The Bad Boy Rule (Hellcats Hockey #1)

by Maren Moore

Before I can move to walk across the room to where they’re standing, I feel Saint’s palm sliding along mine as he threads our fingers together, holding my hand tightly.

Lennon steps back into my side, sliding her arms around my waist and peering up at me.

suddenly, Decker’s tiny little arms fly around him, squeezing him tightly in a hug that makes my chest physically ache. For a second, Saint is completely frozen. But then… slowly, he angles his tall, broad body and wraps his arm carefully around Decker, hugging him back. I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows, clearly caught off guard.

Saint Devereaux, the guy who’s closed off, emotionless, who makes it a sport to show the world just how much of an asshole he can be, who runs from anything that gets too close. The guy who has made me question everything about him since the moment I met him. I’ve wondered time and time again if a heart truly lived beneath his ribs at all. Now I know it’s there, quietly beating, hidden away behind a fortress of impenetrable walls built not to shut the world out but to guard the most vulnerable part of him.

I’m not even going to pretend like I didn’t watch her heart-shaped ass sway the entire way. I’ve got zero fucking shame. And goddamn, it’s an amazing ass. Perfectly curved and filling out every inch of those jeans. My eyes drag over the dip below her cheeks, the fullness, how fucking ripe she looks. I’m an ass guy, and Golden Girl has one that I want to sink my teeth into. That’s my plan anyway. Suddenly, she comes to an abrupt stop in front of me, causing me to collide with said amazing ass, and I almost groan when she brushes against my dick.

I don’t even have social media, but if I did, I’d undoubtedly opt for watching her instead. I like observing her in secret moments like this. When she’s unguarded and lost in whatever she’s doing. My eyes trace the delicate slope of her nose, which is dusted with freckles despite the makeup she has on to conceal them. I never thought I’d like freckles, but here I am, wanting to count them like a psychopath. I watch as she rakes her teeth over her plush bottom lip, a soft, sweet giggle bubbling out of her. Freckles and giggling are new turn-ons for me, go fucking figure.

Lennon goes in first, and I follow behind her, subtly adjusting my dick, which is semi-hard behind my zipper. The doors shut, and it feels like all of the air has been sucked out of the small space,

Reaching for her, I brush back a piece of her hair that’s come free from her braids.

“Just breathe with me. In… and out. Slowly.”

Her wide, panicked gaze meets mine, but she manages a small nod, taking a slow, shaky breath, even though I can see her still strugg...

“Breathe, Lennon. You’re going ...

Her eyes drop closed, and her hand finds mine, sliding over the top, and we move together with each breath. In and out. In and out. I don’t even realize when we’re breathing that my thumb is sweeping slowly along her skin and that we’ve moved closer together, her nearly in my lap. Like some type of gravitational force that I didn’t even notice because I’m so focused on helping her calm down. Afte...

“T-thank you. I’ve never… That’s never happened to me bef...

I...

“I know. It was a panic attack. They’re terrifying, and your fear pr...

The light is low, but I can still make out her face, the upturn of her lips, the flash of white teeth. Our hands still pressed against the sweat-slicked skin of her chest. My gaze drops, and she follows it, suddenly dropping her hand and clearing her throat. I sit back against my wall, and we face each other, neither of us speaking.

“Oooookay, what about… never have I ever?”

Her tone is hopeful as she wiggles her fingers in the air. I lick my lips.

“Not sure you’d have a shot in hell on that on...

“Let’s do it, then… unless you...

A deep laugh vibrates ...

“Be for real. Okay, alright, yeah, let’s play, but fuck putting a finger down. Instead, you ta...

The pink in her cheeks deepens, the heat already causing her heated skin to be flushed. Her mouth opens, then snaps shut when I...

“I’m not getting naked in an elevator...

she stutters. I lift my...

“Okay, then don’...

I can see the war raging behind her eyes, her pupils flaring as she fights herself. Fights her idea of wrong and...

“Fine. Let’s do it. But no bitching when it’s you that’s naked in front of all the hot firefighters that...

“Ladies first,”

he murmurs as he pushes back the dark, damp hair that sticks to his forehead. The tattoos on his arms seem darker, more pronounced from the sheen of sweat covering them, and I swear there’s a flutter between my thighs. The air around us feels thick with tension. Coupled with the unbearable heat, it feels hard to breathe.

“Never have I ever… driven a ...

I say as I twist the pink heart-shaped ring on my finger around, holding Saint’s stare. His lip tugs up in a smirk before he drags his teeth over his lips and sits up, reaching behind his neck to pull his shirt off. The sweat-drenched fabric falls to the floor next to him, and then his eyes are back on mine, staring me down with an intensity so strong that it feels like I might cave. It takes everything inside of me not to let my jaw drop. Holy. Shit. My wildest, horniest imagination could have never conjured up an accurate representation of what this man actually looks like shirtless. He looks like he must have been carved from stone by the greatest sculptor to have ever lived, each of the muscles in his chest sharp and defined, leading down to rows upon rows of chiseled abs. I watch a bead of sweat travel down the hollow space between his pecs, tracing along each muscle in a languid pace that makes me throb… everywhere. I’ve gotten a glimpse of those abs before on the ice, but it’s nothing compared to seeing the whole picture. God… he’s beautiful. Truly, there’s no other word for it. No other way to describe it. No wonder his ego’s this big. His...

“My eyes are up here, Gol...

he rasps darkly, the low, seductive sound settling around me. My gaze whips to his, cataloging the slow, wolfish curve ...

“Uh… it’s you...

“Indeed i...

“Never have I ever…”

Saint trails off.

“Been in a relati...

Instead of taking my shirt off, I kick off my tennis shoes.

“There.”

“Do shoes count as a piece of...

he asks. I...

“Not sure, but unless you’ve got a strip never have I ever ‘official’ rule book handy… I ...

He laughs, eyes glinting with...

“Fair. Alright, yo...

“Never have I ever… failed a class.”

He doesn’t take anything off, his brow quirking.

“3.5 GPA, Golde...

“Wow. You can...