Most Desirable Player Page 2

  “Going once, going twice,” the announcer says.

  My sweaty palms cause me to lose my grip on the paddle in my hand. And when I accidentally drop it on the floor, Sadie grabs it. She raises it in the air, holding it up as the final bid is counted. What the hell did she do?

  “Sold to number seven twenty-three,” the announcer says.

  I look up at the paddle in Sadie’s hand, and my jaw hits the floor.

  “No, no, no,” I groan. “I didn’t bid on him.”

  Sadie gives the paddle back to me as the announcer points a finger in my direction.

  “This is not happening. I’m not paying for a date with Julian. I barely have enough money for food.”

  Sadie grins so wide I want to punch her in the face. My best friend sucks right now. “Good thing I’m buying him for you.”

  “You evil queen,” I hiss. “You did this on purpose.”

  Her grin is still in place.

  A loud thump hits the floor in front of me, and when I look up, Julian has jumped off the stage, standing over me with his hands on his narrow hips. He doesn’t speak to me, only extends his hand in offering. I recoil at the sight of it.

  “Nope,” I say to Sadie. “I’m not going on a date with him. You’re not paying for it. Over my dead body.”

  Julian wiggles his fingers in front of me, trying to coax me into taking his hand. “So be it then,” he says in response to my comment about over my dead body, the corner of his mouth turned up into crooked grin that sucks the air from my lungs.

  Damn him.

  Chapter Two

  Briana

  Still staring at Julian’s long fingers in front of my face, I’m frozen in shock. I won the auction. The one I wanted to avoid for this exact reason. Somehow, my bad luck always catches up with me. I swear the universe hates me. It’s as if I send out nothing but negative vibes that have caused a never-ending string of disasters, starting with my parent’s deaths when I was nine years old.

  I was in the car when my dad crashed. How I managed to survive with only a few scratches still boggles my mind. Even the emergency room doctor didn’t understand how I defied the odds. Still, I’m cursed. The adage Murphy’s Law says anything that can go wrong will go wrong. That pretty much sums up my life in a nutshell. While being forced to go on a date with Julian isn’t the worst thing in the world, it’s also not the best. Luck has never been on my side, and fate is a cruel mistress that has caught up to me.

  Sadie taps my arm, drawing my attention back to her. She leans in, brushing the dark brown hair off my shoulder and whispers into my ear. “You have to go backstage with him. It’s part of the deal.”

  “No,” I growl. “I didn’t bid on him, you did. Why don’t you go with him?”

  “Technically, you won the auction, so you have to play your part. And I don’t want to miss my turn at Harker. He’s up next.” A beat passes between us before she adds, “It’s my birthday, Briana. Please.”

  The desperation in her voice reminds me of why I agreed to come here in the first place. This day is about Sadie and her crush on Cole Harker. Whether she wins the hockey star or not is irrelevant. I can’t take the opportunity from her. We only have a few more months left until graduation. If she doesn’t at least try one last time, she might hate me forever. And I can’t have that. My friendship with Sadie is one of the few functional relationships I have left.

  I look up and Julian’s gaze meets mine. A wicked grin reaches up to his beautiful green eyes. “C’mon, Bri,” he says, his voice so deep and smooth it causes the hair on my arms to stand at attention. “It’s for charity. We can set our differences aside for one day.”

  Can we? That’s easy for him to say.

  The energy in the room thickens from his words, the air so dense now I can hardly breathe with him this close to me. My skin hums with excitement, tiny pricks setting my arms on fire when he grabs my hand. Why is he touching me? And most importantly, why haven’t I pushed him away?

  Stupid body.

  Stupid hockey player.

  I snap out of my Julian-induced trance and shove the wooden paddle at Sadie. If I hadn’t dropped the damn thing, I wouldn’t be in this position. Some other girl, one who wanted a date with him, would be led away from her chair. She’d have the same warmth spreading throughout her body as his fingers slipped between hers. I bet she would even feel the same tug in her chest.

  I’m greeted with dozens of angry scowls from the girls in the front row. These rich bitches lost to me. I chuckle at the thought. They have the money and looks, and yet Julian is leading me, of all people, across the front of the stage, up the stairs, and behind the curtain to join the other winners. Well, depending on how you look at it, losers. Because I don’t feel like I won a damn thing.

  Julian Rivers is not a prize.

  He’s my ex for a reason.

  Once we’re backstage, Julian weaves us past a group of men and women saying hello as we make our way to the green room. We step inside, where we find two of his teammates sitting on an old velvet couch that looks like its owner died sometime in the Victorian era. Posters for Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and various musical productions hosted at Strickland University are hung on the walls behind the couches.

  Various armchairs and even a vintage chaise lounge are spread throughout the room. Despite its age, the furniture has been well cared for. At least it was until gargantuan hockey players decided to take residence on the couch closest to me, bouncing girls on their laps. I try not to roll my eyes at the women hooking their arms around their necks, too eager to make an ass of themselves for one second of attention from these guys. I feel sorry for them. They have no idea what these guys are like. What they will do with them once they’re finished playing with them.

