Hooked by Love (Bellevue Bullies #3)

by Toni Aleo

  “Oh my God, Avery, really? Don’t you know me better than that?”

  “You’re the one making a big deal over who my dad is.”

  “Because you didn’t tell me! You don’t tell me shit!”

  “That’s a lie. I’m doing better,” she shoots back and I glare.

  “Because I’m fucking making you,” I yell. I don’t mean to make her flinch but, fuck. Come on! “It’s like pulling teeth with you. I have to beg for information, and that’s not fucking fair.”

  Shaking her head, she shrugs. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  I glare, because that wasn’t heartfelt at all. “Really? I’m supposed to believe that?”

  She glares back. “What? I said sorry.”

  “And you didn’t fucking mean it!”

  “I do,” she yells back. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who my dad was. I’m sorry I’m not an open fucking book like you. And I’m sorry I embarrassed you. I’m fucking sorry, Jace!”

  Her voice rings in my ears and I look away, shaking my head.

  Girls, man. They are basically mindfucks.

  Running my hands down my face, I bite into the inside of my lip before looking back over at her. Her eyes are trained on her knees, her lip between her teeth, as the silence stretches between us. “I don’t want to fight with you. I just want you to understand why I’m upset.”

  “I told you I was sorry,” she whispers before looking up at me. “I should have told you, but I don’t like talking about my family. That is not a secret.”

  “But your family is part of you and, Avery…the commissioner? Really? That’s something you tell someone.”

  “Why? So you would sleep with me to get ahead?”

  My brows crash together. “Because I needed any other reason to sleep with you than just you, right? I was a goner the moment I met you. Don’t throw that bullshit in my face. You just don’t want to let me in!”

  “I’m fucking trying!”

  “No, you’re not,” I bite out, shaking my head in frustration. This isn’t what I wanted.

  What happened to this being easy?

  Or is it me?

  Am I making it hard?

  Am I expecting more than I should?

  She looks away, biting on her lip. Sucking in a breath, I watch as she wrings her fingers together, tucking them between her knees. “Avery, what do you want?”

  She doesn’t answer me, just moves her fingers in and out of each other, working her lips as she shrugs.

  “Do you want to be with me?”

  She looks over at me, her eyes full of frustration and tears. “If you have to ask, then why are we doing this?”

  “Really?” I ask, my gaze narrowing. “Is that you trying to push me away?”

  She looks away, shaking her head. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  “I want all of you!” I yell, making her jump. “Every single fucking part. Damaged, whole, dented, cut, all of it! Just give me you.”

  She doesn’t say anything at first. As she looks out the window, I can see her lip wobbling as she blinks the tears back. She’s killing me. How can I love someone so much but be so mad at them too?

  “I am yours, all of me,” she says softly as she turns, and my chest aches as I get lost in her eyes. Reaching out, I take her face in my hands, leaning my head against hers. Moving my nose along hers, I suck in a deep breath.

  “Baby—”

  “No, I’m sorry, Jace,” she whispers, pulling back to look at me, her eyes full of remorse. “You’re right. I should have told you but, it’s just… People tend to use me for who my brothers and my dad are. It sucks, and I wanted to come here and start over. Just me. And I guess I just wanted you to like me for me.”

  I can understand that. I mean, her family is hockey royalty and now knowing who they are explains a lot. How can she shine when her brothers are taking all the light? But it isn’t fair, and she should have been treated better. I know she wasn’t, though, not only from her words but because her brother Matty is a Class-A asshole. Full of shit little fucker that I love knocking down a few pegs when I’m on the ice with him. We had to play together once, and it was the worst championship of my life. If my brothers tease me for being a puck hog, they haven’t played with that dick. It was horrible, and I can’t believe someone as gorgeous and beautiful as she is could come from the same womb as that jerk-off.

  Kissing her forehead, I lean back, studying her. “Avery, I do like you for you. From the moment I met you, I have. Nothing can change that. No one matters but you.”

  Leaning her head to mine, she closes her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  That time she meant it. Swallowing hard, I tangle my fingers in her hair as our noses move together. “Okay.”

