Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Simone knew no bounds and had no shame. She moved in without an invitation to the house I was sharing with her brother, Lucas, and immediately decided she wanted me. Provocation was her game and she stepped over boundaries whenever she felt like it.
Once she came into my bedroom.
“What the fuck are you doing in here?” I snarled.
She pursed those utterly kissable lips. “Just trying to get to know you. You make it kind of hard, you know.”
“I don’t want to know you. I’m a temporary roommate to your brother. You’re just a houseguest.”
She pouted and I had a million dirty fantasies about that mouth. “Now that just hurts my feelings.”
“Apparently not enough to drive you out of my room, though,” I snapped.
“Come on, Van.” She tried for a begging tone, but I could tell that woman begged for nothing. “Give me a shot. I make a fun friend, and if you’re interested in a benefits package with that friendship, I’m fucking dynamite in the sack.”
I was stunned stupid. “You did not just say that to me.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Why not? It’s the twenty-first century. Believe it or not, women have a firm grip on their sexuality. Some of us even—and don’t get too bent out of shape about this—actually like to have sex.”
I felt like I was in a bad dream, unable to come up with a good comeback, and on top of that, my dick twitched.
“I really, really like to have sex,” she added. “And you look like you’d be fantastic at it. I mean… I’m fantastic. I’m also quite bendy in bed. My flexibility is—”
My dick more than twitched, it started to swell and I bolted from my room. Six foot six of solid muscle and meanness out on the ice and I was running from her.
The more Simone rattled me, the harder she came at me. The harder she came at me, the easier I wore down until she provoked me into action. Forced me to acknowledge the boiling lust for her and I took what she offered.
That changed the entire trajectory of my life. Led me to my greatest love.
And now, my greatest loss.
I cannot go back there again. It was too hard walking away from her last week.
But it’s suddenly clear to me what I need to do. Telling her to leave and spewing lies that I don’t love her will not do the trick. They’ll just make her double down.
No… I need to do something different. Something that will frustrate her to no end and will have her running sooner rather than later.
I’m going to ignore her.
Turning my back, I unlock the door and enter my house. She scrambles in after me, assuredly afraid I’ll try to lock her out.
I don’t. Merely toss my keys on the small table by the door and disable the alarm at the wall panel. I unbutton my suit jacket. I hadn’t bothered with an overcoat because the short walk through the players’ lot in the arena garage didn’t warrant it.
“What are you doing?” she asks hesitantly, but I don’t look back at her.
“Going to bed,” I reply as I move through the living room.
“Aren’t you going to help me with my bags?”
“Nope.” I stop at the edge of the hallway that leads to the first-floor master. I jerk my head to the staircase. “There’s a guest room up there.”
“You want me to sleep in the guest room?”
“I don’t give a fuck what you do, Simone. But there are a few rules if you stay here.”
“What’s that?” she snaps, irritation written all over her beautiful face.
“Don’t come near me. Don’t talk to me.”
She scoffs because I can already tell she’s deviously brainstorming ways around that. “Is that all?”
“You’re a roommate. Nothing more. I expect you to have a care for this house and my personal property inside of it. As such, don’t you dare leave it without locking it tight and entering the alarm code.”
“Fine. Give me a key and the code.”
I shake my head, leveling her with a viciously triumphant smile. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“Then how do you expect me to come and go?” she asks.
“Not my problem. Preferably, you would just go, but if you’re going to pursue this stupid idea of brow-beating me into getting back with you, I don’t have to stick around. I plan on being out of this house as much as possible and you’ll just have to stay behind to make sure it’s safe.”
“I won’t be kept prisoner,” she says with confidence.
“You won’t risk someone stealing things that are important to me. You won’t risk someone stealing your stuff. So I’m guessing you’ll stay put.”
She rolls her eyes. “You know this is so childish.”
I lift a shoulder. “Just establishing clear lines. Stay on your side, okay?”
I can see she’s flummoxed and a thrill sweeps through me that I have the upper hand. She chews on her bottom lip, her gaze darting around, trying to figure out how to get back on top. I’ll let her stew on it in private.