  Like Julian, the players on the men’s ice hockey team are gorgeous, most of them tall, built like muscled gods, and filthy rich. A few of the players on his team are even sons of famous hockey players. The players across from me ooze sex, money, and bad decisions. Once upon a time, I was willing to make tons of bad decisions with Julian. I would have followed him off a cliff if he wanted me to. I was so stupid and in love. I was so out of my element, out of my league, that I would have done anything with him, for him.

  Years ago, I thought my luck had changed when Julian approached me at a party. He was too good-looking, too good to be true. I knew my luck would run out. It was only a matter of time, and unlike Cinderella, my fairy tale didn’t continue after the stroke of midnight. I didn’t run from a castle or leave my glass slipper behind for him to find. No, I left my dignity and self-respect on the front step of the on-campus house he shares with his teammates.

  Julian tightens his grip on my sweaty hand and dips down to speak against the shell of my ear. The warmth from his breath causes a chill to roll down my arms.

  “I know you hate me,” he says, and I glance up at him. “But I want you to have a good time, even if it kills you.”

  “And where do you think you’re taking me?”

  He rolls his shoulders. “I haven’t decided yet.”

  I take a few steps back from him, though I can’t dodge his intense gaze no matter how hard I try. “Probably somewhere I’ll hate.”

  “Bri,” he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Can we be civil for once?” When my expression doesn’t relax, he adds, “Please. Just until this date is over.”

  “For the record,” I say, shoulders straight, hands on my hips. “I didn’t bid on you. I dropped my paddle and Sadie raised it at the last minute.”

  His mouth tips up into a wicked smirk. “Does it matter who placed the bid? You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

  I snort at his comment. “Don’t look so happy about it.”

  “Regardless of how you feel about me,” he hedges, “I still like you.”

  His confession sends a shiver down my spine. My entire body stiffens from his words. Does he still like me? Yeah, r
ight. The way he acted years ago proved otherwise. Julian has since moved on with more than his fair share of girls. If he liked me, he would have run after me that night. He would have dropped to his knees and begged for my forgiveness. He wouldn’t have waited months to stop me on campus and ask how I was doing, all with the intent of a booty call. At least that’s what I had assumed he wanted from me. Because that’s all a girl like me could ever be to someone like him.

  Ignoring Julian, I glance over at the girls carrying on with the two hockey players. Ryan Nash and Damon Knox would have garnered this much attention on a regular day. But I guess the high from winning the auction has made these girls drunk on stupid. The busty blonde on Ryan Nash’s lap runs her hands beneath his suit jacket, feeling every ridge of his stomach. If he’s built anything like Julian—and by the looks of it he probably is—then I can only imagine how much pleasure this girl is getting from exploring his toned body. And why am I even thinking of Ryan Nash’s body… or Julian’s for that matter?

  Damn him.

  Damn all of them to Hell.

  Where they belong.

  Julian rests his hand on my back, scaring the crap out of me. Startled, I jump forward, almost falling on top of the players on the couch. But Julian grabs the back of my shirt before I land on Ryan Nash’s lap. I’ve never had much grace. However, Julian is like a ballet dancer on skates, his movements so in sync when he’s on the ice.

  I remember watching him play hockey, thinking he was the most talented man in the world. He amazed me. Julian had me so deep under his spell that I placed him on a pedestal so high above the rest of the guys on campus that I couldn’t see anyone but him. I don’t know if his teammates are any good. I don’t even remember if they won a single game. Because Julian was all I could focus on.

  I just want to go home and binge-watch Netflix, settle into my comfy pajamas, and eat the pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream that’s calling my name. I have work in the morning at one of the many jobs that keep my head above water. A combination of grants, scholarships, and financial aid help to lessen the burden. The tuition at Strickland University is not affordable for most people. And with very little skills, my choices for good-paying jobs are few and far between.

  When Julian touches my arm, wrapping his long fingers around my bicep, my skin doesn’t burn with the same desire as before. No, this time my skin itches like I have spiders crawling all over me. And I want them off. Now. I shake his hand away, desperate to create some space between us. He’s too touchy-feely. He always was. But things were different back then. He was my boyfriend, so it was okay. He could touch away.

  Now, he’s nothing to me.

  No one.

  Just the guy who broke my heart.

  “In case I forget to tell you,” Julian says, drawing my attention back to him. “I’m happy you’re my date.”

  His green irises hold my blue ones in a death grip, unwilling to let me go. I always loved his eyes. When I would look into them, I would get lost. Like a sailor at sea, I would get swept up in the waves of passion, allowing him to devour me until I could no longer keep my head above water. All of the old memories—both good and bad—are coming back to me at once. This is the precise reason I avoided Julian.

  No amount of time or space could ever stop my heart from pounding for him. It’s not just his rock-hard abs or killer smirk that makes me weak. It’s him, all of him. There’s so much more than what meets the eye with Julian. We were different in so many ways and yet alike in others. Once we found our common ground, I thought we had a connection, one that couldn’t be broken. But I was wrong, and he was wrong for me. He still is. I just have to remind myself of that every time he speaks to me or looks at me like I hold the keys to the universe in my hand.

