Mr. Heartbreaker (The Nest, #1)

by Piper Rayne

“I’m room 1498,” he says. “And?” I arch a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Figured the way you were eye-fucking me earlier, you’d value that piece of information.”

“Really? You’re surprised? You’re in a Chicago hotel. Your trade to the Falcons was broadcast everywhere. But if it’d make you feel better, I can pretend.” The tips of his lips turn up, and his tongue slides along his bottom lip. Shit, is that something he did as a distraction to take my thoughts off course and only think about having that tongue between my legs? If so, job well done. It totally worked. He shakes his head. “So, you know me. Now I need to know you. What’s your name?”

she stood just far enough away from me at the bar to tell me that she’s not that easy to hold on to. My biggest problem is that I love a challenge. For the entirety of my life, all someone had to tell me was that I didn’t have it or I’d never make it. I wasn’t fast enough or quick enough or smart enough. Tell me I can’t do something, and I’ll work tirelessly to prove you wrong.

“It’s nice, sure, but if a man wants me, I hope nothing will hold him back. That all he could think about was me until he had me all to himself.” She straightens, and I miss the way her long hair tickled my neck. “Are you suggesting I throw you over my shoulder firefighter-style and carry you to room 1498?” She laughs. “I’d settle for a more subtle exit, but once we’re in the elevator alone, it’d be game on.”

“I think I’ve been a good boy.” He rises from his chair and towers over me, holding out his hand. “You’ve barely touched me,” I say, standing so close our chests practically touch. My nipples pebble in response. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop if I started.”

“She has that look. You know, where everyone thinks they know her.” Alara pulls his attention off me. “No, she doesn’t,” Rowan says. “There’s nothing ordinary about her.”

“You don’t understand. He’s not important.” Her words make me see red. “He was obviously important enough to you that you risked us! You risked Dad!” I turn around and head for the door. “Kyleigh!” she calls. “Did you…” I whip around. “Tell Dad? No. You’re going to tell him, and if you don’t, I will.”

“I’m your best friend. You have that look on your face.” “You’re my best friend?” “Don’t deny it and hurt my feelings.”

It rings once before Conor picks up. “You sending me to fucking voicemail, Magic? Do our college years mean nothing?” I chuckle. “Where are you calling from?” “Shit, I keep forgetting. Is that why people aren’t picking up for me? Some girl got my number and spread it around, so I had to get a new one last week.”

“I wouldn’t know the first thing about running a bar.” “It’s easy. A pretty face like yours would sell the drinks, no problem.” I laugh. “I feel like you’re sweetening me up.” “You have this look about you like you’re about to go through a change.”

It’s something else. A booty call doesn’t show up at ten on a Monday morning. And your eyes are red and swollen from crying. I’ve been giving you hell about Landry, and you haven’t cracked and told me what really has you so upset.” I suck back the tears threatening to fall. “I…” “Bartender oath,” she says. “I found out that my mom is cheating on my dad.”

I’ve never felt more found than being lost in her.

“Good because you’re mine.” He draws back, and I’m not sure what the look on my face is. Surprise? Shock? Elation? “You know, until we’re bored with each other.” He shrugs, playing it off. “Totally.” I try to do the same. He lowers himself back down and kisses me again. I wish I could get those two words out of my head—you’re mine. But they keep ringing out again and again, taunting me to deny that this is starting to feel like something more.

“Your girl. She’s at your place all the damn time.” “You have nothing better to do but spy on me?” Tweetie clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth. “That’s how often she’s there. Every time I leave my place, she’s either coming or going.” He’s not wrong. For the last three weeks, Leigh has been all I think about, all I want. We talk, and I’ve been getting to know her, but I haven’t asked her a lot of personal questions. Twice now, I’ve found her at Peeper’s Alley with swollen eyes as though she’s been crying.

And I’m not dating her. I’m just…” “Fucking her?” Jagger asks, sitting in the chair next to me. “Yeah… I mean…” Jagger holds up his hand. “You don’t have to answer to me. I had my fun, but don’t be an idiot and pass up the woman for you like I did. Thankfully, I got a second chance, but not everyone does.” He eyes Tweetie, who turns toward the snack table, giving us his back. I’m not sure what that’s about.

Leigh is beautiful, funny, and I have this pull to her I’ve never felt with anyone else. I’ve never considered dating anyone since I got into the league. Seems like a waste to me because of how much I travel. Plus, I don’t want to bring an innocent person in to bear the brunt of all the doubts in my head about what kind of a man I might be to a long-term partner. Leigh’s too good for that, and she seems happy to keep our agreement the way it is, so why mess that up?

“Give him a break,” Henry says. “Our boy might be realizing he’s falling.” I shrug. “She’s a great fuck. That’s it.” The words taste sour coming out of my mouth. She’s more than that. And she will be more than that to someone else after she’s done with me, which will probably be as soon as my season starts since I won’t be available as much.

Now every time I’m with him, I feel a little more for him and then feel guilty that he doesn’t know who my brother is.

