Chapter 20 Dress
Liam Carter
The bar was buzzing with energy, a mix of laughter, clinking glasses, and the steady pulse of music thumping through the speakers. It should’ve been a normal night of drinks, shit-talking with the guys, blowing off steam after practice. But from the second Ava walked through the doors, my whole night went to hell.
I should’ve driven her. Now I see why she was so adamant about dressing in her friend’s house. Fuck!
I had been sitting at the booth with my teammates, sipping on my whiskey, when the entire dynamic of the room shifted. Conversations stuttered, heads turned, and I felt the air thicken with something almost tangible.
It was her. Obviously
She strolled in like she owned the damn place, with her chin high, lips painted in a deep, sinful red that made my mind go places it shouldn’t. Her dress clung to her body in ways that were downright cruel, black, short, and so tight I could see the dip of her waist, the curve of her hips, the swell of her thighs. And the heels. Fuck, the heels just about ended me. She never wore them. She didn’t need to. But tonight? She was making a statement.
And I hated that I was hanging on every word of it. Fuck those red lips, how perfect they would look wrapped around my cock and those heels!
I told myself to look away, to ignore the way she commanded attention, the way every guy in this damn bar was eyeing her like she was something to be conquered. But then my stomach twisted into a fucking knot when I saw where she was going.
Straight to him.
Mason fucking Calloway.
I stiffened, my fingers tightening around my glass. Calloway was a forward for one of our rival teams. A cocky bastard with an ego that barely fit in the rink. And Ava? She knew him?.
I didn’t know how or why, but when she slid right onto his lap like she belonged there, every muscle in my body locked up. My blood turned to fire. I barely heard the guys around me making comments, barely registered the way my teammates exchanged glances.
She was laughing. At fucking what? The dude wasn’t even close to funny, he could barely get a joke? And she was laughing?
She leaned in, whispered something in his ear that made Calloway smirk, his arm sliding around her waist like it belonged there.
What. The. Fuck.
I took a slow, controlled sip of my drink, my jaw tight enough to crack. I wasn’t sure what pissed me off more, the fact that she was all over him, or the fact that she was dealing with a boring fuck like Mason, just to torment me
She knew exactly what she was doing.
I could feel it in the way she kept sneaking glances in my direction, watching for a reaction, waiting to see me snap. And God help me, I wanted to.
Instead, I played her game.
Leaning back in my seat, I forced a smirk, dragging my gaze over to a group of girls at the bar. One of them, a blonde with legs that went on forever, she caught my eye and smiled. I lifted my drink in her direction, and she took it as an invitation, sauntering over to me.
Ava saw. Perfect
I knew she did because her laughter stopped for a fraction of a second, her fingers stilling where they played with the rim of Calloway’s glass. But she recovered fast, turning back to him and resting her hand on his chest like she had every fucking right to be there.
I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached.
Calloway’s hand slid down her thigh, and I almost shattered the damn glass in my grip. That was it. I pushed up from my seat, the blonde saying something I didn’t bother hearing, and stalked toward them before I could think twice.
Ava looked up just as I reached their table.
“Liam,” she greeted, voice all smooth and sweet like she wasn’t deliberately setting my blood on fire.
“Didn’t know you two knew each other,” I said, voice tight as I slid my hands into my pockets to keep from throwing Calloway across the damn room.
He smirked, looking way too comfortable with her still half on his lap.
“Ava and I go way back,” he said, fingers brushing over her knee like he had the right. “Didn’t expect to run into her tonight, though. Lucky me.”
And she just smiled, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Small world.”
I barely heard a damn word either of them said. My focus was on her, on the way she was watching me, waiting, expecting me to break.
Not fucking happening. Only thing I planned to break was her jaw, when I fucked those perfect red painted lips for making me endure this fucking torment
I forced a smirk, leaning down until I was inches from her face.
“Enjoying yourself?” I murmured.
Her lips parted slightly, breath hitching. It was brief, so brief I almost missed it, but it was there.
She recovered fast, tilting her chin up defiantly.
“Actually, yeah. Calloway and I were just catching up.”
I let my eyes drag over her, slow and deliberate. “Sure you were.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, and fuck if that didn’t make her even hotter.
Calloway laughed, patting her thigh.
“Want to get out of here?” he asked and I swear, I almost punched him
“Sure. Anything else, Carter?” she turned to me
I forced out a chuckle, shaking my head.
“Nah,” I lied smoothly. “Just wondering if you warned him yet.”
“Warned him about what?” she frowned.
“That you bite.” I grinned slowly and wickedly
Her cheeks flushed, and for the first time that night, she looked rattled. Good. I smirked, backing away, feeling the tension thrum between us like a live wire.
“I’ll see you at home, sweetheart.”
And with that, I turned and walked away, leaving her to stew in the game she started.
I just made damn sure I’d be the one to finish it.