Page 55 of These Wicked Hearts

Okay, what the fuck. How mad would my friends be if I left right now with him? “Don’t give me a boner. I’m too tired to sex you right now anyway.”

“Sex me? Atlas, I sex you.” His eyes soften on me. Less sharp, with a curiosity that’s making me want to go back to his apartment and try to find the energy to let him have his way. “So, now what, hockey boy?”

“Now?”

He nods.

“I mean, we could go back to being strangers. I mean, technically we still are. I only know what you do for a living.”

His expression shifts slightly, but it’s enough to make me wonder if he hates that idea too. Because I do. I hate it. “You don’t actually want that, though?”

“Maybe I don’t want to be strangers with you,” I admit. “I don’t think you do either.”

“You don’t know what I want.”

“I know you wanted to watch me play tonight and had a good time doing it.”

I hold his gaze. He shakes his head, looking away. “I didn’t go to watch you.”

“Happy accident, then?”

“An unfortunate circumstance.”

Fuck me sideways, behind, and forward. Oh my god, I like him. I look around, checking our surroundings, and lean in, shocking him with a quick kiss. I pat the side of his face. “Keep telling yourself that, rock star.”

Then I leave him there and head into the bar.

I know I said I wanted to come here, but now I just want to go home and take Gage back to my apartment. I meant what I said. I’m exhausted, but I already know if Gage ends up with me later tonight, I will squeeze out whatever energy I can find so he can touch me.

I miss my friends, though, and I remind myself that leaving them for a man I’ve known less than a couple of weeks would be insane, right?

Yes, insane.

I find my friends at a round corner booth. I don’t check, but I feel Gage behind me. “There they are.” Oli slides over, making room for Gage by squeezing into Andre. Not a hardship for him, I’m sure. Oli slings his arm across the back of Andre’s seat.

“You both are disgustingly cute,” Gage says.

“Nauseating,” I correct him, and Oli laughs, planting a kiss on Andre’s lips.

“Ah. I remember now. The giant strangers from earlier,” Gage says. “Wait, isn’t he the one who punched you tonight?”

“You mean that tickle fight?” I say coolly. “Didn’t feel like a punch.”

“I rocked your shit and you know it.”

“You didn’t rock nothing, Oli. You barely touched me.”

“Yeah, well, you barely touch my man again and I’ll barely throw your ass in a ditch.”

“What is wrong with you two?” Gage looks alarmed.

“What?” I blink. “He’s my best friend.”

“This shit’s normal in our world.” Andre laughs. “So . . .” Andre looks between us. “Thought we didn’t want to know what he did for a living?”

“I didn’t,” Gage says.

I look at him then see Vanessa coming over with a tray of drinks, and that little itch tickles the back of my neck when I see the yellow drink with a pink umbrella.