  She presses her lips to mine, and I kiss her back. I pray this is it. That nothing else will come between us like this. Just from this one argument, I can tell she doesn’t do conflict well. She shuts down, and I really don’t ever want to watch that happen again. I know it will, though. That’s a relationship, but man, I just want to make her happy. After a year of shit, I want this to be easy between us.

  “I don’t like fighting with you,” she whispers against my lips, reading my mind like always.

  “I don’t either,” I say softly, my eyes burning into hers. “Just open up, Avery. That’s all I want.”

  “I know, and I’m trying.”

  “Good,” I say, holding her gaze. “And that’s it, right? Your mom isn’t the queen of England or something, right?”

  She grins as she shakes her head. “No, she’s a stay-at-home mom.”

  “Okay. So that’s it? No more surprises down the road, right?”

  She pauses for a second. I almost think she’s going to say more, but instead, she shakes her head. “No, nothing else. What you see is what you get.”

  I smile as I gather her in my arms, my lips against hers. “Well, what I see is definitely what I want.”

  I just hope it doesn’t burn me in the end.

  “Do you think I’m good enough to start querying to record labels?”

  Looking up from where he is shoveling food into his mouth, Jace nods. “Yeah, for sure.” I give him a look and he grins. “What? You look superhot today. I like your boobs.”

  “Focus, Jace. Up here,” I say, pointing to my eyes, but his gaze is on the cleavage my shirt is providing him with. The V-neck cuts down way lower than I usually wear, giving him one hell of a view, but I loved it when I saw it at the campus boutique. While the front only shows boobs, the back has the emblem for the Bullies in pretty glitter.

  Yes, I said glitter.

  And yes, I’m wearing my boyfriend’s team’s shirt.

  I’m now that girl.

  “So if you weren’t sleeping with me, you would think I was good enough to query?” I ask, even though I doubt he’s listening. He’s looking at my boobs like he’s going to eat them the way he’s eating his sub.

  Finally, he looks up, his eyes playful. “Yeah, Av, seriously. You’re amazing.”

  Grinning, I wiggle my shoulders as I tighten the strings of my guitar. “Okay. I think I’m gonna do it.”

  He nods. “Okay, let me know if you need help.”

  I smile. “Thanks.”

  “Because you know, I do some wicked backup vocals. Plus, I’ve got some mean-ass beats. I got you.”

  I shudder in horror. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

  He grins and I smile back until I hear, “Hey, guys. Avery, you almost ready?”

  I nod and don’t miss the way Jace glares at Todd, which only makes me smile more. “Almost, I’ll meet you back there.”

  “Cool,” he says with a grin and then walks away without another word. I glance back at Jace, and he’s still glaring. His face kills me, and I still can’t believe that only two days ago I could have lost him. It was all my fault, I know that, but I shut down, unable to own up to the fact that I hid who my dad was. I’m just so used to doing i
t that I did it to the one person I care about. I still feel bad about it. Jace, though, all he cares about is moving forward.

  “So is Todd going to be backup vocals?” he asks, emphasizing Todd’s name in a snide way.

  “No,” I say simply, moving my fingers down my strings.

  “Good. And you know, you’re lucky I’m confident and not jealous of you two singing together.”

  I scoff. “You are jealous.”

  He waves me off. “No proof of that.”

  “Jace, you’re glaring at him like he stole your hockey stick and set it on fire.”

  He rolls his eyes. “Please, he couldn’t get near my sticks, for one. And for two, I’m sure my look is more along the lines of ‘Don’t touch my woman.’”

  I grin. “Fine, whatever. He means nothing.”

  “Damn right, and you best believe he couldn’t make you scream or squirm the way I do,” he says, reaching under the table, his fingers dancing along the inside of my thighs. Unlike before, when I would tense up, now I only giggle and bat away his hand. It’s so great to be able to enjoy his touches and not freak out that he could find out about my scars because he already knows and accepts me. I kind of wish I would have told him sooner, that I would have let him in. I think I underestimated him, and I regret that.

