Page 37 of Make Me Yours (Chicago Railers Hockey #1)

STEELE

I tap my fingers against the locker room bench, my phone resting in my palm, the screen glowing with an unread message count of zero.

Lilah hasn’t texted me back.

She always responds.

Even if it’s just a thumbs-up emoji or a sarcastic I’ll be there, stop being needy, Sanderson.

But today?

Nothing.

With a scowl, I fire off another message before I can stop myself.

Me:

Hey, did you want me to pick you up and we can grab something to eat?

Still nothing.

Me:

Or should I just bring something home?

An uneasy feeling gnaws at me, clawing at my ribs. What if I pushed her too far and she changed her mind about our arrangement? Or what if she decided that we really are better off as friends?

If I thought she was in my blood before, it’s nothing compared to what it feels like now that I’ve touched and tasted her.

“Dude, what the hell did your phone do to you?” Oliver snickers from across the room, chucking a towel at me.

I catch it midair and throw it back, harder. “Fuck off.”

He grins but doesn’t press his luck before disappearing toward the showers.

Unable to help myself, I check my phone for the umpteenth time.

Still no response.

Where the hell is Lilah, and why isn’t she answering my texts?

The click of heels on tile makes me glance up, and I find Evelyn Kingston standing in the locker room, her sharp green gaze already locked on me as a smile lifts the edges of her lips.

“Ah, Steele. Just the man I wanted to see.”

I stand, shoving my phone in my pocket. “Hey, Ms. K.”

She glances at Jax, who’s a few lockers down, tugging on his hoodie. “Jaxon. It’s good to see that you’re settling in with the team.”

He flashes a cocky grin. “I love Chicago and am stoked to be here.”

Evelyn cocks her head and purses her lips. “Are you married?”

His grin falters. “God, no. Why the hell?—”

He catches my glare and immediately shifts gears. “I mean, no, ma’am. I’m not.”

“Good to know.” She gives him a bright smile before shifting her attention back to me.

“What’s up?” I ask, only half-listening as I pull out my phone again .

Evelyn crosses her arms as her gaze sharpens on me. “Are you waiting for something? Or, perhaps, some one ?”

My jaw tightens as I debate whether to admit the truth. That struggle lasts all of five seconds before I blurt, “I was trying to get ahold of Lilah, but she’s not responding.”

She hums like this is fascinating information. “Huh, that’s odd. I just saw her in the hallway a little while ago.”

I had no idea she’d be at the arena today. “Oh?”

She smiles sweetly in response. “Yes. In fact, she and Knox just left for lunch.”

Everything inside me goes still.

Lilah’s with Knox?

My fingers dig into my palms as heat rises in my chest that has absolutely nothing to do with the lingering adrenaline from practice.

“I’m sorry, she’s with who?”

“Knox,” Evelyn says, her smile turning smug as a glint sparks in her eyes. “They went out to lunch. I might have suggested Lilah offer her personal assistant services to him, and he seemed very enthusiastic about the idea.”

The hell she’s going to be a personal assistant for Knox. He’s ten times worse than his older brother, Colby, ever was. And I didn’t think that was possible.

A muscle tics in my jaw. “Where’d they go?”

She tilts her head and taps a perfectly manicured finger against her lips. “Oh, I don’t know if I should say. After all, Lilah is a grown woman. If she wants to go on a date…”

Date.

That single word detonates inside my head.

“Evelyn.”

Thankfully, she takes pity on me. Or maybe she doesn’t want to watch me unravel in real time. Either way, she rattles off the name of the restaurant.

Then, as if she hasn’t just thrown gasoline on an open flame, she adds casually, “I actually think Lilah and Knox would make a rather handsome couple, don’t you? He could use someone sweet and caring in his life.”

Instead of responding, I storm out of the locker room, hell-bent on finding out exactly what the fuck is going on. In less than five minutes, I’m sliding behind the wheel of my car, pulling out of the parking lot with my hands clenched so tightly around the steering wheel my knuckles turn white.

The drive to the restaurant should be easy, but traffic is a nightmare. The streets are packed with businesspeople, tourists, and locals, all moving at their own pace. Horns blare, cab drivers weave aggressively through lanes, and pedestrians jaywalk.

