Page 99 of Stick It
Increasing his pace, I practically have to jog to keep up with him as he leads me through campus and toward the hockey arena. It’s empty at this time of day, the quiet stretching around us as we slip inside.
“Jax, what?—”
“Nope. No questions,” he orders, pushing me toward the locker room. “You keep a swimsuit in your locker, right?”
“Yeah?”
“Damn,” he teases with a smirk. “There goes any ideas about skinny dipping.”
“What?” I’m thoroughly confused about what’s happening.
Shaking his head, he nudges me toward my locker. “Just get changed.”
Shaking my head, I do as he says, stripping down and pulling on my black swimsuit. When I turn around, I freeze. All of the saliva in my mouth dries up.
Jax is shirtless, wearing only a pair of swimming trunks that hang low on his hips. My gaze trails over his broad shoulders,the defined cut of his abs, and the way his muscles flex as he runs a hand through his hair. My stomach flips, heat curling low as my eyes travel south, to the powerful thighs and sharp V-line disappearing beneath his waistband.
Holy hotcakes. He is a fuckingAdonis.
He catches me staring and smirks. “See something you like?”
I force my face into a scowl, snapping my gaze to his. “Obnoxiousness is not a pretty quality.”
His grin only broadens, a twinkle sparking in his eyes. “And yet,youfind it attractive.”
“Pretty sure that’s not what has my attention right now.”
He swaggers closer with all the confidence of a man who knows exactly how hot he is. It should be disgusting, a total turn-off, but his confidence is sexy as hell.
“Well, you better find something else to focus on or we’re not leaving this locker room before your next class.”
“Mm. You make that sound like a bad thing.”
“Definitely not,” he disagrees, flicking a strand of hair off my face. “But I have something else in mind for right now.”
I huff, but before I can verbalize my protest, he takes my hand again and leads me down the hall and into a room lined with hot and cold therapy tubs. He flips a switch, filling one with steaming water.
“This will help with muscle recovery,” he explains. “Improve your mobility and ease the tension you’re carrying.”
I don’t argue. A warm bath sounds like heaven. Moving toward the tub, I throw my leg over the side and step into the hot water. A sigh slips from my lips as I sink into the warm heat. Immediately, I can feel it melting the stiffness from my body, and I let my head tip back, eyes closing as Jax joins me.
A comforting silence settles between us, the only sound the faint hum of the heater and occasional ripple as Jax shiftsin the water. I allow myself to fall into the soothing comfort, to focus on relaxing my muscles and letting the heat of the water work its magic.
All the while, the weight of Jax’s gaze presses into me, warm and unwavering. Eventually, I peel my eyes open. He didn’t turn on the bright overhead lights when we came in, and his brown eyes are molten in the dim light, their depths swirling with something unreadable. They trace over my face, lingering on my cheekbones, my lips, the bruises still staining my skin.
“What?” I ask, feeling somewhat self-conscious.
His voice is quiet, but heavy with meaning. “You.”
I scoff, gesturing at my beat-up face. “Right. I’m a fucking masterpiece.”
Jax doesn’t smile. Doesn’t look away as he shifts closer in the water. “You are.” His hand lifts, fingers ghosting over a particularly dark mark near my jaw. “These don’t diminish you. They don’t take away from who you are. If anything, they show how goddamn strong you are. I saw it that first day in the locker room and again when you marched into our house like you owned the place.” He shakes his head, a fond smile playing at the corners of his lips. “You faced down an entire team of guys who were determined to prove you wrong, and you basically told us all to fuck off. That takes balls.”
I snort-laugh, the sound cutting off as he inches closer. The water shifts between us, swishing as he moves to crouch in front of me, so close that his thighs brush mine as he brackets my legs. His hands land just above my knees, rough and reassuring as he squeezes them before sliding them higher.
His gaze remains steadfast on mine as his sure, confident hands reach my hips, fingers curling around my waist and holding tight. Surging forward, he lifts himself out of the water until he’s hovering over me.
I follow the path of a droplet as it slides down his chestbefore dripping onto my skin, right beneath my clavicle. It ignites a spark of heat that spreads outward, and when I glance up, I find Jax staring at the same spot. Desire has his pupils blown wide before he ducks his head.
