Rule Number Five: A College Hockey Romance (Rule Breaker Series Book 1)(8)

She huffed out a half laugh. “Oh, I remember. Plus, I wasn’t exactly in my right mind by the end.”

“No, you weren’t. What do you say we try that again?”

“Oh, so you’re looking to get your ego hurt?” Fuck, I loved the sass on her.

Before I could answer, the overeager barista turned a carnal smile my way and leaned all the way over the counter, giving me a perfect view of her full tits. “Made yours special.”

I grabbed my coffee, ignoring the phone number written across it in red marker and the lipstick print of her kiss. She gave me a little smirk.

“Thanks,” I said, voice flat.

Sidney’s gaze pierced mine before she rolled her eyes.

There wasn’t enough light in the club to make out their color before, and I was momentarily sucked into their depths. They were brown around the edges, lightening to a crisp apple-green center. She was gorgeous, and her annoyed expression at the barista was fucking adorably hot.

“That happen a lot?” Sidney gestured to the barista.

“Sometimes.” I shrugged and took a sip of my burning hot coffee and tried not to wince when the hot liquid touched my tongue.

Sidney chewed on her lip, and her eyes zeroed in on the scrawled number on my cup. She looked annoyed, but there was an underlying emotion there I couldn’t make out. The same electric current from the bar pulsed between us and held me frozen in place.

I knew it was fucking real.

Her chest rose rapidly, clearly as affected as I was. I lowered my head to her ear so only she could hear me. “Seriously, I want to see you again.”

“Sidney… Sidney… going once, going twice.” The barista called her name in a snarky, acidic tone. Jerking her gaze from mine, Sidney blushed the sweetest shade of pink. I wanted to reach out and direct her attention back to me, but the barista huffed, refusing to be ignored. Sidney and I turned to see the employee’s jealous expression as she looked between us.

“How about Friday?” I asked, but Sidney had already stepped away to grab her coffee.

I moved to follow, but a giant of a guy stood in front of me. “Hey, man! Great game Saturday. You better be taking us to finals this year.”

“That’s the plan, buddy.” I normally kept to myself, but people coming up to me was inevitable since we’d won finals last year. I tried to spot Sidney before she disappeared again, but I only got a glimpse of her walking toward the door. Fuck.

I disentangled myself, refusing to lose her again, and shouted over my shoulder. “I’m out. See you at the next game.”

I pulled my beanie low over my eyes, avoiding people’s stares, and followed through the door. I pushed it wide in my hurry and jerked back when it hit something solid.

“Oomph.” Sidney made a loud squeak sound and tripped forward. She lifted her cup out of the way, narrowly avoiding spilling it everywhere.

“Shit, sorry.” I caught her arm, stabilizing her before she could tip forward. Nothing like being hit with a door to ruin her morning.

“Uh-huh.” Sharp green eyes narrowed on me. “Didn’t save enough time by skipping the line?”

“Hey, I didn’t skip the line. She just got mine ready faster.” Even I didn’t believe my bullshit.

Her brow quirked. “You mean when she leaned over the counter and gave you her number?”

“What? Jealous?” I tipped my head to the side and gave her a playful smirk. “Did you want her number? You could always go back and ask her.”

“She’s not really my type.”

“Oh yeah? What’s your type?” I knew I wouldn’t like the answer before she said it.

“Skinny emo musicians.”

My hand covered my heart. “Damn, that stings. Why do you have to do me like that?”

There was a gleam in her eyes as she worked to secure her lid and looked at her coffee like she’d saved her child’s life and murmured something under her breath about stupid guys and coffee gods.

Sidney faced me with one hand on her hip. I was a big guy, standing at six foot three and two hundred pounds of muscle, refined from years of playing hockey, but I was inclined to think she could take me from that look alone.

My apology halted, my tongue twisted, and my brain full-on stuttered. “It’s a nice morning out.”

Commenting on the weather? That was the best you could come up with?

She was equally unimpressed, and a crease appeared between her brows, making me want to slide my thumb across it until it relaxed.

“Is it, though?” She tilted her head to the side, and smirked. “I’m running late and barely made it to my favorite coffee shop, only to have some hot, self-entitled hockey player cut in front of me.”

“First, as I said, that was all the barista. Second, you think I’m hot, huh?”

“Are you really fishing for compliments? Isn’t it a little early for that?” She sounded flirty, and a hint of hope rose in my chest.

“How else am I going to get you to notice me?”

“Oh, I’ve noticed you. I’m just not interested.”

“Ouch.” But she was interested. It was written in the way her chest was rising with rapid breaths, the slight pink hue of her cheeks, and the heat in her gaze. “Your rules, right?”

She patted my shoulder, delivering her next blow. It just enticed me further. “Yuppers. You should really give up now.”