming. I kept looking at her since nobody had ever looked at me that way. I wasn’t close to my family and I’d never been serious about a woman before.
I finished the game, but we lost by a touchdown. Everyone left the field dejected. The lecture from the coach was brief and very blunt. I changed into some street clothes before I went back to see Jennifer.
She rubbed me down, and I leaned against her as disappointment flooded me. “I fucked up by playing with that injury.”
“The team lost, not just you. I would prefer you to be careful next time, though. I don’t want your injury to get worse.” Her voice was soft as she massaged me and I nodded.
I asked her to have a drink with me when she finished, and I heard her take a deep breath.
“I shouldn’t,” she told me, and I nodded.
“I know.” I was done trying to pretend that I didn’t want her, and we both sighed. “Come to my place. It’ll be private.”
She agreed reluctantly, and I gave her my address before I left first. I was happy that she was coming over. Not normally a jealous man, I couldn’t get the image of her with another man out of my head. I didn’t know what to do about that but to replace him and fuck her senseless. I drove home and cleaned up a bit while waiting for her.
Finally, there was a knock at the door, and I rushed over to get it. Opening it, I saw Jennifer standing there with a nervous expression on her face. “You’re here.”
“I considered going home,” she admitted as I pulled her inside and closed the door. “I just can’t get you out of my mind.”
I pressed her against the wall and kissed her hard as she moaned. “I can’t get you out of my mind. I just want to feel you tight around me.” I kissed her again, and she parted her lips as our teeth crashed together. “Fuck, you taste good.”
I lifted her and carried her down the hall to my bedroom. She kissed me with rough presses of her lips. I could feel how much she wanted me as she wrapped her arms around me. It filled me with hope and feelings that I was uncertain of. I dropped her onto the mattress and covered her body with mine.
We stripped our clothes off in between long kisses and I looked over her naked body. Lust surged through me. I kissed down her neck, and she moaned. I sucked her skin between my teeth before I moved down to her breasts. She moaned in reaction to everything that I did to her. When I found her large pink nipples with my mouth, she whimpered and she sounded like she was going to cry. “I wish it had been you,” she said, her voice soft. I wondered what she meant as she wrapped her legs around me.