Wildcat: Chapter 14

I barely remember the drive back to my house.

Sitting in my car, engine off, I run the pad of my thumb along my bottom lip. Scarlett is on a date with another dude. And I freaking kissed her.

I can’t seem to stay away and that’s messing with my head. I’m a smart guy. I know the ramifications, and still… all I want to do is drive back and get her. She belongs with me.

Crossing the street, I walk into Ash’s place, where cars still line the driveway and road.

Chanting from the back of the house leads me to where the guys are all gathered.

“You’re back!” Ash juts his chin and yells over the noise. He’s at the back of the group. “I thought you ducked out for the night.”

“Nah. Just had to take care of something.”

Ash raises one brow. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” No. I motion with my head toward the center of the room.“What’s going on?”

Instead of answering, he weaves through, leading me to the front where I see what they’re all staring at. Or in this case, who. Johnny Maverick is shirtless, doing pushups in the middle of the circle.

Tyler holds up a stopwatch in one hand and counts along with the other guys.

“Should we tell him to save his energy?” Ash asks, knocking my arm with his elbow.

“Nah. Let him wear himself out. Maybe he’ll sleep on the plane ride.”

“Time,” Tyler calls. “One hundred and one.”

“Told you I could do a hundred pushups in two minutes.” Maverick pops up to his feet. His face is red from exertion, but he’s grinning big.

“Only one hundred and one?” Ash scoffs with a playful glint in his eyes. “Lohan here does that every morning before he gets out of bed.

“How would he do them before he gets out of bed?” Tyler asks, brows scrunched in confusion.

“It was a joke, rookie.” Ash claps him on the shoulder. “All right, everyone. I think Lohan has a few things he wants to say.”

I push forward and kneel down in the same spot Maverick was occupying. “Two minutes. Tell me when.”

A beat of silence follows my request. They were expecting a pep talk, but the last thing I want to do right now is give some heartfelt speech on keeping our heads straight while mine is on a Scarlett-driven loop.

“Uhh. Yeah,” Tyler lifts the stopwatch. “Go.”

Every rep, every burn of my muscles fades away and all I see is Scarlett standing next to my car in that black dress looking uncertain and nervous. All that for some guy who probably doesn’t even realize how fucking lucky he is to be in her presence.

And if he does? Fuck, that’s even worse.

Is she having fun? Did they decide to skip dinner and go back to his place? The unknown is a total mind fuck.

Tyler’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Time.”

I do one more and sit back on my heels. My chest heaves and my pulse races, but I don’t know if it’s because of the pushups or Scarlett.

“Damn, Lohan.” Maverick bows his head and lifts and drops his hands twice before he says, “I’m not worthy.”

I stand awkwardly. “How many?”

If they were counting aloud, I didn’t hear them.

Laughing, Ash wraps an arm around my neck. “One hundred and nineteen.”

“Nice speech,” someone yells, and the guys laugh.

“The message was loud and clear: be epic this weekend.” Ash drags me into the kitchen and tries to hand me a beer.

I wave him off. “No. I’m good.”

With a shake of his head, he says, “You don’t seem good. What the hell happened to you in the last hour?”

“I kissed her again.”

“Who?”

“Who the hell do you think?”

“Ah, dream girl.” He chuckles and crosses his arms over his chest. “And? Is she at your place waiting?”

“And nothing.” I rough a hand through my hair. “I dropped her off on a date with some other dude.”

“You did what now?”

I give him the quick version of tonight’s events concluding with, “It can’t happen.”

“Go.” He points to the door.

“Did you not hear me? It can’t happen.”

“I heard what you said.”

“And you’re still kicking me out?”

“Hell yes. It’s for your own good.”

“What happened to team bonding to get our heads straight?”

“Yours is the only one twisted right now, so go figure it out. There’s no way you’re flying to Vegas tomorrow ready to play hockey while simultaneously wondering if your dream girl went home with some other dude.”