  “I wish I could share your enthusiasm,” I deadpan.

  Julian nods. “I guess I deserve that.”

  “You deserve so much more,” I hiss.

  “Then, think of this as the date I still owe you, the one we never had.”

  “That was your fault,” I spit back with venom in my words.

  “Well, I plan to make this one date you won’t forget.” A genuine expression crosses his handsome face, one that doesn’t look forced or evil for once. “I owe you that much.”

  My cheeks heat, whether it’s excitement or anger from the past coming to the surface I don’t know. But I guess I’m about to find out.

  Chapter Three

  Julian

  Winning Briana over is going to be much harder than I had originally anticipated. She was always a challenge, which was the reason we clicked so well in the past. But her current attitude toward me is taking this challenge to a whole new level.

  Standing in the green room backstage with Briana, I can feel her frustration and irritation radiating off her. Her pale cheeks are flushed, crimson splotches dusting her arms and chest. She would blow hotter than a volcano when she was mad at me, her response visible on every inch of her body. And I see that hasn’t changed. Avoiding my gaze, she stares at the crowd in front of us, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Briana was always unpredictable. I never knew what to expect from her. If I’m lucky, she won’t try to punch me on our date.

  Nash and Knox are lounging on the couch in front of us with women who want to be here with them. Even Trent Kane looks happy for once. He’s been moping over Jemma Walcott for weeks, and apparently, someone fixed the auction so she would win him. It was weird, to say the least. I felt for Trent when he was standing on the stage, waiting for girls to wave their paddles. No one but Jemma raised her hand.

  My teammates, some of which are also my roommates, are in their glory. The girls with the highest bid are making every second with them count. Yet here I am, forcing the Ice Queen to hang out with me for one night, wondering what I was thinking. Dozens of girls bid on me. There were so many hands in the air I couldn’t count all of them. And like an idiot, I decided to make one last-ditch effort to get Briana’s attention in the hopes that the one girl on campus who wants nothing to do with me would give me another chance.

  So far, my plan isn’t going well.

  “I’ll make it easy for you,” I say to Briana. “I know you didn’t bid on me and that you don’t want to be here. So, how about you come to my home game next weekend, like old times? You won’t even have to interact with me until the after-party at my house.”

  She glances up at me, her expression unreadable. An awkward silence fills the air as I wait for her response. I wasn’t entirely responsible for our breakup, but I will accept the blame for some of the stupid things I said to her. If only she would stop being so hostile.

  “Well,” I urge, tipping my head. “What’s it gonna be?”

  She throws her hands onto her hips. “Do I have to go through with this date?”

  “Yes. You won the auction,” I point out.

  “Technically, I didn’t bid on you. Sadie did.”

  “Your number won, not Sadie’s.”

  She glares at me. “I have to work next weekend.”

  “My game doesn’t start until seven o’clock. Broad Street Beans closes at five on Friday.”

  I flash a wicked grin that pisses her off. She blows out a puff air, annoyed that I know her schedule so well. I know everything about her. Just because I have kept my distance over the years doesn’t mean I’ve lost interest. I regret telling her to leave and never come back that night. If I could take away everything I said to her while I was drunk and upset, I would. But I can see by the bitter, angry look on her face that it will take more than a date, and a few nice words and apologies she’s heard a hundred times, to forgive me.

  I have to show her how much I’ve changed. Not that I did anything in the past that I need to correct. But I know Briana. She’s so worried about what everyone thinks about her that she never believed I cared about her. She wants to believe that I moved on with other girls, who she thinks is prettier, richer, or smarter than her. So, I guess I have to show her just how
special she is… to me.

  “You’ve thought of everything, huh?”

  I nod in response.

  “I hate you,” she growls.

  I shrug at her comment, which only fuels her anger.

  Nostrils flared, her mouth twists into disgust. “Why do you have to do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Be so… you. So unaffected by everything and everyone. You act as if nothing bothers you when I know it’s all bullshit.”

  “You’re bothering me right now,” I say with a wink.

  She turns to leave, and I grab her arm, pulling her back to me. Her chest is pressed against mine, her big tits spilling out from her top. I love her curves, always did. She thought that was the one thing that made her undesirable when I worshiped every inch of her perfect body.

  “Bri,” I say against her lips, feeling her racing pulse beneath my fingers.

  She drags her teeth along her bottom lip in an attempt to stifle her nerves, when all it’s doing is making me want her more. Everything she does turns me on in some way. And she has no idea how much when she teases me with her simple gestures that drive me wild.

  “Stop fighting me,” I say low enough for her to hear. Luckily, the rest of the room is occupied with their dates because Briana hates unwanted attention. “I’m not the bad guy.”

  She snarls at my words. “Yes, you are.” Shaking me off, she slips out of my grip and takes a few steps back, her eyes still fixed on mine. “I meant what I said. I hate you. I’ll go on this stupid date with you because Sadie paid for it, and because I don’t want to disappoint her. But this means nothing. So, don’t bother trying to convince me that you didn’t do anything wrong and that you were the perfect boyfriend to me. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies or excuses about the past.”

  “I never said I was perfect,” I admit. “Far from it, actually.”