  Maybe if I hadn’t been so hung up on the fact that no one could love me, I could have enjoyed him the way I am now, sooner. Because now… God, I’m in bliss. Like pure, unadulterated harmony. The last couple days have been perfect and everything I’ve ever wanted. I always wanted that fairy-tale love, and I think I got it. He completes me, fills the holes and the dents inside me, and I couldn’t ask for someone to be so in tune with me.

  He’s my song.

  But yet, Friday night continues to weigh heavily on me.

  I still can’t shake that I sort of lied to him. When he asked if there would be any more surprises, I said no, because I feel what happened with Caleb shouldn’t be a surprise. I feel like it shouldn’t ever come up, and I’m okay with that. I’m starting to let it go, or at least I hope I am. I need to. One of the things Dr. Glasscoy said was to banish the whole thing from my head and enjoy what is looking at me daily.

  That’s Jace.

  So while I think I should tell him, I feel like that’s going backward. I want to shoot forward. I want to live and I’ve got to let go of my past. I’ve got to let go of the pain Caleb caused, and I’ve definitely got to let go of the pain my family has put me through. They don’t want me, fine. Jace does, and that’s everything to me.

  “So after the show, you got plans?”

  I look up, his dark, lust-filled gaze locking on mine. “Nope.”

  “Good, Markus has a date tonight. So I was thinking I could take you back to my place and make you scream my name for a couple of hours.”

  Breathless, I grin as I shrug. “How? Playing Mario Kart ’cause you’re a cheater?”

  He glares, his eyes still so dark as a grin pulls at his lips. “I don’t cheat. I’m a winner at all I do. Especially when I’m between those thighs of yours,” he says so low and so dirty that heat gathers between those very thighs.

  Swallowing hard, I look away, shaking my head. “Jeez, Jace, I’ve got to go onstage.”

  “Yup, and while you’re singing with that dude, you’ll be thinking of me.”

  Standing up, I roll my eyes. “I always think of you.”

  He grins, reaching for me and pulling me into his lap. Lord, he’s hard. Wrapping one arm around his neck since my other is holding my guitar, I lean my head toward his as he says, “Good, but just to be sure, I can’t wait to have you in my mouth, my fingers—”

  “Jace Ryan Sinclair!”

  He only grins, his eyes sinful as his arms tighten around my waist. “Fine, fine,” he laughs, his lips traveling up my neck. “Hurry up so I can take you home.”

  I close my eyes as his lips travel up my neck then along my jaw before taking my lips with his. Falling deeply into the kiss, I don’t want to do anything else but be right here. In his arms, his mouth moving with mine. When I pull back, his eyes sparkle with desire, and I swear, I’ll never feel anything like what I feel right now. This all-consuming kind of feeling that is putting me on the edge but also on top of the world.

  Because I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him.

  The reason I say pretty sure is because something is holding me back. The last time I loved someone, I almost died from it, and that scares me. Scares me to let go of that control and allow myself to fall so damn hard for him. But I’m finding I can’t control what I feel for him. That these feelings are out of control and I should just accept it. Embrace it because there won’t be another love like ours. People beg to feel like this about someone. Hell, they write songs about it. And as I fall deeper into Jace’s eyes, I’m living all my favorite songs.

  Cupping my face, he grins. “Got something to say?”

  His eyes are challenging, like he knows what is going on in my head. It’s crazy how he does that. But I shake my head. “You’re hot.”

  He smirks. “Duh.”

  Rolling my eyes, I get up as he smacks my ass. I flash him a grin before heading toward the back. As I walk away, I feel his gaze on me and I love it. I love that no matter where we are, together or apart, I know he is thinking about me. That I matter to him. He couldn’t ignore me if he tried, and the same goes for me. I’m immersed in him and as much as it worries me, losing that control, I wouldn’t trust anyone but him with my heart.

  I mean, just look at the way he cares for his family. He calls Angie three times a week just to talk to her. About nothing. He just loves her. His mom, every day he talks to her. His siblings, the same. A day doesn’t go by when he doesn’t talk to his family, and I love that so much. It’s so beautiful and speaks volumes for the kind of person he is. He loves. With all his fucking heart, and I would be the luckiest girl in the world to be on the receiving end of that kind of love. He’s everything I never knew I could ever want or need.

