Page 18 of Rule Number Five
“Yes, hello to you too.” He held out the cup, amusement clear in his voice.
“You don’t understand how much I needed this.” Seriously, though, if he kept up with the coffees, he might get himself another stalker.
“I thought you might. I grabbed us a table in the back,” he said, gesturing with his head as he led us deeper into the older part of the library. Our desk was tucked around a corner, providing as much privacy as possible in a public space. We sat, and I made quick work of mixing my drink with the sugar and creamer packages on the table.
I took a sip and moaned in the back of my throat. Perfect.
“That’s the best thank-you I’ve got in a while.” His voice was a low rasp.
I ignored my hot cheeks and took out my laptop, opening the OneNote document I’d created for this class. It was easier to keep firm boundaries in the professional setting of a lecture hall, but tucked away, even if it was in a library, made everything feel… different. I cleared my throat. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Jax cut into my thoughts and gave me a mischievous grin. God, no wonder women flocked to him.
He leaned on the table, a casualness settling over him. “Where are you from?”
“We’re going to do small talk now?”
His eyebrows rose. “Looks like it.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Here.”
That perked him up. “Oh yeah? What school did you go to?”
“St-Clair High.”
“Ha! I went to St. Xavier. We kicked your hockey team’s ass.”
“Try again. We won Provincials all four years I was there.”
He smiled, his cheeks indenting with perfect dimples. “Your team cheated.”
I barked out a laugh. “Did not—”
Jax held up a hand to stop me from what would have been an epic tirade about why it was not okay to accuse a team of cheating just because you lost. “So youdolike hockey? Just not college hockey?”
“Oh, I like college hockey.”
“But you didn’t recognize me at the pub?” The color drained from his face, and he looked like he sucked on something sour. “Wait? Did you recognize me and this whole rules thing is just a way for you to turn me down?” He took his hat off, ran his hand through his already messy hair, and sighed, “Fuck.”
I had to bite back a laugh. “I just don’t watch your team’s hockey games. I still follow my favorite.”
Jax’s brows drew together, and his face turned serious. “What team, Sidney?”
He leaned in closer, the intensity of his gaze growing hot until I shifted in my chair. I suddenly didn’t want to admit who I cheered for. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me who your favorite team is,” he commanded in a low tone.
Dammit. He wasn’t going to let it go. “Brick Bandits.”
“No way. No fucking way.” His voice came out in shock, and his eyes widened. “They beat us in the playoffs two years ago. They’re why we didn’t make it to finals.”
I sucked in an apologetic breath between my teeth. “Yeah, they beat you pretty bad that time. It was a good night.”
Jax’s gaze snapped to mine before he laughed loud enough that we were shushed from the table a few rows away. “Sidney King. That’s blasphemy. You don’t need to worry about passing this class. They might kick you out for that.”
“It’ll be our little secret.”
“Hell the fuck no. I’m telling everyone.”