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She raises a hand. “It’s better if you don’t. We both know you’ll open your pretty mouth and say something to ruin my afterglow.”
I rub my bottom lip and fight a smile.
“Thank you for the movie, Hollis.” She crosses to the closet and flips through my hoodies until she finds one she likes. She sniffs the fabric before she shrugs into it and zips it up.
I like how it looks on her. So much. I also like that she wants to marinate in my smell. She pauses at the door and rolls her scrunchie off her wrist, sling-shotting it across the room. I catch it out of the air.
“I bought an extra, so you can do naughty things to that one until it stops smelling like my hair.” And with that, she turns around and walks out of my apartment.
Opening Pandora’s box has nothing on the massive crater I’ve just made for myself.
CHAPTER 19
HAMMER
Hollis and I dry fucked. Like a couple of high schoolers. If it weren’t for the state of my panties the other day, I might believe it was a fever dream. Hollis didn’t even really touch me anywhere illicit, apart from sucking on my nipple through my shirt. God, it was so hot. He looked so good, jaw set, eyes dark with lust, hands on my hips moving me over him. And then he ordered me to look at him when I came. Every time I think about it, my vagina feels like it’s about to explode.
And then there’s the fact that I made Hollis come. In his damn pants. Without even putting my hands on the parts that count.
Honestly, my ego is enormous. My head is an inflated balloon. And I’m so distractible these days. Yesterday I handed in a paper and forgot to attach my works cited. I resubmitted the assignment, but I hope it doesn’t impact my grade. With everything that’s been going on, a couple of my grades have slipped, and if I’m not careful, I won’t have the average necessary to make the dean’s list.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Hemi asks for the tenth time, affirming my distractedness. We met at a restaurant between school and the arena so we can eat and discuss the gala.
I blink myself back to the present. “Yes. I’m fine. Great. Awesome.”
She leans back in her chair, crosses her arms, and gives me the face she usually reserves for Flip when he’s done something to put him back in her bad book, or Dallas for being Dallas. “Your face is all red, and you’re kind of sweaty. If you’re coming down with something, please let me know. I don’t want to run you into the ground, especially not with the gala coming up. Also, I don’t have time to get sick.”
“I promise I’m not sick.” I roll my shoulders back. I can’t let Hemi down, not when I’m the one who asked to take the lead on this event. “I’m here and focused.”
“You’re sure you’re feeling okay?” she asks skeptically.
“Totally positive.” I turn to my spreadsheet. “Donations for the silent auction are all accounted for, and all the guys have signed off on their date packages.”
“Even Dallas?” Hemi asks.
“Even Dallas. Oh! And the Hockey Academy got back to me this afternoon.” That this wasn’t the first thing out of my mouth when I sat down proves how distracted I am. I can’t afford to be a lovesick fool right now. “They’re attending, and Kodiak Bowman and his wife will even be able to make it.”
“That’s fantastic! Why didn’t you lead with that, you boss babe?” She high fives me.
“I don’t know. In my head I’d already mentioned it maybe?” I shrug. “Anyway, Alex Waters and his wife are also coming, and possibly his son and his son’s girlfriend. We have an entire table reserved for them.”
“You’re making it so easy for me to tailor a position just for you.” She leans back in her chair, all smiles.
“I don’t want it handed to me.” Or I’ll forever be worried I don’t deserve it like every whisper in the break room was true.
“It won’t be handed to you, Hammer. You’ve single-handedly taken over the entire gala while attending school full time. You have an impressive resume, and anyone who saw what you’ve accomplished would pick you up in a heartbeat.” She snaps her fingers.
“That’s good to hear.” Proving that I’m not just the team princess, that I can work with the league and be an asset, was something I needed—for me, if not for anyone else.
“All we need is Scarlet to attend, and we’ll have an all-star guest list,” Hemi says.
“I have a follow-up call this week.”
“Excellent.” She leans in and makes a circle motion around her face. “Now can you tell me what’s going on, because you’re flushed again.”
“I need to work on my poker face,” I mutter.
She holds up a hand. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s totally okay. Just know I’m always here if you need me.”
