Page 16 of Ice Cold Heart
“Why me?” I finally asked.
“Because I know exactly what your motivations are for getting involved, and when I told you no, you listened. Mostly.”
I had to laugh. “Avery, you don’t have to make a deal with me to get orgasms. I’ll happily provide them for free.”
She shook her head and started walking again. “Free is never free. Those orgasms would come with hidden strings and requirements. In this case, I know what the strings are. We’re openly using each other.”
“Doesn’t sound very friendly,” I muttered.
Avery shrugged, the movement a shadow in the dark. “Admittedly, I’m not good at making or keeping friends.”
“If I say no?”
She stiffened slightly. “You can find a more traditional tutor, and I’ll experiment with someone else. I’ll still be your friend though, since you owe me duck pics.”
Well that decided it. I wasn’t saying no.
Grandpa would be disappointed, Mom would be horrified, and my sister would probably call me the dumbest man on Earth. I was still going to say yes. The risk was not insignificant. If Coach caught us, he could absolutely ruin my career. But if she walked away, I’d be left to struggle with my class on my own… while imagining her getting those orgasms from someone else.
Any other girl suggesting this deal would have resulted in me laughing all the way back to her car and erasing her number. Plenty of puck bunnies had offered me sex when all they knew about me was I played hockey. I always politely declined. For Avery, I’d break my no casual sex rule, but I couldn’t let her win so easily. It would set a dangerous precedent.
I rubbed my chin, pretending to consider. “I still get to text you and walk you around campus and harass you about your true crime paranoia?”
She snorted out a laugh. “Sure.”
“Do I get a safe word?”
Her brows came together as she stared at me. “What do you think I’m into?”
“Not for your kinky ass. For the deal. If I want out, or if you do, we should have a safe word.”
“How about platypus?”
It was my turn to stare at her. Avery watched me with a hooded expression, and Coach’s threat to Reece earlier circled through my head on a loop. She wanted me to do a hell of a lot more than lay a finger on her. Or so she claimed. If I was risking my spot on the team, might not hurt to be sure she was serious.
Her car was parked at the edge of the arena lot, nearly hidden in the shadows of the pine trees lining the asphalt. The sliver of a moon wasn’t providing much illumination, and the overhead lights didn’t reach this far. Perfect for a little test.
I nodded at the dark corner where her car sat. “Not a great parking spot if you’re worried about being murdered.”
She sniffed. “It was in the shade earlier, and I wasn’t aware of the shitty lighting situation out here. I haven’t heard an answer yet.”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
Avery sent me a sly look. “Are you worried you won’t be able to deliver?”
“After that kiss in the library? Hell, no. I’m one hundred percent confident I can deliver. I’m worried your dad will castrate me before I have the chance.”
“He doesn’t have to know.”
“He can’t know,” I corrected.
She pulled out her key fob and unlocked the doors with a beep. “He won’t care, but have it your way.”
I considered telling her what Coach had said after she’d stormed off, but I had the feeling I’d be fighting a losing battle. Her relationship with her dad—and what had happened to bring her to TU—were two more things I was burning to ask her about. Now wasn’t the time.
Avery turned to face me, challenge written all over her sharp features. “Are you in or out?”
“I’m in, but there’s one more thing.”