“Can I just say one more thing?” he asked, looking uncertain for the first time since I’d met him.
“Pretty sure that’s the point.” I reminded him, pulling my jeans on.
“I meant every word I said tonight.” He swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re too good for anyone who doesn’t worship you in the way you deserve.”
My cheeks flushed again. “Thanks, Leo.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” he said as I made my way to the door, pulling my sweater over my head.
I reached for the door handle. “Don’t worry, I know what this was. I won’t try to call you, and I won’t wait for a call either.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Come on, Hawaii, we can be friends.” His teasing tone felt forced.
Yeah, right. He doesn’t want to be friends with me.
I let him off the hook with a joke. “My friends don’t usually make me come like that.” I pulled the door open and stepped through it.
“Then you need better friends,” he called after me as I shut the door between us.
I snorted.
I definitely needed better something. His comment about communication had struck a chord. I’d never had that with Connor or anyone else. I’d never been able to voice my desires or ask what someone else wanted. Communicating with Leo during sex had been easy, sexy even. I didn’t need better friends, but I did need communication like that with the next guy I invited into my bed.
Chapter Thirteen
Leo
I’d never felt disappointmentlike I did as Sophia closed my door. I wanted her to come back. I wanted her to spend the entire night in my bed doing more of what we just did. I wanted to hold her and look at the deep blue of her eyes between rounds. Then I wanted to wake up with her in my arms and do it all over again.
This crush thing is seriously getting out of hand. Is this what they feel like? A fucking nuisance is what it is.
I knew going into this that Sophia only wanted one night, but after the night we’d just had, from our time at The Cohen Club to the amazing orgasms we’d shared, I couldn’t help but hope she’d come back wanting more. I wanted more.
My regret at agreeing to a casual night with her hit hard as I fell asleep but not nearly as hard as my alarm going off for morning practice after having a few drinks and being up late. The alarm blared from my phone as I smacked it until it stopped making noise and groaned, rollingover. I dragged myself out of bed, pulled on some sweats, grabbed my duffel, and scurried my ass across campus to the rink.
“Hey, Leo,” a voice drawled from the end of the hallway as I turned to go into the locker room. “Can you ask my brother to come out here?”
I looked the shadowed figured up and down, dread setting in amongst the annoyance I already felt this morning. “Harley?”
“Yeah. Can you ask Devon to come out?” he asked, stepping closer. Even from a distance I could see his bloodshot eyes, pale complexion, and stringy, dirty-blonde hair well enough to tell that he looked high.
I sighed. “You shouldn’t be here. You’re going to get him in trouble.”
“I just need to see him. I need some cash.” His hands moved in his pockets as he shifted on his feet.
“Yeah, I bet. I’ll tell him you’re out here.”
I went into the locker room without sparing him another look. Harley was a couple years older than us and had a serious drug problem. He’d already served time for selling on campus during our freshmen year and his antics had almost gotten Devon kicked off the hockey team for trying to cover for his stupid ass. Their parents had been out of the picture for years and clearly Devon felt some obligation to his remaining family. Devon wasn’t going pro but he loved the sport and it would have been hard on the team if Harley had caused him to lose his spot on the roster.
I tossed my duffel bag onto the bench in front of my locker, loud enough that a few of the other guys turned to face me, all of them in various states of suiting up for practice. I found Devon among them.
“Your brother is in the hall,” I said. “Get rid of him.”
Devon’s face fell. “What does he want?”
“What do you think he wants, man? Just get him off campus before you get yourself involved in his shit,” I said, pulling my gear out of my bag.
“I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal,” Devon said, moving toward the door.
