Page 41 of Tripped Up

Whirling around to face him, I glare at the rookie with all the ferocity of my nine years in the league as a brawler. “You keep your filthy hands off of her.”

But Puppy is grinning, raising his hands to profess his innocence. “Just trying to figure out what’s going on. I would never go after your girl.”

That’s what he said at the gala, too. I still wouldn’t put it past him.

“She’s not my girl,” I repeat.

The kid rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I figured, if you let Henry put his paws all over her.”

Unease runs through me. I don’t like the constant reminders that Henry gets to have her in a way I don’t. She’s nice to him. Even with the fragile friendship we have now, she’s still holding back.

“Fuck off.”

We make it to the front of the bar, and I order Elsy’s drink plus two beers, and Puppy gets a Coke. The bartender eyes us curiously, but I have no intention of giving an underage kid alcohol. Not when it could end his career. He has too much potential.

Drinks in hand, we push and shove our way to the dance floor. Henry has his hands on Elsy’s hips as they dance together. Her arms are around his neck, but there’s a good buffer of space between their torsos.

A growl rumbles through me, vibrating in my bones. She’s mine. I mean, she’s not mine, but she’s certainly not his.

I don’t care that he’s watching out for her, keeping the other lecherous dudes in the club away. If we hadn’t had the conversation in the locker room, I don’t know I’d even let him get this close.

Shaking the thought away, I focus on the happiness on her face. If I can’t trust my linemate, who else can I trust?

She’s lost herself to the music, her hips swaying to the beat, her head tossed back. Her blond ponytail shakes as she shimmies.

Henry’s eyes meet mine and he gives me a nod as I approach, handing him his beer.

I set my newly freed hand on her hip, and she whirls around like she’s about to punch me out.

But when she sees it’s me, she relaxes. I offer her the drink and she takes a sip, her eyes fluttering shut.

Fuck. I remember seeing that expression of bliss on her face when my fingers were deep within her pussy. And again when she came on my tongue. And then with my cock buried in her…

Slipping behind her, I press my front to her back, trying to find a rhythm. Elsy lets her head fall back against my shoulder, her arm still around Henry’s neck.

That won’t do. I draw her arm back, to hook it behind my neck, and he responds by moving closer, nudging his leg between her thick thighs.

Elsy’s eyes dart between us. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” I duck my head to speak directly into her ear.

“Is this some kind of freaky threesome thing?”

My stomach lurches as my entire body shudders with revulsion.

No.

No, I don’t like the idea of sharing her. I don’t care who else is involved, I only want it to be me and her. Nobody else.

“We’re not going to have a threesome,” I growl.

“Because we’re not going to sleep together,” she says, equally resolute. “If you guys want to find someone else to be the meat in your sandwich, go ahead. It won’t be me.”

Through it all, Henry is right there, dancing against her. But there’s a considerable buffer between them, whereas she’s pressed right up against my chest. I’ve lost track of Puppy in the fray, but I’m confident he can handle himself.

“Do you want me to get him to leave?” I ask Elsy.

“I just want to know what this is.”