Clipped by Love (Bellevue Bullies #2) (42 page)

“Good, that’s what I want.”

“But it won’t be easy. I’m kinda prickly.”

“Just a tad,” I tease, and she smacks my arm, not in the playful matter either.

Turning to me then, she says, “I just want you to know that it really does mean a lot to me that you wanted to look out for me when I was such a bitch to you.”

Grinning, I reach out to hold her hand, but then I remember that someone could see us, so I tuck it back in my jeans. Yeah, this is going to be hard. I want to touch her. Like all the time, and to be restrained on that is going to suck balls.

Royally.

“I knew the day I saw you on the beach that you were different, and that I would do anything to make sure you’re safe. I was going to do it no matter what, but he offered to help me out and Jace, so I took it.”

“I don’t blame you,” she says softly. “Jace too?”

“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “I gotta look out for his little pansy-ass.”

“You look out for everyone.”

I nod. “Because I love them.”

Eyeing me, she says, “Whoa, you aren’t professing love for me, are you?”

I laugh as I shake my head, hoping to God I play it off. “Not yet.”

“Oh, good. I don’t know how I would handle that,” she says, but then she snaps her mouth shut. She looks at me and I grin as she makes a face. “I probably should have said something else, eh?”

Holding her gaze, I love that she said that. It’s the truth, she isn’t holding back, and that’s all I can ask for. “No, say what you feel, Baylor.”

Letting out a breath in a whoosh, she grins. “Okay, I can do that.”

“Awesome.”

She smiles shyly as she shrugs. “Yeah, most guys run from me. I don’t think I’m socially normal.”

“I’m not most guys,” I answer back, and she nods. “I think you’re fucking perfect.”

Blushing, she rocks back on her heels as she meets me gaze, shy and completely unsure of herself. It’s so beautiful to see. On the ice, she knows who she is. Off, she’s so uncertain, which blows my mind. When she lets go, she’s amazing, but most of the time she walks around wound so tight. I just need her to let go.

Biting into her lip, she asks, “I’m supposed to say thank you, right?”

“It’d be nice, but I know you, you want to deflect it.”

“’Cause it’s so weird!” she laughs and I shake my head. “I’m not perfect. I’m far from it.”

“But in my eyes, you are,” I say softly as her laughter subsides. I hold her beautiful gaze and love burns in my chest for her. She’s so perfectly not perfect. A beautiful fucking mess and she’s all mine. But I can’t say that. “To me, man, Bay, you have no clue.”

Heat creeps up her neck as she looks away, toeing the ground with her foot. “I don’t let anyone but my dad call me Bay.”

“Oh. My bad,” I say with a shrug. “Do you want me to stop?”

Looking up at me, she slowly shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Then I won’t,” I answer back, my eyes burning into hers. I want to touch her so bad. Just a small caress, anything. Man, I’m dying here and it’s only been twenty minutes! “This not touching you shit is wack.”

Grinning up at me, she says, “Wonder how long it will last?”

“We could just say fuck it and do what we want?”

She shakes her head. “My dad would flip, and plus, I don’t want that getting in the way on the ice.”

“Why would he flip?” I ask, and she lets out a breath, looking toward her dad’s house.

“He doesn’t want anything distracting me,” she says before looking back at me.

“So I’m a distraction?”

Scoffing, she nods her head quickly. “Hell yeah, you are.”

“Good,” I say with a wink. “But we got this. When we are on the ice, it’s business. We work.”

“Agree,” she states with a nod. “But off the ice…”

A smirk comes over my face as my body burns for hers. “I’ll be looking for every private spot just so I can touch you.”

As she bites into her lip, her eyes darken. “Well, just to let you know, if Markus and Jace weren’t watching us right now, I’d kiss you.”

Say what?

Looking toward the window, I see my dim-witted brother and his best friend. “Idiots.”

“Yeah, but they are funny,” she says as they start to act like they are making out with each other.

“I think I should kick their asses.”

She laughs. “Don’t. I like them. They are so cute, like little puppies.”

When Markus starts to hump Jace’s leg, I can see the resemblance.

Chuckling, I look over at her and smile. “Look at you. All liking people and shit.”

She grins at me, her eyes bright as the sun peeks through the clouds to warm her face. She looks almost like an angel, but I know that looks can be very deceiving. She may look like a beautiful, harmless flower, but she’ll lash out at you with that mouth of hers and kick you in the balls faster than you can say hockey.

Which is why I’m completely taken by her.

With a wink, she nods her head at me. “Don’t worry. I like you the most.”

As we stare into each other’s eyes, I decide I’ll take what I can get. But my mother’s words weigh heavy on my mind.

Don’t be a doormat.

And I won’t be.

I just hope she falls for me before I can be considered one.

“Y
ou guys are assholes,” I say once I enter my room. Markus and Jace look up from where they are playing Xbox and grin at me.

“What?” Markus asks innocently.

“Yeah, did we interrupt an important moment?” Jace chuckles, and I smack him upside the head as I pass. Markus laughs at that but then yells out when I smack him too.

