The Deal (Off Campus #1)(67)

I wrap my arms around him and hold him tight against me, and it's so  familiar, so wonderfully perfect, that the love in my heart overflows  and stings my eyes. "I love you, Garrett," I choke out.

His husky voice tickles my lips. "I love you, Hannah."

Then he kisses me, and everything in my world is right again.





45

Hannah


March

"WHY IS YOUR ex-crush in my living room?" Garrett drops the whispered accusation in my ear as he comes up beside me.

My gaze shifts to Justin, who is on the couch playing a  complicated-looking shooting video game with Tucker. Then I turn back to  Garrett, who looks more amused than pissed. "Because he's my friend,  and I invited him. Deal with it."

"You don't think it's kind of a dick move to invite him? I mean, the  football team did shit all this season, and now he has to come celebrate  with the hockey crowd for making it to the semi-finals? And he has to  be around the perfect specimen of manhood who stole you away?" Garrett's  gray eyes twinkle. "You're a terrible person."

"Oh, shut it. He's happy that you guys are going to the Frozen Four." I  bring my lips close to his ear. "And don't tell anyone this or I'll kill  you, but he's been hooking up with Stella this past month."





  

"For real?" Garrett's jaw drops as he glances across the room, where  Stella, Dex and Allie are in the middle of an animated conversation with  Logan and Simms. It's still kind of bizarre seeing my friends  interacting with Garrett's friends, but we've all hung out dozens of  times over the past three months, so I'm starting to get used to it.

From his spot next to Dex, Logan senses me watching them and lifts his  head, and … well, that's something I haven't gotten used to. The look he  gives me burns with unmistakable longing, and it's not the first time  he's looked at me like that. When I brought it up to Garrett-just once,  in the most awkward conversation ever-he simply sighed and said, "He'll  get over it." No anger on Garrett's part, no resentment, just that one  measly sentence, which hasn't done much to soothe my worries.

I don't like the idea that Garrett's best friend might have feelings for  me, but Logan hasn't tried to make a move on me, and he sure as hell  hasn't talked to me about it, so that's a relief, I guess. But I really  do hope he gets over whatever he's feeling, because as much as I like  the guy, I'm totally and unequivocally in love with his best friend, and  that's never going to change.

This semester has been a busy one for us. I'm yet again rehearsing, this  time for the spring showcase, and this time it is a duet-with Dexter,  and the two of us are having a blast working together. Garrett and the  team have been killing it in the post season. The championship is next  week, and the venue for it just happens to be the Wells Fargo Center,  home of the Philadelphia Flyers, which means that, yep, I'm going to be  watching the final game live, and staying at Aunt Nicole's for the three  days the team is in Philly.

There's no doubt in my mind that the team will crush it. Garrett and the  guys have worked hard this season, and if they don't win this final  game, I'll eat my hat. Either that, or give my man lots and lots of  consolation sex. Such a chore.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Garrett says suddenly, and I turn around  to see Birdie and Natalie appear in the doorway where Garrett and I are  lurking.

Their faces are flushed and their expressions are secretive, leaving no  doubt as to why they're late for the party. I give Nat a hug of  greeting, then smile at Birdie, who responds to Garrett's taunt with a  defensive look.

"Hey, I already told you I'm against this party. It's bad luck to celebrate before you've even won."

"Naah, we've got this in the bag, man." Garrett grins and leans in to  smack a kiss on my cheek. "Besides, I've already won the most important  prize of all."

I'm pretty sure my cheeks turn into a pair of tomatoes.

Natalie groans good-naturedly, but Birdie, to my surprise, just nods in approval.

"See," Garrett informs us as he slings an arm around my shoulder, "I'm  allowed to say stuff like that to Birdie because I know he won't make  fun of me."

"Well, he should," I grumble, "because that line was cheesy as hell."

"Oh, shut it," he mimics. "You like it when I'm romantic."

Yep. I really do.