  Yeah, I need him.

  Which might be pathetic in some people’s eyes, but in mine, it’s perfect. He makes me happy, and since I’ve never had that, I’m holding on tight. That does freak me out a bit. Am I grasping and holding on just because I’ve never had it, or is it real? I go back and forth asking that question. But when I look in his eyes or I see him across campus and he’s grinning ear to ear at the sight of me, or when he sits front row at all my gigs, or when he looks up at me from the ice, making sure I’m there, I can’t help but believe it’s real. That I found the one.

  Grinning, I head to the back as Todd comes out. “Ready?”

  I nod. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

  “Awesome.”

  We already set up and we were supposed to go on ten minutes ago, but, oh well. Jace got off late and I wanted to visit with him. I doubt Todd minds because he’s all smiles.

  I follow him onto the stage, and the crowd is a little less packed than normal tonight, but I don’t care. I’m not worried about anyone but the guy three tables back, devouring a sub. We start with Todd’s set, and I’m really only here to support him and make him sound better. I think I do that, but I can’t tell since Jace just looks bored. It’s obvious he doesn’t like Todd, and I think it’s funny. That a guy is actually so into me to be jealous of someone else. It makes me feel a certain way and I almost forget the words to Todd’s song, causing me to look away.

  Like I thought before, he’s a distraction.

  When Todd’s set is over, we turn to the center, our guitars facing each other. With his gaze on me, he starts the intricate opening to “I Was Made For Loving You” by Tori Kelly and Ed Sheeran. It’s my favorite song right now. Mainly because it reminds me of Jace. As I join in, my fingers moving along the strings in unison with Todd’s, I start to sing, my eyes closed and the lyrics coming from my soul. I swear they wrote this song with Jace and me in mind. As I sing, a little grin on my face, I can’t help but wish it was Jace w
ho was singing with me.

  If he could sing.

  As Todd joins me on the chorus, our voices blend so perfectly, I’m almost speechless at how awesome we sound. When he takes his part, I open my eyes to find that his eyes are locked on mine. There’s intensity in his eyes and maybe something more.

  Jesus.

  Looking out in the crowd as the chorus starts, I try not to laugh. I don’t know what he is thinking, looking at me like that. Yeah, the song is all about being in love, but Jace is it for me. I was made to love him. As my eyes lock with his, Jace’s mouth curves as his head moves to the beat of the music. I swear, he is hanging on every word coming out of my mouth. Almost like he has been waiting his whole life to hear me sing this song.

  I hope he has.

  Because I’ve been waiting to sing it to him.

  I fall onto the bed beneath him, and his mouth takes mine as his fingers move up my ribs, cupping my breast. Hungrily, our mouths move together as he rubs his hard cock against my hot center, taking away my breath. Arching against him, I cry out when he takes my nipple between his fingers, squeezing hard, his mouth covering mine to capture my cries of desire. Moving my hands up his back, I dig my nails into his shoulders as our kisses become more urgent and a little sloppier.

  Not that I care.

  Pulling away, he bites into my bottom lip, a deep sound coming from the back of my throat before he lets go, a grin pulling at those wicked lips. Reaching for my shirt, he pulls it up and over my head. “You were so fucking hot tonight.”

  Gasping for air, I grin as his fingers dance along my ribs. “Just take me.”

  “Oh, I am. I just need you naked.”

  He unhooks my bra and his eyes fall to my breasts as I say, “You too, get naked.”

  Pulling his shirt up, I take him by his work pants, unbuttoning them and pushing them down his hips with his help. When he gets them off, along with his boxers, he throws them over the edge. I kiss up his chest, my eyes drifting shut from the intoxicating smell of coffee coming off his skin. Threading his fingers in my hair, he pulls my head back, capturing my mouth before he takes ahold of my breast. I’m throbbing for him, my body is on fire, and I have to have him in me. Pulling my mouth from his, I nibble down his jaw, his hands working to get my pants undone. But he doesn’t get far with my mouth distracting him.