“No, not at all. But come on, leave us alone,” I say as I throw my beanie and jacket down on my desk.

“So is there an us?” Markus asks then, waggling his eyebrows at me. “Body language says yes,” he adds, and I roll my eyes.

“Fuck off, both of you,” I snap as I hop onto the trampoline by my bed and land on my bunk. I was always jealous of Jude when he got to do that. Now that I get to, it’s kind of awesome. Okay, more than awesome. It’s so fucking cool. Reaching for my remote, I turn my TV on, going to Netflix so I can start the show once Baylor shows up. She had to change or something. I don’t know. I do know that I need to study for the exam I have tomorrow, but I figure I can do that later since she won’t be in here that long. As much as I want to spend all night with her in my bed, that will raise suspicion.

Stupid rules.

“We’re about to watch TV,” I say to them, but Jace waves me off.

“Who?” he asks.

“Me and Baylor.”

“But there isn’t anything going on,” Markus adds, and I glare. Picking up the closest thing to me, which is a pillow, I throw it at him. But like a ninja, he dodges it and continues to play.

Asshole.

“Don’t care, we are playing intense hockey here,” he says as he shoots in the game, scoring on Markus’s goalie. “Booyah! In your face.”

I smile at that, remembering when Baylor said that to me. But then I remember that I need these two idiots gone. “No, really, I’m not going to fight for volume here.”

“Fine,” he says before hitting mute and looking back at me. “It isn’t like you two need privacy or anything.”

His eyes challenge me to admit that there is something going on, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of winning over me. Flipping him off, I go to say something very colorful and probably illegal in some states, but then I notice Baylor in the doorway.

“Hey,” I say, sitting up, and she smiles. She’s wearing a tank and her Arkansas sweat pants. Her hair is in a bun high on top of her head, no makeup but her trusty lipstick on her beautiful mouth. I want to smear it so badly with all the passion in my soul, but there is no way in hell I’m gonna be able to do that with Tweedledee and Tweedledum in the room.

“Hey,” she says to me, but then she looks at the TV, her eyes lighting up. “I could so kick y’all’s asses at that,” she says before walking past them.

“Bring it then, Moore,” Jace challenges.

“Yeah, you talk a lot, but I bet you can’t back it up. We are champions around here,” Markus informs her, and I scoff.

“Excuse me? I won that championship,” I correct him, and he laughs.

“I let you win, for fear of my life,” he says, and that has us all laughing.

“Whatever,” I say, but I can see it in her eyes, she wants to play. When she looks back at me, biting her lip, I smile as I shrug. Giving her the option. If she wants to play, we can, but I’d rather lie down together.

“No, I already have plans, but I got you,” she says before jumping on the trampoline and landing beside me in perfect form.

Impressed, I grin. “Can I say that just turned me on?”

She giggles. “What? Jumping on the bed?”

“Gag,” Jace groans.

“But nothing is going on, remember,” Markus reminds him, and Jace laughs.

“So full of shit,” is his opinion, and I glare at the backs of their heads before glancing back at her.

“Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of girls climb in this bed, but not one jumped.”

Her grin drops then as Jace says, “That’s exactly what to tell a girl when you want to do her.”

“No wonder nothing is going on. Your brother has no game,” Markus says, and Baylor sputters with laughter.

“Get out!” I yell, but they don’t move.

“Sorry, we’re busy,” Jace says, waving me off, and I let out an annoyed breath. Now I know how Jude felt when he wanted to get busy with Claire and I wouldn’t leave the room.

Karma is a bitch, man.

Shaking my head, I meet Baylor’s gaze. “This was my brother’s bed. He had all the girls in his bed.”

“Yeah, because Jayden couldn’t get laid,” Jace laughs, and that’s it.

“Excuse me,” I say to her before hopping over her and landing hard on the floor. Both of the guys look back at me, and when their eyes go wide, it takes everything in me not to laugh. Reaching for my hockey stick, I go to the Xbox, ready to shoot the damn thing through the wall as I say, “Get the fuck out now, or the Xbox gets it.”

“You wouldn’t,” Jace says, but I can see the uneasiness in his eyes. He isn’t sure if I will or not. But I will.

“Five…four…” I start, and Markus laughs.

“Are you seriously counting down? Like we’re kids?”

“Three…two… I’ll kill it, I will,” I say, pulling the stick back farther.

“Y’all just go,” Baylor says from the bed. “I really do want to play later.”

Looking up at me, Jace doesn’t move. “Admit that something is going on.”

“Get out,” I say sternly. “Now.”

When he doesn’t move, I shrug and go to shoot the damn thing into the wall, but Jace throws his hands up.

“Fine! We’re going! Jeez, crybaby,” he yells at me as he gets up, shutting the game off. “God, Baylor, why don’t you get him off so he isn’t so crabby!”

“Shut your mouth, Jace. I’m warning you,” I advise him in a very low voice.

Glaring at me, they both walk out of the room, slamming the door shut. Reaching forward, I lock it before laying my stick against the wall.