Page 35 of Ice Cold Heart
I smiled despite myself. “You need help remembering not to hit on someone? I don’t envy the women in your life.”
He snorted and pounded on the closed door. “Including you, I have a grand total of three women in my life—one of them terrifies me, one is hardcore claimed by my roommate, and one is a duck. You can figure out which is which.”
I really hoped I was the terrifying one. Reece slammed his hand on the wood one more time before opening the door a tiny bit and bellowing into the crack.
“Mase, I swear to Eva if you don’t get up here in the next minute, I’m coming to get you.”
A reply floated up the stairs, but I couldn’t make out individual words. Reece seemed satisfied though because he abandoned the basement to grab his sneakers next to the door. Curiosity had me rooted to the spot since I hadn’t met Mase or the mysterious Gavin and Eva. I knew who the guys were, naturally, but Eva had only recently popped up in my socials when I bothered to check them.
Too much chance for overlap with Easton and the fallout from my article about Scott. Better if I could claim plausible deniability.
Cole sidled up next to me and jerked his chin at Reece. “Don’t say shit like that in front of Eva. She’s already a menace.”
Reece chuckled. “You’re just jealous she likes me better than you.”
“Sure. Jealousy is definitely what I’m feeling. You can deal with her attitude yourself since you’re obviously the favorite.”
The basement door creaked open before Reece could respond in the one-way pissing contest. I’d only ever seen Mase in full goalie gear, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into the living room with a loose-limbed stride.
Holey jeans and a ratty TU shirt didn’t hide his sheer mass. He had to be at least 6’4”, taller than the other huge guys who lived here, and wide shoulders tapered to a trim waist. His striking blue eyes catalogued the room in a second, lingering on me with a slight frown as he dragged a hand through unkempt dark hair.
Tattoos covered his hands and curled up around his neck. Not my thing, but the worn ink lived on his skin like they’d always been there. I shook off the fanciful thought and wondered if he was equally covered everywhere. Probably. Marco would lose his shit. I guess I should have expected another super-hot hockey player. Did they have a club or something?
“What’s she doing here?” he grumbled.
Reece tossed a shoe at him, which he caught with ease. “Cole has a study date. We’re leaving so he can decide if he wants to earn Coach’s wrath or not.”
I sent Cole a sharp look, and he simply shrugged. These guys were clearly close, but I hadn’t expected him to tell them the details of our deal.
Mase’s dark brows drew together. “I thought you needed a distraction.”
“That too. Stop staring and start moving.”
His gaze stayed on me for a moment longer, and for the life of me, I felt like he was examining my soul. When he shifted to scowl at Reece, a weight I hadn’t noticed lifted from my chest. Weird. It wasn’t attraction since apparently, I was in my good boy era, but Mase had a definite bad boy appeal.
Reece ushered Mase out the door without saying goodbye, and I decided not to take it as a personal slight. He seemed like the type to avoid goodbyes. Alone in the house with Cole, I dug through my bag, searching for a paper and pen I probably wouldn’t use. Last time, I’d mostly read out loud to him and we’d discussed the events.
The hairs on my arms stood up as he approached me from behind. My skin tingled at his proximity, but I refused to acknowledge the reaction. I was here to help him with his English assignment, not play naughty librarian.
“Do you want to start with the tutoring or the interview?” he asked.
Shit. I almost forgot about my article. The slip should have been a warning sign. When it came to journalism, I was always a professional. The memory of my dad’s face when I refused to do his interview at home made me cringe internally. Fine, I was a professional with everyone except my dad.
The interview had to come first. I only had a few days to write the ensuing article, and we could always schedule another tutoring session. Unlike the article, I hadn’t forgotten Cole’s demand for his participation. A flickering warmth started in my belly, and I admitted—silently, to myself—that I’d been thinking about kissing him all day. Another warning sign.
I took a shallow breath and summoned what was left of my waning confidence before I turned. “The interview.”
His lips tipped up into a half-smile. “You know the price.”
“One kiss. One.” I held up a finger, and Cole caught my hand to pull me closer. “Then you’re answering my questions and we’re going back to your reading.”
“Are you stalling, city girl?” he murmured, the sound rumbling through me in ripples.
I huffed, trying to disguise my sudden breathlessness. “I’m being clear about the stipulations. One kiss is all you get, until we finish your assignment.”
“Better make it good then.”
His fingers trailed around my waist in a lazy caress and spread on my lower back. I was prepared for violence and rough handling, but his gentle tug unfurled something inside me. Cole trailed his lips across my cheek, and my eyes fluttered closed. He teased and tested before settling his mouth on mine.