“Congratulations, big brother. I can’t wait to have you home.” “There’s my little sister. I’ll text you when I get into town.” “Okay.” “And Ky?” he says. “I love you, and no matter what happens, you always have me. But we’ll get through this. I’m not sure how much shit we’ll have to paddle through, but we’ll come out of this.”

He’s deflecting, not wanting to talk about his feelings, and I can’t call him out because I’m hiding so much myself. I need to tell him I’m Conor Nilsen’s sister, that I found out my mom is cheating on my dad, and that my head is all over the place, which is why I didn’t tell him sooner.

I’ve never done that with anyone. But Leigh seems to be breaking all my rules.

I need to figure out how to become unattached to her, but every time I tell myself she’s just a woman I’m screwing, I wince because it doesn’t feel that way. I want more from her.

“How long will you be out with Alara?” I ask, wanting her to come back over tonight. “I don’t know. Probably well past your time with your friend.” Point made. She’s not interested in getting to know my friends or doing anything outside of what we do here. I hate the feeling of disappointment that fills my chest.

“My sister found out my mom is cheating on my dad. Like witnessed her and the other guy making out in my mom’s office.” Fuck. That sucks. “I’m sorry, man.” He nods and tips his beer back. “Yeah, well, my sister doesn’t handle things like this very well, so she’s an emotional mess, and my mom is trying to act like she didn’t get caught and is just ignoring it. My dad is presently in the dark, so coming back to Chicago is nice, but not what I thought it would be. At least I can be here for my sister through this shitty time.”

“I wish I had something to make you feel better about the situation with your family, man.” He cracks his neck and looks at the television. “It’s okay. It’s just hard. I put on a brave face for my sister, but I don’t know… I thought they were happy these days. It feels like everything I believed was bullshit. Plus, what does this mean for the future? Separate holidays and shit?”

“You losing your bachelor card?” “Fuck no,” I say. I’m not lying, but also, I’m skimming the truth. If Leigh wanted something more, I’m not sure I would say no, and that’s a step I’ve never taken. Thinking about it makes my heart pound like my first game in the league.

“Rowan.” Her hands splay on my chest. “You were going to tell me something.” I could say the same thing to her. We’re both keeping secrets from one another. And maybe I should say a secret for a secret, but I don’t want to force her to tell me. I want her to trust me like I do her in this moment.

I don’t want to run away. Isn’t that the problem with her? I always want to be with her. This infatuation stage of our relationship isn’t losing momentum, quite the opposite, and it makes me feel out of control in my life. A feeling I don’t do well with. “Please don’t ever tell anyone,” I say in a soft voice as if there are people around. “Never. I would never.”

God, she’s ruining me, and I’m just letting her do it, but the last thing I want to do is walk away from this.

I take a moment while her eyes are closed and she doesn’t know I’m looking at her to admire her beauty and the fact that she’s kind of mine. I mean, I don’t think she’s seeing anyone else. Or fucking anyone else.

She didn’t cheat on you. She cheated on me.” I huff. “No, Dad, you’re wrong. She cheated on all of us.” Conor’s hand tightens on my shoulder. “You have every right to be angry. You both do. We’ll talk soon.” Dad opens the door, steps out into the hall, and shuts it behind him. I turn into Conor’s chest, and the tears stinging my eyes finally slip free while he holds me. “It’s going to be okay. He’s going to be okay,” he says. “I hate her, Conor. Hate her.” He squeezes me tighter. “I know. I know.”

“You haven’t seen her yet?” I hear Tweetie asking Conor. “She’s at the building all the damn time. Dark hair, great tits, and an amazing ass.” “Shit, she sounds hot,” Conor says, skating toward the goal. “She is. Too bad Magic found her first. I would’ve snatched her away.” Tweetie smiles wide at me, and I shoot a puck at him. It flies up and hits him. “Now you’re acting jealous. Buy a ring already.”

“It’s a mutual thing. Neither of us want anything serious.” Conor looks at Tweetie, and they both laugh. “What?” I glare at them. “I guarantee she’s hoping you’ll change your mind. She’s probably playing hard to get to keep you chasing. She thinks she can change your mind eventually.” Conor shakes his head. “She’s not like that. She’s different. Not a puck bunny.” I argue in her defense because to me, she is different. So different from any woman before her.

“You already strapped yourself down with Bodhi, so we gave up on you a long time ago.” Tweetie shoots me the puck, and I skate behind the net and down to center. “And you’ll die a lonely old man.” Henry raises his eyebrows. “Don’t give Magic shit just because you already passed up on your soulmate.” Fuck, Hensley really went there. Tweetie’s jaw clenches, and I prepare for a showdown, but I get why Hensley said it. You come after Bodhi, he’s gonna fire back. “She obviously wasn’t my soulmate, and don’t talk about shit you don’t know about.”

“Sister? I like sisters.” Tweetie stops skating in front of Conor, whose eyes narrow. “Not on your life. She already knows never to date one of my teammates. I made that clear a long fucking time ago.” “Jeez, it’s like you’re sweetening the pot. I like the challenge too.” Tweetie grins. “And now you’re living with me for the foreseeable future. Why don’t we have a sleepover with her and get to know each other better?” Conor’s expression says it all—try it, and he’s not going to be as gracious as Henry. I’m pretty sure you cross that line with Conor and that calm demeanor he usually displays will turn feral. Even in college when he’d mention his sister, it was obvious he was overprotective.

