Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
This time, though, I have him come on my pecs instead of in my mouth because I have to figure out if it’s swallowing his load that’s boosting my game, or just hooking up with Hayes in general, because I’m hoping next time we’re together, he’ll let me fuck him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Hayes
I spend most of my day trying not to think about Rylan’s game tonight. It’s not something I’m proud to admit, but I’m afraid something will go wrong, that he’ll play like crap and decide sleeping with me is the dumbest thing he’s ever done, and he doesn’t want to do it anymore.
What if I somehow become a bad-luck charm? What if anytime he’s near me, I mess up his game and ruin his career and he never wants to talk to me again? This is a strange, confusing thing we’re doing, and it doesn’t mean anything, so it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t want to talk to me again. I just really don’t want to ruin his career.
I’m giving myself a whole lot of power in this scenario, and I blame Rylan for it. He’s got me believing in all this superstitious stuff, as though I really think I’m a four-leaf clover or a sign of the end of times.
Our conversation yesterday was interesting. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what he shared with me—his dad abandoning them, his parents’ struggle—and how I could feel his passion for hockey. I just thought we’d have sex and go our separate ways, and if we did talk, I didn’t expect the depth Rylan showed me. Which is really a me problem because okay, maybe I can be a little judgy, but it’s not something I’m proud of. I’ve never had something like this, so I’m not sure how to feel about it, and… “Ugh.” I bend forward and bang my forehead against my desk a couple of times.
Why am I still thinking about Rylan Pierce? Hooking up with a guy as hot as him is clearly a threat to normal thinking patterns. Now everything is about him.
Ana stops by to ask if I want to hang out tonight, but I politely decline. I don’t leave work at five like I should. If I go home, all I’ll do is turn on the game. Besides, working late isn’t unusual for me. My job seems to be taking up about ninety percent of my life, but running a chain of hotels all along the western part of the country involves a lot of moving parts. That’s another reason this thing with Rylan makes sense. It’s easy. I’ve never had easy sex in my life, and—damn it. I did it again.
Don’t think about Rylan, don’t think about Rylan, don’t think about Rylan.
My phone rings, and I nearly jump out of my chair, heart racing like my cell is trying to kill me. Maybe a bit of an overreaction, but it startled the crap out of me. I snatch it off the desk, fumble and drop it, then pick it up again. I’m not sure whom I thought it would be, but I let out a relieved breath when I see Mom on the screen. Talking to her will be a good distraction because thinking about the guy you’re sleeping with is just weird when you’re on the phone with your mom.
“This is Hayes.”
“I know who it is, silly. I called you.”
She has a point. I’m just used to answering my phone that way, and considering I’m a creature of habit, it doesn’t matter whom I’m talking to. “Hey, Mom. How are you doing?”
“Not too bad. We’re heading to London in a couple of days, so I thought I’d call and check in.” My parents still travel a lot. Dad runs the East Coast operations, and while he has people to take care of the Rockwells in Europe, they’ve always loved being there, so it’s somewhere they’ve always spent a lot of time.
For some reason, that makes me think about Rylan, the way he talked about his parents and his relationship with them, their closeness. It feels so different from the one I share with mine. We love each other, I’ve never hurt for anything, and they’ve always supported me, but…it’s not the same.
“Hayes?”
“Hmm?” I say, realizing I must have zoned out.
“Nothing. You just didn’t say anything after I mentioned London.”
“Oh, sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Is everything okay? It has nothing to do with Malcolm or that Jilted Exes stuff, does it?”
Because of course she had to mention that. It’s the absolute last thing I want to talk about.
Before I have a chance to reply, not that I want to, she continues, “You need to find more friends. You’ve always been so independent, but more than that, you keep yourself at arm’s length from everyone. I worry that this whole thing with Malcolm is making that even worse.”