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“I understand if you don’t want me driving any of your vehicles again,” I murmured, softening my tone so that I sounded sad.
He shook his head. “It was an accident. You didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t worry about it.” He patted me on the shoulder and waved his hand. “Go rest. You both deserve it.”
I gave him a wavering smile and turned on my heel to walk into the house. Atlas followed me as I rushed up the stairs and headed to the second floor. I didn’t get to my bedroom before he grabbed my elbow, stopping me.
“I didn’t need you to take the blame.” His words didn’t hold the heat they usually did, and he sounded almost grateful.
We stared at each other for a long moment, and I smiled. Now that the adrenaline pumping in my veins had begun to leave my body again, the reminder of the pain in my ribs had me wincing.
Atlas straightened, his gaze alert. “You’re hurt from that hit in the game.”
I shrugged and chuckled. “Nothing new. It’s hockey.”
He shook his head. “Does Rémi know?”
“I told him. He gave me some painkillers to help. I have to rest as much as I can. He’ll probably tell Coach, but nothing’s broken. I’d be in a lot more agony if it was.” I touched a hand to my right side as a small spike of pain echoed from my ribs. “Just bruised. That Fairborn is a big bastard.”
“He waited until the end of the game, the prick.” Atlas’s jaw tightened and he clenched his hands at his sides. “We’ll kick his ass next time.”
I had no doubt that Miloševic would definitely try, and something told me Atlas would, too. But I didn’t want our team to lose for some petty revenge. We had bigger plans for the season.
“Yeah, thanks.” It was strange to say those words to him, but I meant them. Atlas cared. I glanced at my door and threw my thumb toward it. “You wanna come in? We don’t have to fuck. We could talk game strategy and stuff.”
“Nah.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed. “I should go do some work. I’ve got a couple of tests to study for. Gotta keep the grades up or you know what Coach is like.”
I laughed. “Yeah. We won’t have to worry about Fairborn with Coach on our case.”
He nodded and backed away, and I watched him, awkward and not sure what else to do. This was entirely new territory with Atlas. We’d never really had a conversation that didn’t involve him telling me how much he hated me or one where I didn’t give him shit, and now it felt like something had changed. I’d seen him vulnerable and I’d protected him.
He paused when his back hit his door, and I continued to stare.
I didn’t know how long we stood there before he charged forward again and grabbed my face, slamming me against the wall near my bedroom door. I gasped, and he covered my lips with his, fucking his tongue into my mouth hard and fast. My ribs throbbed, but I pulled him in tighter as his hand wrapped around my neck, fingers digging into my windpipe.
He kissed me with enough force to bruise my lips, and I still wanted more. I couldn’t get enough of him and hunger burned in my stomach. I groaned into his mouth.
“I still hate you,” he murmured.
I chuckled through the harsh breaths I dragged into my lungs. “You don’t. You like me.”
He didn’t deny it, but he didn’t kiss me again, either. He shifted backward, removing his hold on my neck. His chest rose and fell fast as he stared at me, and I wished I could read his mind.
“Do you want to come in?” I reached over to open my bedroom door, and he looked at it as it swung open, revealing my room.
“I’m tired,” he grumbled, but there was something in his eyes that said he wanted to take me up on my offer.
“We can sleep.” I crossed my arms and grinned. “I’ve never fallen asleep cuddling. It’d be nice to try it out.”
He snorted and glanced toward the balcony over the first floor. “It doesn’t mean I like you if we do.”
I chuckled and started to move past the threshold, then threw him a smirk over my shoulder. “Don’t worry, you can still tell the others you hate me.”
“I still do.” He followed me, though.
I winked. “You keep telling yourself that.”
As soon as he got into the room, I closed the door. He toed off his shoes. I walked over to him slowly, and he let me undress him. He didn’t move an inch, except to lift his legs so I could get his pants off him. When I did the same to myself, he continued to stare. I was tempted to ask him if he was into watching, but I bit down on my tongue to keep the smart-ass comment quiet.
When we were both in our boxers, I walked around him as though he was a wild animal. Carefully, so I didn’t spook him, I got to the bed and pulled back the blankets, slipping underneath them. I wriggled farther over and left the blanket down for him to make his choice.