I barely notice any of it.

My mind is locked on one thing.

Lilah.

Who’s probably sitting across from Knox and laughing at something he said.

The guy thinks he’s a real funny fucker.

He’s able to turn on the charm any damn time he wants.

It’s exactly how he smooth-talks women into his bed.

I’ve seen it play out more times than I care to count, and I don’t want that to happen with Lilah.

I’ll kill him with my bare hands if he touches one blonde hair on her head.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to slap a friends-with-benefits label on what we have.

Maybe I should have been honest about how I really feel.

But I was afraid of pushing her away.

In that moment, I would’ve said or done just about anything to secure her agreement.

Although, one of the damn rules I should have laid down is that there’s no going out to lunch with any of my teammates.

Hell, no going out with anyone.

Period .

And she sure as shit isn’t going to become a personal assistant to any other man but me.

I grind my teeth, shifting lanes and catching a glimpse of the Chicago River to my right. The midday sun reflects off the water, shimmering against the backdrop of towering steel and glass skyscrapers.

I can’t stop thinking about how much I’ve loved having Lilah in my space these past few weeks.

The way she relaxes on my couch with Waffles, hums to herself while puttering around my kitchen, or wanders through the penthouse in one of my T-shirts.

It never fails to tug at something deep in my chest.

She’s turned my place into something it never was before.

A home.

My mind tumbles back to the way she bites her lip when she’s deep in thought, or how her perfume lingers in the air long after she’s gone.

This isn’t just jealousy.

It’s a gut-deep, possessive kind of frustration.

The kind that tells me I’m running out of time to figure this out before someone else steps in.

I hit the gas a little harder as I take the next turn before pulling onto the street where the restaurant is located and cutting into a parking space the second one opens up.

Of course he’d take her to one of those trendy Chicago spots with exposed brick walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s the kind of place that caters to lunch meetings, startup tech bros, and the weekend brunch crowd.

I push open the door, the bell above chiming with my entrance, and scan the dining area.

It doesn’t take long to find her.

She’s near the back, sitting at a small corner table, legs crossed, laughing at something Knox just said. Her smile is infectious. It’s the kind that hits low in my gut and squeezes.

And I hate how good they look together .

Not because they’re a thing but because they could be. That’s all it takes for my jealousy to spike like a fever.

My jaw tightens as I cross the restaurant.

Knox spots me first. The smug bastard gives me a chin lift. “Hey, Cap. Didn’t know you’d be joining us. Grab a chair, we were just about to order.”

Lilah’s eyes widen. “Steele?”

I don’t bother to hide my irritation as I drop into the empty chair across from her, my stare fixed on her face.

“I didn’t realize you’d be going out to lunch with Knox,” I say, barely able to keep my voice level.

She shifts on her seat. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

Knox jumps in, humor simmering in every word. “I’m on the hunt for a new PA and thought we could share yours. What do you think?”

My mouth flattens. “That you have a death wish.”

He grins. “Yeah, I figured that might be your response.”

“And yet, you still took her out and asked her to work for you.”

Knox shrugs, the picture of innocence. “I need someone I can trust. Someone who won’t sell my secrets to that gossip site. Lilah fits the bill.”

I shoot him a sharp look. “Find someone else. Lilah’s not interested.”

He leans back in his chair, fingers tapping thoughtfully on the table. “Maybe you should let her answer for herself. For all we know, she might enjoy handling two hockey players at the same time.”

Any second now, I’m going to lunge across this table and wring his damn neck. The guy is purposely pushing my buttons.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” I grit out, muscles coiled tight .

“Nope. Once Lilah agreed to go out with me, I cleared the entire afternoon.” He flashes her a wink. “But, hey, no pressure.”

“This isn’t a date,” I snap. I’m dangerously close to dragging him out of here by his collar. I’ve always held a tight leash on my temper. On the ice, in the locker room, and in life. But that leash has now reached its snapping point. “It’s not happening,” I state. “She’s busy.”

Lilah exhales. “Steele, you’re being ridiculous.”

I glance at her. “Am I?”

Knox bites back a laugh. “You seem a little territorial for someone who claims she’s just a friend.”

