Page 25 of Rebel Secrets (Devils Hockey #3)

Chapter Sixteen

The next morning

E rin

I stared at Rebel, my shock slowly turning to panic.

With one hand on my slightly aching head and the other holding the sheet up to my naked breasts, I scrambled onto my butt and tried to form words other than profanities, but all my mouth kept forming was “Oh my god.”

Rebel’s expression was unreadable. He didn’t look shocked, but he did look kind of sick. Like waking up with me had turned his stomach.

Back at you, buddy.

My stomach definitely felt like I’d ridden a roller coaster for the past eight hours.

That’s not what you were doing for the past eight hours.

Images from last night flooded my brain like I’d accidently opened a porn site, and they were playing clips from our greatest hits. Vivid and shocking and…hot. So very, very hot.

Heat swamped my body, from my hair to my toes.

And everywhere in between. I realized I was biting my lip only when his gaze dropped and his jaw clenched.

For some reason, my gaze dropped to his lap.

Oh, for fuck’s sake, yes, I was looking at his cock and, yes, there was definite movement under the sheet covering him from the waist down. Very low on his waist.

I remembered trailing my fingers down those defined abs, petting the silky dark hair that arrowed from his belly to his balls. Remembered cupping him in my hand and hearing him groan. Remembered?—

I dragged my gaze away and turned to sit on the edge of the bed. But of course, now he could see my naked back. And probably my butt and?—

What did it matter? He’d seen everything last night.

I swallowed hard.

I didn’t have to think very hard about what had happened last night. While parts of it were fuzzy, I hadn’t been black-out drunk. No, I’d drunk just enough to let some otherwise hidden desires come to the surface.

And then I’d acted on those desires. With the secret object of those desires.

“Erin.”

I made a sound when he spoke, a squeak or a hiss or just a breath that didn’t go down right. His voice saying my name scrambled my insides like a whisk scrambled eggs. It made me light-headed and brought up lots of other memories of him saying my name last night. Like when he made me?—

“Erin, you okay?”

I took a deep breath. And then one more just to make sure I could.

“Yes.” I spoke to the wall in front of me. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Good. I guess that makes one of us.”

He sounded like he always did and yet… he didn’t. Rebel didn’t normally sound unsure of himself. He always seemed like he had his shit together. Even if I thought he was wrong about something, he knew he was right and didn’t care what other people thought.

Right now, though, he sounded confused.

I turned my head so I could just see him out of the corner of my eye. The bed wobbled as he pulled a few pillows behind his back and propped himself up. His chest remained on full display, and I couldn’t help myself. I turned a little more just be sure I could see it probably.

I think I saw nail marks. From where I’d raked the acrylic tips that I’d had done specifically for the wedding since my nails were shit from all the dishwashing and kneading. I had an appointment to have them removed Monday morning. They’d get in the way?—

Holy shit. I’d left marks on him.

My head snapped back around to stare at the wall again.

“Do you feel okay?” I forced myself to ask.

Maybe he was too drunk to remember anything. Maybe he would?—

No, I didn’t want that because then he hadn’t really wanted me last night. It’d just been the alcohol.

Maybe that was for the best?

Shit.

“Except for the fact that you’re ready to jump out of bed and run screaming? Yeah, I’m fine.”

I scrambled around on the bed, tugging on the sheet so I didn’t uncover anything I didn’t want him to see—again—and gaped at him.

“What? Like you’re not trying to figure out how you can climb out the window to get away from me?”

His mouth twitched, like he wanted to smile but wouldn’t allow it. “I’ve climbed in and out of that window more times than I can remember. If I wanted out of here, I’d be gone.”

My brain pinged with all sorts of new information and questions.

Then I looked around the room. Hockey stuff all over the built-in bookshelves on the other side of the room.

A desk covered with pucks, some of them wrapped in tape.

Hockey jerseys in acrylic boxes on the walls, some with the name Lawrence and some with Jedi.

Jedi was Rebel’s nickname with the Devils.

Hockey sticks in a little teepee shape in the corner.

“Oh. This is your room.”

“Used to be, yeah.”

“Oh.” I swallowed hard, my mind churning. But I had one question I needed answered right now. “How drunk were you last night?”

I heard him sigh out a hard breath. “Not that drunk.”

My heart started to pound, and I bit my bottom lip until it hurt. “What does that mean?”

His gaze pinned me in place. “It means I remember everything. It also means I knew exactly what I was doing last night.”

My mouth dropped open before I could stop it. “Oh.”

I dropped his gaze because I couldn’t hold it.

“Yeah. Oh.” A little of his sarcasm crept back into his tone, making me feel a little better surprisingly. “So… How drunk were you ? Did you know what you were doing last night?”

He was giving me an exit strategy, a chance to pretend I’d had no idea what had happened so I could slink out of here and never look back.

Did I want to take it?

Maybe?

Coward.

Yeah, but I also knew we weren’t going to have a meaningful conversation about this right now. I couldn’t stop wondering if he had matching marks down his back.