Birdie and Nat wander off to say hi to everyone, but Garrett and I stay  in our little corner. He tugs me toward him and kisses me, and even  though I'm anti-PDA, it's impossible to think about social etiquette  when Garrett Graham is kissing me.

His lips are warm and firm, his tongue hot and wet as he slides it into  my mouth for a fleeting taste. I part my lips eagerly, wanting more, but  he chuckles and tweaks a strand of my hair.

"Stop being inappropriate, Hannah. We're in public."

"Ha. Like I can't see your boner."

His gaze drops to his crotch, and he sighs when he notices the bulge  straining against his jeans. "For fuck's sake, Wellsy, you get me hard  without me even noticing." He frowns. "Damn it, now I'm gonna have to  leave my own party so we can go upstairs and take care of this. Thanks a  lot."

I snort. "Dream on. There's no way I'm doing the walk of shame afterward in front of all our friends."

His face collapses. "You're ashamed of me?"

"Don't give me that little boy trickery." I poke him in the chest. "It doesn't work on me anymore."

"Little boy?" he echoes. A wicked smile curves his mouth as he angles  his body so that he's facing away from the room. Then he takes my hand  and plants it directly over his hard-on. "Does this feel little or  boyish to you?"





  

Shivers fly up my spine. Oh no. Now I'm turned on.

As my heart pounds and my body tingles, I let out an annoyed groan and grab his hand. "Fine. Let's go upstairs."

"Nope. I changed my mind about that. We're going to stay down here and enjoy the party."

I drop his hand like a hot potato and scowl deeply. "You're such a vagina-tease."

Garrett laughs. "Yeah, but you still love me."

Tiny butterflies of happiness take flight in my stomach and dance around  my heart. I take his hand again and lace our fingers together. "Yeah," I  murmur with a smile. "I still love you."





Epilogue

Garrett


MY FATHER WAITS outside the arena when the team bursts out the back  doors. Dean had somehow gotten his hands on an old-school boom box, and  he has it propped up on his shoulder as Queen's "We Are the Champions"  blasts out of the speakers. There's nobody around to hear the victory  song but us, and the family and friends who made it out to Philly to  watch us play. Applause breaks out as we stroll up like the champions we  are, and several of my bonehead teammates take exaggerated bows before  heading over to say hello to the people who came out to see us.

I fucking did it. I mean, it was a team effort-no, a team domination,  because for the first time in years, the Frozen Four championship game  was a shutout. Simms didn't let our opponents score. Not even once. And  it seems fitting that the three lamplighters on our side came from me,  Tuck, and Birdie, respectively.

I'm proud of my team. I'm proud of myself for leading us here. It's the  perfect end to the perfect season, and it gets a little more perfect  when Hannah rushes over and hurls herself into my arms.

"Oh my God! That was the best game ever!" she declares before kissing me so hard my lips feel bruised.

I grin at her enthusiasm. "Did you like the little gun-finger I flashed you after that goal? All for you, baby."

She grins back. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but you were actually  pointing at the old guy a few seats over. He totally freaked out and  started shouting to everyone that you scored that goal for him, and then  I heard him ask his wife if maybe you knew that he was just diagnosed  with diabetes, so I didn't have the heart to tell him who the goal was  really for."

I break down in laughter. "Why is nothing ever simple with us?"

"Hey," she protests. "We're more interesting this way."

I can't argue with that.

From the corner of my eye, I see my father lurking near the bus, but I  don't make eye contact with him. In fact, I notice that nobody is  looking at him. Not me, not Hannah, not any of my teammates. A few  months ago, I told the guys the truth about my dad, because the  conversation I had with Hannah about life not being fair and my father  still being revered had stuck with me. So after the New Year, when one  of our sophomore D-men asked me if I could get him a Phil Graham  autograph, I could no longer hold it in. I sat the boys down-even Coach  was there-and told them everything.

Needless to say, it was damn uncomfortable and pretty fucking intense,  but when all was said and done, my teammates proved to me that I'm not  just their captain, but their brother. And now, as we all head for the  bus, not a single pair of eyes travels in my superstar father's  direction.