“Rowan,” he says, “you don’t have to play her off to me. I get it.” I look beside me. “Who?” He shakes his head. “Someone I used to know a long time ago. But we were young, and she needed to find herself, and it wasn’t going to be following me around so I could play hockey. I let her go.” The thought of letting Leigh go feels like being crushed by a thousand-pound weight. “I’m pretty sure she’s going through something, but she doesn’t want to talk about it, and I don’t ask any questions,” I say. “I’m not sure this thing with us is going anywhere. In fact, we both agreed that it wouldn’t. I might have to let her go.”

The usual smile he has when he sees me drops, and he steps inside, shutting the door and dropping his bags on the floor before wrapping his arms around me. I go willingly, clinging to him as tears fall, soaking his shirt.

long as you don’t get the wrong idea.” I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. She tilts her head. “Wrong idea?” “That I would want any of them.” She laughs and hops off my lap. “I know my worth.”

“Stay over. Spend the night with me.” I freeze and tip my head up to look up at him. He’s not smiling as if it’s a joke. And he’s obviously not drunk—except maybe on lust. “What?” I whisper. “Spend the night with me.” “Um…” He lowers his head, kissing my neck. “I’ll beg if you want me to.” “But what about…” “Please, Leigh.”

“You’re the only one who gets the real thing.” My heart thumps double time. I pull back, and he doesn’t look away. “Leigh,” he says, his hands sliding onto my cheeks. My heart soars, but at the same time, bits and pieces are breaking off because if he’s going to say what I think he’s going to, I’d be so damn happy, but so undeserving at the same time. And I can’t let him bear his soul to me when he doesn’t know the truth.

“No need to be embarrassed. Let’s see the woman who finally tamed Rowan Landry?” Conor’s stance widens, and he crosses his arms. My stomach pitches. “That’s a little extreme. I didn’t need to be tamed,” Rowan says. He backs up to offer me the space to turn and look at Conor for a proper introduction.

“What the fuck, Ky?” Conor tugs the hoodie of the sweatshirt off my head and our matching brown eyes land on one another. There’s rage in his and apology in mine. “What the hell?” Rowan pushes Conor back by the chest. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Conor stumbles but recovers like the athlete he is. “Me? You’re the one fucking my sister!”

“Hey, you’ll get your turn. Right now, I get to ask the questions.” “Like hell.” Conor steps in front of me. I’m not usually a physical guy outside of the rink, but I fucking cared about this woman. And she’s been lying to me this entire time. “You know what?” I put up my hands and step back. “Have at it. I’m done.”

“She wasn’t that,” I say because I’m an idiot who can’t stop himself. “I mean…” Oh fuck it. I can’t right now. All this time I thought she wanted to tell me something, I never thought it was that she was Conor Nilsen’s sister and that she’d been lying to me since the moment we met. Fuck, it hurts.

As mad as I am at her, I’m still gut-punched seeing the aftermath of her secret coming out. I want an explanation, but at the same time, I don’t care what she has to say. She lied. My head is everywhere and nowhere, and I need to step away from the situation and sort out my feelings before I can sit down and talk this out with her.

I’m sorry that you found out the way you did. It wasn’t my intention.” “It was your intention. That’s the problem. You were purposely lying to me, to him, and to yourself.”

“Did I wake you, buddy?” I ask, earning a death glare from Henry. “I can’t sleep.” He climbs onto Henry’s lap, laying his head on his chest. Damn it, what is this new feeling in my chest? I’ve never wanted kids, but I wouldn’t mind a little cuddle right now myself.

“You gotta get her out of your head,” Tweetie says. I down some water. “Does it look like I’m not trying to do exactly that?” He holds up his hands and looks at Henry, as if he’s the one to guide me. Then again, there’s a reason we call him Daddy. “Have you talked to her?” Henry asks. I shake my head. His forehead wrinkles. “Fuck, Rowan, why not?”

It’s your life, and you’re old enough to take responsibility for your fuckups. And if you let her go, you’re fucking up.” “Says you.” “We talked about this. She lied, yeah, and it sucks. But you guys weren’t in a relationship. It was all supposed to be fun and games. She didn’t owe you anything. She didn’t have to tell you who she was when you were just messing around. Sure, once Pinkie got traded”—he shrugs—“she should’ve come clean, but I also know from an outsider’s point of view, that’s when things were shifting between you, no?”

“Admit it. You fell for her. That’s the only reason you’re hurting so much. The reason your game fucking sucks. The reason you’re moping around. You did the one thing you always swore you wouldn’t do, and you fell for the woman.” “So what? She ruined it.” He laughs and claps me on the back. “Cut it out now then.” “What are you talking about?” I take another gulp of my water because our break will be over soon. “Cut out your heart because you’re refusing to listen to it. Fuck it, right? It’s just your life and your happiness. Being stubborn is way more important than that.”