With an effort, I forced myself to look directly at him so he knew I meant my words. “Yes, I knew.”

After a couple of more seconds, I had to drop my gaze or ask him to turn around so I could check his back. Instead, I pointed to a door on the wall to the right of the entrance.

“Is there a bathroom through that door?”

He didn’t bother to look where I was pointing. “Yeah.”

“Can I…?”

“Yeah. I’ll…ah…let me find you something to wear.”

“Oh shit. My bag’s in one of the guest rooms.”

“I’ll go get it.”

Ridiculous panic bubbled up. “What if someone sees you?”

He looked like he wanted to say something in response to that, something I wouldn’t like, but then he thought better of it. I don’t know if I’d wanted him to actually fight me about it or what.

“I don’t think anyone else is up yet. My parents’ room is on the first floor now, and I haven’t heard anyone walking around.

Rain gave you the empty room next to her old room, but I’m pretty sure she and Brian aren’t going to notice if I go in there to get your stuff.

Neither of them are going to be up this early. ”

I took a second before nodding, not knowing what else to do. I didn’t want to do a walk of shame down the hall and risk getting caught. At least if Rebel got caught, he’d have an excuse for coming out of his room.

Although, maybe I should just make a run for it, if the room wasn’t that far. My bladder made the final decision. I really needed to pee.

I nodded. “Okay.”

He shrugged. “Okay.”

Then he grabbed the comforter covering his waist and all the interesting bits below, and I made another one of those embarrassing squeaks and turned away as he threw the comforter off. Which was ridiculous. I’d seen it all last night. Touched almost every inch of him. And enjoyed every second.

Hell, we’d had sex last night. More than once.

And I wanted him again.

I was being ridiculous, but then everything about this situation was ridiculous. The bed shifted as he got up, then I heard drawers open and clothing rustle.

“It’s safe to look.”

Humor laced his tone, and my cheeks flushed.

“Be right back,” he said and was out the door a second later. I only got a glimpse of his ass in a pair of gym shorts before the door closed behind him.

I scrambled off the bed and ran for the bathroom. Two minutes later, I came back into the bedroom, trying not to trip over the sheet I’d wound back around my body. I froze when the doorknob turned, my heart pounding at the thought that we’d been caught.

Then he walked in, like we hadn’t just spent the night together and, if anyone found out…

Honestly, I think if anyone found out, they wouldn’t believe it.

Rebel watched me as he set my overnighter on the bed.

I was reaching for it when he said, “You wanna talk now or later?”

My hands froze halfway to the bag, but I forced myself to grab the tab and open the zipper, keeping my gaze firmly away from him.

“I don’t think talking about last night is going to change it.”

“Who said I wanted to change it?”

My gaze snapped back to his as he settled back onto the bed, hands laced behind his head.

My mouth dried at the sight of his six-pack abs, on full display.

His shorts hung low on his hips, and the broad chest and the trimmed stubble on his cheeks and chin.

I’d thought he might shave it completely for the wedding.

I’m so glad he hadn’t. I could still feel his whiskers on my skin.

I probably had patches of whisker burn on my thighs.

Then his words sank in.

“I don’t… What?”

“Why do you think I want to change what happened?”

I blinked at him. “Because… Well, I guess?—”

His gaze narrowed. “Do you want to forget it happened?”

I didn’t know what to say, couldn’t find the words I wanted to use. And that was a shock. I was never at a loss for words. This is what he did to me.

When I didn’t answer, he leaned forward, grabbed the bag and pulled it toward him. Since I still had my hand on the zipper, I started to lean forward, until I had to catch myself with my other hand on the bed. Which meant I released the sheet.

It loosened, and the front gaped, making me gasp and release the bag while I grabbed at the sheet and scrambled off the bed. Rebel’s gaze slipped to my chest and lingered there, lust transforming his expression into one I’d only ever seen last night.

Rebel wanted me. I mean, I knew he’d wanted me last night. He’s been hard . I can’t believe he still did this morning, though. It just didn’t make sense.

We hated each other.

Except, no, we didn’t.

When his gaze finally lifted, I thought I might combust. It felt like tiny fires flamed under my skin. The heat in his eyes scorched, matching the intensity of last night. I couldn’t breathe.

“Erin. We need to talk about this.”

I knew one thing. I didn’t want to talk about it now.

I wondered if anyone would see me streaking for my car in a sheet. Maybe no one was up yet. I gauged the distance to the door. Knowing me, I’d trip over the sheet and end up sprawled in the front hall with my ass naked for the world to see.

“I need to get dressed.”

His brows rose. “Maybe we should do this naked.”

My mouth dropped open, but not at the suggestion. No, it was at the images flooding my brain. Of Rebel. Naked. Last night.

“I…” wanted to see him naked again. “That’s not happening.”

He stood and walked around the bed, as my hand tightened on the sheet.

“I can live with that. For now. Go ahead and get dressed. Then we’ll talk. Later.”

He turned, opened a drawer in a dresser and grabbed a t-shirt before he walked out the door.