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As soon as we entered her apartment, I maneuvered to her bedroom and tossed her unceremoniously on her bed.
I went to her kitchen to retrieve a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers to put on her bedside table, then leaned back against her bathroom door frame. “Drink,” I ordered, nodding to the water.
She sipped it. “You’re different,” she mumbled.
My eyebrows pinched together. “What do you mean?”
“Different than… the other hockey player,” she said quietly.
Needing to touch her, I pushed forward and took her leg in my hand to pull off her boot. “You’re gonna have to clarify more than that, Josie girl.” I tossed the boot over my shoulder.
Before I even realized what was happening, she was grabbing my t-shirt and pulling me down beside her. I gave in and fell on her comfy bed. Seconds later, she was straddling me with her gorgeous legs.
I held my hands up, not daring to touch her. “Josie, you’re drunk,” I said flatly.
Her hair hit my face as she came an inch away from me. My body simmered from being underneath her, my groin ached. “Doesn’t matter,” she said coyly.
“Nope.” Twisting my legs around hers, I rolled us back around so I was on top of her. I pinned her wrists together above her head.
Her mouth dropped open. “Tyler Jettersen, you’re turning me down again?”
A chuckle punched out of me. “Josephina, you are drunk as a skunk right now and I’m sober as a judge. Either we’re both drunk or we’re both sober. Your choice.”
“You’re so frustrating, Tyler.” She squinted, trying to read me. “What is your middle name?” she demanded.
“Ha! So you can add that in with your teacher-voice? No way.” I let go of her hands and tickled her sides ‘til she went limp. “And remember, youlikeme, Miss Josie,” I teased.
She released a harrumph, looking stubborn as hell that she wasn’t about to get her way.
In a daring move, I brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The bed creaked as I stood. I was about to leave, but she reached out and tugged my wrist. “Can’t you just stay?” She implored me with round, puppy dog eyes.
I closed my eyes tightly, hating that I couldn’t just say yes, hating that I needed assurance from her, but needing it all the same. “And what about tomorrow?” I breathed out.
Her eyes searched mine. “You can stay tomorrow too,” she said quietly. “If you, ya know, want.” She shrugged, trying to look neutral.
“Well, that’s a little better I guess,” I chuckled.
She rolled her eyes. “I’mtryingto be a romantic like you said, but it’s going against everything I’ve been telling myself lately.”
“Hmmhmm,” I responded, not wanting her to think too much or change her mind. I lifted my t-shirt over my head and dropped it to the ground, willing myself not to smile too hard and freak her out, because I absolutely loved that my words got to her.
“You’re kidding me,” she deadpanned.
I looked down. “What?”
She flopped back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. “Guess I need to get back to the gym over this break too.”
That made me laugh. I climbed in bed beside her and pulled her body close. “No you don’t, you’re perfect.”
I’d never held someone like this before, it felt so incredibly intimate. She feltmine…but I had to make sure. I needed confirmation before I could fully relax.
“Josie…”
“Hmm…” She turned and traced my jaw with her delicate finger.
“Can you just date me and we can skip over the part where you date a bunch of douchebags to prove me wrong?” She was silent and I suddenly felt way too vulnerable. I played back what I said and felt like I’d just begged her to date me again, and my brain scrambled to make a joke to play it off. “I mean, think about it this way, it’ll be way less clean up for us if we just date each other now, babe.”