“I swear to God, Knox, you’re about two seconds away from finding out exactly how territorial I can be.”

With a grin, he holds up both hands in surrender. “All right, all right. I can take a hint.” Standing, he straightens his jacket and flashes a wink at Lilah. “If you change your mind, give me a call. I’d be more than happy to have you on the Knox McNichols team.”

The guy has no idea how close he is to needing dental reconstruction.

Once he’s gone, the silence stretches tightly between us.

I don’t speak.

I just stare at her.

Lilah fidgets before finally breaking. “I wasn’t seriously considering it, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“It kind of looked like you were,” I say, arms crossing over my chest. “You were laughing and smiling. Giving him your attention.”

“It was Evelyn’s idea, and I thought I’d hear him out. That’s all.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “That’s never all when it comes to Knox, and you know that.”

She rolls her eyes. “Knox doesn’t have an effect on me. ”

“He should have known better than to ask you to work for him.”

Her chin lifts and her eyes sharpen. “Oh? And why is that?”

“Because he knows you belong to me.”

The words land between us with the weight of a confession.

Lilah’s lips part and her brows lift as her eyes search mine, like she’s trying to read between every line.

“I thought,” she begins, “this was just a friends-with-benefits thing.”

I lean in, lowering my voice so it’s just for her. “It is.” There’s a beat of silence, thick enough to choke on. “Which is exactly why,” I add, gaze locked on hers, “we should’ve established another rule. No one else touches that pussy but me.”

It’s satisfying to watch the way her breath catches as color rushes to her cheeks.

“You may have touched me…” She licks her lips. “But you haven’t fucked me.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My pulse spikes and my cock stirs to life, and it takes everything I have not to flinch.

Instead, I hold her gaze, pretending like I’m not being burned alive inside.

“Is that what you want, lucky charm?” My voice dips, turning low and dangerous. “To be fucked?”

She gives me a small and hesitant nod.

Before I can respond, the waiter appears. “Are you ready to order?”

Lilah jolts like she forgot we were in public. “We’re not staying?—”

“Actually,” I cut in, “we are. And we’d like to order lunch.”

She snaps her head toward me. “We would?”

I smirk. “Absolutely. You came here with Knox because you were hungry. And now I’m going to feed you.”

She pouts. It’s an honest-to-God, full-lipped, bratty little pout. And my restraint nearly shatters. I want to lean across the table and kiss her senseless. I want to pull her into my lap and make her squirm until she begs me to take her home.

Instead, I lift my gaze to the waiter. “Two steaks. Both medium rare. She’ll have an espresso martini and I’ll take a lager.”

He jots it down and leaves. The moment he’s gone, Lilah leans forward, eyes wide, voice low. “I thought you were going to… you know.”

I raise a brow. “Fuck you?”

Her cheeks flame as she nods. It makes her look so damn sweet. And completely fuckable.

I lean in again. “Oh, I have every intention of fucking you, Lilah.”

Her breath stutters.

“But first,” I say, fingers trailing along the edge of the table, “I’m going to bend you over my lap and spank that perfect ass until it’s cherry red.”

She gasps as her brows rise. Her reaction is everything. The need in her eyes is written in bold neon.

“I think we both know there are things I don’t mind sharing with my teammates,” I continue in a warning growl. “But you’re not one of them. You’re mine. Remember that next time another man asks you out to lunch. No matter what the reason is.”

She shifts in her seat, probably wondering whether I’m making a threat or a promise.

Spoiler alert. It’s both.

“And after I’ve reminded you exactly who you belong to,” I say, letting every word sink in, “I’m going to fuck you so hard, you won’t remember the name of any guy who’s ever looked at you.”

Lilah’s lips part on a shaky exhale. Her pupils are blown and her expression dazed. She’s spiraling, and I’m right there with her.

“Is there anything you’d like to say about that?” I ask.

She swallows hard. “No.”

“Good.” I lean back in satisfaction before flashing her a cocky grin. “Now, I want you to make sure you eat all your lunch, lucky charm.”

“Why?”

I smirk. “Because you’re going to need every ounce of energy you’ve got for this afternoon.”

And by the time I’m done with her, there won’t be a question in her mind as to who she belongs to.