“And you remember what I want to do afterward?” she smirked at me. “We can’t do that unless you’re a good boy.”
A smile finally cracked my tight lips, and I sighed, trailing a finger down her cheek. “You’re wicked, Red. Smart, but wicked.”
“Just as you like it,” she whispered, slipping her hand beneath my tux jacket and rubbing her palm across my abs. I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against hers as I often did to calm my raging nerves. Something about Paige always kept me grounded whenever I felt like I was going off the rails.
After a moment she jolted underneath me, turning around as if someone had tapped her on the shoulder. “Yes?” She asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
“I forgot to give you something, sweetheart.” Trevor’s gaze didn’t leave mine as he handed Paige a business card with a hand written number on it. “For when he’s licked your flavor clean. Never seen a bunny hold his interest beyond a night. You must be…talented.” He cut his eyes to Paige for a moment before bringing them back to me. “The second you realize Jackson is useless know that I’d love to discover just how talented you are.”
The energy shifted in the atmosphere around me. He’d hit upon two of my biggest triggers—calling me useless and hitting on Paige.
One second I’d swam in the calm waters that Paige’s presence surrounded me in. The next I was a maelstrom seeing red. I launched at Hewitt as if we were on the ice, and sent him crashing straight through the sculpture we’d been pretending to look at moments ago. It shattered in huge chunks both behind and in front of the bar.
I dove on top of Hewitt, laying into him with a right hook he should have memorized from our past games—but this wasn’t to prevent a goal, this was to prove a point. No one spoke to Paige like that. Ever. Hewitt managed a crack at my jaw, but I recovered quicker than he could blink, landing another blow hard enough to make him limp. I pulled my fist back, readying for another punch to be sure he got the message.
“Rory Jackson!” The sharp tone of Paige’s voice was the only thing capable of jerking me out of myself. I snapped out of it, slowly returning to reality, one where I hadn’t even registered the group of younger guys surrounding us with their phones out and cameras rolling. Fuck, this would hit the media in minutes.
I pushed off the floor, craning my neck until I found her—along with the entire party—staring at me. The hurt in her eyes crushed the center of my chest harder than any physical blow could. She looked at me like I’d betrayed her and the sight made me want to drop to my fucking knees before her.
“Paige—”
She held her hand up to stop me, smoothing the lines of her dress as security rushed passed her. They hefted Hewitt off the floor.
“Just a misunderstanding, gentlemen.” Hewitt swiped at some blood on the corner of his mouth. “No need to cause more of a scene. I’ll cover the damages.” He glanced at the crowd. “Sorry about that, folks. Little anxious to get back in the rink with this one, seeing as we’ll be going against each other for the Stanley Cup in a couple weeks.” He gestured to me, but I only spared him a glance before I returned focus to Paige. While he was cleaning up my mess—saying all the things I should’ve—I was watching the light go out behind Paige’s eyes.
She finally broke our locked eyes, shaking her head as she walked inside the building, holding her grace, her composure, because apparently I fucking couldn’t. For a second I hesitated, my muscles locked from adrenaline. Then I ran, chased after her faster than when I was on the ice. I grabbed her arm outside the elevator bank, spinning her to face me.
“Paige—”
“Don’t.” She cut me off again. Tears were in her eyes, and she held her stomach as she took a deep breath.
I’d made her sick.
She opened her mouth to speak but jolted again, and I did too as my cell buzzed in my pocket. Where she reached for hers, I stood absolutely still, silently begging her to forgive me.
She clenched her eyes shut after reading the message on her screen, the motion forcing the tears to roll down her cheeks. “I could’ve handled Trevor on my own,” she said. “I didn’t need the macho crap.”
“I know,” I said. “I can’t control it. Sometimes—”
“I know. Trust me.” She stepped toward me, placing a small kiss on my lips. “I fell in love you with you, Rory. Every part of you.” More tears as she slipped her phone back into her small purse. “But you just cost me everything.”
She could’ve hit me in the gut with a sledgehammer, and I would’ve been in less pain than I was in that instant. The tightrope across my chest cinched, threatening to crack my bones. I didn’t need to see the screen to know what was on it. Her father’s vow...my actions...she’d just lost her company.
I parted my lips, searching for the right words. Words that would win me her heart—her trust—back. Another bucket of ice water crashed over my head, turning my blood cold.
She’d needed me to be man enough to restrain myself unless the situation desperately called for it and tonight’s did it. How many other nights would there be where I did this to her?
Fuck.
A sharp twinge wracked my insides like I’d drank nothing but pure acid all night.
Paige deserved better than this. Better than me. She always had. And I was the dumbass for thinking I was strong enough to give it to her.
“Rory…” she said my name with a tear stained voice. “Let’s go—”
“No.” I was the one to cut her off this time. I clenched my eyes shut, giving myself a moment to find the mask I needed to do right by her. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and looked at her like she was any bunny from my past I wanted to get rid of. “You go. I don’t need this hassle.”
She flinched as if I’d slapped her, her hand once again flying to her stomach.
Good. She should be disgusted with me.
“What?” Anger flashed behind her wet eyes.
I shrugged, the motion more painful than knowing I would never touch her again. “This was fun and all, but I’m done being your go-to bad-boy for a fucking list.”
“You don’t mean that,” she said, sucking in a stuttered breath.
I turned my back on her, unable to hold the casual mask with her eyes on me. My resolve shook when she reached out and touched my shoulder. I was seconds away from breaking, from dropping the act and being the selfish asshole who stayed with her just to ruin her some more.