Page 48 of Big Stick Energy
Chapter 17
Like One of His Rookies
Darcy
My face feels hotter than the bonfire around back. That’s what a potent cocktail of shame and embarrassment will do to a girl. “So you decided to teach her a lesson by making us a couple?”
Eric kicks off his slides and puts his feet in the water, too. “Something like that.”
His confession hangs in the humid night air between us: Eric didn’t pretend to be my boyfriend to fix an issue for himself. He did it because he feltsorryfor me.
And now that he’s admitted it, so many other things click into place. The way he kept his arm around me after that. The warm looks. Even our silly dance routine—it was all just Eric being overly generous. The way he is with everyone.
Which is exactly what I don’t need from him. Not when I’m having a hormone rush every time I remember the feeling of his hand on my waist. Not after I let myself imagine, even for amoment, that there might be something more interesting blossoming between us.
Mr. Noble Hockey Player was just trying to protect my feelings. Like I was one of his rookies having a bad day.
The hot tub bubbles beside us, and I’m grateful for its white noise. It helps mask the embarrassing sound of my swallow. “You shouldn’t have done that,” I say, my voice coming out tight. “I can handle Tessa being Tessa. I’ve had years of practice.”
“I know, but—”
“And Idefinitelydon’t need your pity. I’m not some damsel who needs the popular guy to defend her honor. ‘Poor little Darcy, with her pathetic crush, getting trashed by her own sister at a party.’”
His eyes widen. “That’s not what I—”
“Save it.” I stand up, water dripping from my feet onto the deck. “It’s insulting.”
“Darcy, wait.” He catches up to me in two strides. “You’ve got it wrong.”
“Do I?” I stop walking and glare at him. “Because it seems pretty clear to me. Your whole Captain Protective routine kicked in when you heard Tessa being an ass. Just like when someone cheap-shots one of your players.”
“That’s not—” He makes a frustrated sound. “Okay, maybe partly. But it’s more complicated than that.”
“It really isn’t.” I turn to go, but he’s blocking my path. “Move, please.”
“No.Because you’re making assumptions and they’re wrong. First of all, not all my thoughts were noble that night.”
I take an audible breath. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I thought it was obvious that the crush goes two ways.” Hewaves a hand between our bodies. “But it’s more than that. Listening to Tessa made me ragey—not just for you, but for me, too. I’m so tired of watching people get away with their shitty behavior. It happens in my family, too, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to stop them. So I just thought…” He sighs. “It just felt good to shut her up. I know it’s petty.”
God.It’s petty, but also hot. What is wrong with me that I like his explanation so much?
“Besides—we still have this wedding to get through. Your dad is sick, and my parents are a mess, and maybe we both need someone in our corner. So can we just…” He runs a hand through his hair. “Can we table this discussion until after the wedding?”
“You want tokeeppretending?”
“Yeah. I do.” His voice is gruff. “Unless you’d rather face five days of Tessa gloating about yourbreakup, which would be all my fault. While I deal with my mother crying into her champagne glass.”
When he puts it that way… “Hell.”
“Sounds bad, right?” He clears his throat. “And we had fun at that party, didn’t we? I sure did.”
My stomach tries a wobbly little flip. “It wasn’t terrible.”
He grins. “A three-star review? I guess I’ll take it.”
I can’t believe I’m about to sign on to this. “But Eric—just don’t treat me like I’m fragile.”
