Page 21 of Top Shelf
The flush on her face is unmistakable. It reminds me of what she looked like that night, sweaty and satisfied on my hotel sheets.
I reach down and adjust my cock that’s pressing against my zipper, then settle back on my stool. “So, are we really going to keep pretending?”
Her eyes are dilated, her pupils so big you can barely register the green. Cheeks flushed. Breaths coming in sharply. Her nostrils flare, and I have a feeling she’s about to give me the tongue lashing of my life.
That’s fine. I welcome it—anything to get her to acknowledge what happened between us.
“Oh, fuck off! I won! You know I did!”
We all turn our attention to the guys who just walked through the door rather loudly.
“Bullshit,” Keller fires back at Lawson. “I got here first fair and square.”
“No. No way. I was first. How the hell do you open the door without being first?”
“I said the first toenterthe bar. Not my fault you stopped to be a gentleman.”
“To be fair, he did say first to enter,” Hayes sides with Keller.
Fox grimaces. “He did say that.”
“Horseshit!” Lawson explodes, pointing at Keller. “I want a rematch.”
“Rematch for a race to the place we’re already at? Get a grip and buy me my drink, loser.”
Lawson groans in frustration, then marches toward the bar, stopping short when he realizes who is behind it. “Holy shit. You’re the evil stepsister. I—hey, ow!”
“Shut the fuck up,” Hayes hisses at him after smacking him on the head.
He might be due a visit with Doc for concussion protocol before the season even starts if he keeps this up.
“Sorry.” Lawson rubs at the spot, then grins at Nessa. “I didn’t meanevil. I just meant stepsister.” He holds his hand out to her. “I’m Lucas, but my friends call me?—”
“No, we don’t.”
“Don’t listen to him.”
“Please, for the love of everything, shut the fuck up.”
Fox, Hayes, and Keller all speak at once, interrupting Lawson, who was undoubtedly about to tell Nessa all about his self-appointed nickname.
Lawson rolls his eyes. “Sorry about them. I was going to say, my friends call me Lawson.” Then he leans forward and—very poorly—whispers, “Lawless Lawson.”
Nessa grins, and I hate and love it at the same time. I missed it. It’s haunted my dreams since I saw her last. But I hate that it’s notmeshe’s smiling at.
I want it to be me.
“Nice to meet you, Lawless Lawson.”
He beams, probably glad someone is finally listening to him and calling him Lawless like he’s been trying to get us to do for years. He points to our goalie. “That’s Arthur Fox.”
“Ma’am,” says the man in question, living up to his southern roots and tipping an imaginary hat at her.
She smiles, and something shifts in my chest.
Lawson points to Hayes next. “That’s Adam Hayes. He banged his nanny.”
“What the…” Hayes closes his eyes momentarily, likely to keep from killing his teammate, then smiles at Nessa. “Nice to meet you. Please ignore him. He loves to gossip.”
