Page 87 of The Switched-Up Playbook
“Have you ever thought about how it could have been? Us playing together, I mean,” he wonders aloud, and I swallow hard, because after playing two games with him, it’s the one scenario I can’t get over. Well, that and a few other ones, with significantly less clothing involved.
“No,” I tell him, because it’s the reasonable thing to do, but he laughs, rough and deep and rich.
“Liar.”
“I would have probably tried to kill you.”
“Yes, but after that we would have gone on to win the Frozen Four.”
The idea is absolutely outlandish, but I still find myself smiling. “Ridiculous.”
“Maybe…” Xander hums and leans forward, his upper body so close now the air turns static between us, “...we will move on to win other great things next season. Like the Stanley Cu–”
I do the only sensible thing and grab him by the collar of his team jacket. The hopefulness of his words clashes with the thought of my empty inbox. At this point, we might very well not play a single game together again, even when he just stroked my ego. But if there’s the slightest chance of it happening, I really don’t want him to jinx it.
Xander lets out a surprised yelp as I pull him in, the sound swallowed by my lips. His hand has left my knee so he can steady himself on the seat as he leans further over the console. His mouth is just as greedy as mine, his tongue tracing over my lips before entering.
I’m blindly feeling around for the zipper of his jacket, my mind racing with how easily we can get into the backseat, when he suddenly breaks the contact.
At first, I figure he’s getting into a better position, but when my body instinctively chases his, he stops me with a flat hand to my chest.
“No, Nicko,” he breathes, and I blink.
“No?” I echo in confusion. He was kissing me back a moment ago, coming onto me in the forest, and seeking me out the night before we left for school again, so I definitely didn’t expect to be turned down.
“You wanted to get me out of your system over Christmas. If we’re going to continue this, you have to buy me a drink first.”
“Buy you a drink,” I repeat, dumbfounded. That sounds suspiciously like a date, and something inside me recoils at themere thought, my pulse spiking like I’m a rabbit getting chased by a fox. I only now realize that my hands are still hovering in the space between us, trembling slightly.
“Yes, buy me a drink, maybe even with dinner,” Xanders nods, as he takes both of my hands in his, squeezing them. “I didn’t saycome outin public or propose to me. Just spend some alone time with me before trying to get into my pants again.”
He winks at me, and I huff out a short laugh.
“I don’t even know if I like you.”
“Same. But now that I want to punch you less often, I’d like to find out if I could. We’re going to play together in the fall, and I want to know more about you than your hockey stats and what your cum tastes like.” Xander smiles carefully at me, and I close my eyes to mull the words over in my head.
His hands are still wrapped around my own as I think of the past weeks. The way his warm body engulfed me after he literally blew my mind on the last day of our break. The spark I felt when he pointed his fucking stick at me after scoring just an hour ago. He still ticks me off with his know-it-all attitude and judgmental looks, but I can’t deny the goosebumps his touch leaves on my skin, the flutter in my chest when I remember the way he picked me up like I weighed nothing.
“Fine. Let me buy you a drink then.”
“Tsk. If that’s how you approach other people, I can see why Nate worries about your love life, Hoff.”
“Ugh!” I throw my head back to stare at the ceiling of my car, then take a deep breath for extra courage. Of course, he had to pick this moment to remind me of why I hate him.
“Let me take you out for drinksanddinner,please?”
When my eyes meet his again, there’s a soft smile dancing around the corners of his lips, his hands pulling me close until our foreheads lean together.
“Yes. Now, is there a graceful way to get into the backseat?” he asks mischievously, and I snort in surprise.
“I thought you wanted me to buy you a drink first?”
Xander’s hands cradle my jaw, his hot breath tickling my skin as he peppers my face with kisses.
“The promise will have to do, for now.”
Xander, February 10th