A deep growl vibrates in my throat. I flex my jaw and look around. The mood is fairly chill now, and it seems like things probably won’t get out of hand.

“Get the hell out of here,” he says. “I’ll get everyone else out in the next hour so they’re rested.”

I take two steps toward the door. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I don’t want to be here. “Thanks, man.”

“Good luck,” he calls after me.

The drive back to the restaurant takes an eternity. I don’t have a plan, but at minimum I have to make sure she gets home safely.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that asshole.

I park across the street and jog toward the entrance. Scarlett is exiting as I approach and my heart rate kicks up. She’s alone, so I guess that’s something.

Pausing on the sidewalk, I wait for her to look my way. When she does, my entire body clenches with panic at her icy stare. She isn’t happy to see me. Not that I blame her.

“What are you doing here?”

I take another step toward her. “I wanted to make sure you had a ride.”

She glances over her shoulder back into the restaurant. “You can’t be here.”

“How are you getting home?”

“That’s none of your business.”

I close the remaining distance between us and slide my hand around the back of her neck. “I want you to be my business.”

Her pulse thrums under my touch.

“Are you going home with him?”

She tries to glare but even so her body melts into my touch. Slowly her head shakes side to side. “He’s in the bathroom. We’re just going to share an Uber.”

“Not anymore.” I take her hand and lead her to my car. She doesn’t resist or speak until I open the passenger side door.

“This really isn’t necessary.”

I drop my forehead to hers and skim my lips over hers. “Then get in because you want to. Because you can’t stop thinking about me and because there’s nowhere else you want to be.”

I force my feet back and give her room. She stares at me through hooded eyes. Her tongue flicks out to wet her lips and finally she moves into the car.

I don’t waste any time once I’m inside, pulling her to me and capturing her mouth.

“This doesn’t change anything,” she whispers. “I don’t date athletes. Especially ones that play for my dad.”

The excitement with which she kisses me makes it hard to care about words that don’t alter the here and now.

Dropping my hand to her thigh, I slide it up and under the hem of her dress. She whimpers as my fingers brush the delicate material between her legs.

She shifts to give me better access and loops her arms around my neck.

“You’re drenched, baby,” I murmur against her lips. “This for me?”

Her nod is nearly imperceptible, but when I circle my thumb against her clit, she cries out with relief. I tug until the material gives way and dip two fingers inside of her. She clings to me, nipping at my bottom lip and scraping her blunt nails along my back. The things she mutters are mostly nonsense, but they affirm me. She feels this too. It might be madness, but we’re in it together.

I would give up blow jobs for the rest of my life in exchange for watching Scarlett on the brink of bliss. To be clear, I’d like both, but if I have to give up one, it’s an easy choice.

Her pussy clenches around my fingers as her orgasm wracks her body and leaves her limp against me. A phone rings, hers or mine I’m not sure. Don’t care.

I take her mouth in a soft kiss as my heart hammers with adrenaline.

“That was…” she trails off. “Oh my gosh.”

I push back the strands of hair that have fallen forward, blocking her face. “You’re beautiful.”

“My dad,” she says.

Caressing her neck and sweeping two fingers along her delicate skin, I let the smallest bit of the outside world in with my acknowledgment. “I know.”

Fuck, I don’t have an answer for that, but I know it’s going to be messy.

She pulls back. “No. My dad is calling. That’s his ringtone.”

Her purse is on the floorboard, and she leans down to retrieve it. She casts an apprehensive glance my way. “I should answer. He never calls.”

I nod and sit back in my seat. Coach’s voice is distant and hard to understand, but it still hits me and coats my insides with guilt.

I roll the window down an inch to get some air to my lungs. Scarlett isn’t saying much back, but her bowed head and fingers rubbing at her forehead tell me it isn’t good news.

Dammit. What are we going to do?

She sits back and drops her phone to her lap.

“Is everything alright?” I ask.

A soft, brittle laugh leaves her lips and she looks over at me through dark lashes. “Looks like I’m traveling with the team this weekend.”