Page 19 of What About Us

I turn, ignoring his smug smile, and head for the gym.

“And am I your favorite hockey star?” he asks from right behind me. He’s walking so close, I can almost feel the heat from his body.

“I’m not telling you that,” I reply as I push the door open and step inside. It’s cold in here today. My nipples pucker from the chill in the air.

Or maybe that’s from Xander standing so close to me.

When I glance to the corner of the room, I pause.

“What’s that?”

CHAPTER FIVE

XANDER

She’s staring like something might jump out and bite her, and I have to push my hands in my pockets so I don’t do something stupid like pull her against me and make her feel safe.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Suddenly, I’m offering to let someone talk about their feelings and I have the urge to hug them?

I don’t do that.

I certainly don’t talk about my feelings, and I only hug my family. This whole protective thing I have going on where Ivy’s concerned is weird.

And maybe it’s because I witnessed her own mother treat her like garbage, and I have a soft spot for the redhead, but it’s still odd for me.

Just like what she’s staring at is out of the ordinary.

“Xander?”

I clear my throat. “It’s a desk, Red. Figured you’d like to sit there to make your notes and stuff rather than sit on the floor.”

She turns to stare up at me, blinking those big blue eyes.

Turns out, I’m a sucker for those eyes and the freckles across her nose.

The freckles do something to me.

Maybe the head injury has totally changed my entire personality.

“You bought me a desk.”

“Yes.”

“Yesterday?”

“I made some calls.” I frown and walk over to take her bag from her, then set it on the desk that I arranged by the windows.

Ivy likes the view.

Jesus, what the fuck is going on with me?

“Um, thanks,” she murmurs and walks over to join me, setting her water bottle down. “That was nice of you.”

“You’re welcome. Does that mean that you won’t try to kill me today?”

She smirks and glances up at me with the humor back in her eyes, and it almost knocks me on my ass.

“Hell no. Come on, we have work to do.”