I Swear I Still Hate Him (Atlas Lawson) novel Chapter 185

10:46 Sat, Mar 28

Chapter 185

Chapter 185

Atlas POV

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Jamal slammed the puck home, and the whole arena damn near exploded. The crowd went fucking feral cheers, stomps, and screams shaking the stands. We’d just smoked the East Lions. Final score. Game over. We

won.

Guys were already pouring onto the ice, piling on Jamal, slapping his helmet and shoulders while he laughed his ass off, arms raised like he’d just won the damn Stanley Cup. I skated over, grinning so hard my face hurt, and joined the chaos, ruffling his hair through the helmet.

“Good game, man,” I said, clapping him hard on the back as we finally headed toward the locker room tunnel. My stick rested on my shoulder, skates clacking against the rubber mats. Felt fucking good to win again. We’d been in the shitter for a few weeks, losses piling up, moods in the toilet. But tonight? Tonight the team felt whole. Rhys was finally back on the ice where he belonged, and you could see it in the way the guys moved around him. Like the puzzle piece we’d been missing had clicked back in.

He was smiling again, laughing a little more, chirping the guys like old times. But even with that, I could still see it in him, that pain under the surface. Grief didn’t just vanish because life kept moving. Losing somebody you loved like that… it stayed with you. It got in your bones.

He was peeling off his gear beside me when I glanced over.

“You good, man?” I asked.

He nodded, tugging his jersey over his head. “Yeah. Crazy game.” Then he let out a breath and gave me a tired grin. “Glad we beat their ass though.”

From across the room, Will’s loud-ass voice cut through everything. The dude was already buck-naked, strutting around like he owned the place, towel slung over his shoulder instead of where it should’ve been.

“Those assholes actually put a bet on us losing!” Will yelled, grinning like an idiot. “Now they’re crying their sorry asses back home, out a game and some cash. Suck it!”

Jamal groaned, covering his eyes with his hand. “Bro, can you cover your junk? Nobody wants to see that shit.”

Will just laughed, wrapping both hands around his dick like it was a microphone. “Why? Not enjoying the view?”

The whole locker room answered at the same time, a loud, disgusted chorus: “No!”

Will shrugged, still butt-ass naked. “Well, I don’t give a fuck. After sweating my balls off out there, I need to embrace my natural form.”

Rhys snorted from his bench, pulling his jersey over his head. “Or you could just take a shower like a normal human, dumbass.”

“Nah, I’ll pass,” Will shot back, walking away with way too much swagger for a guy swinging free.

My eyes drifted over to Rhys as he stripped off his undershirt. That’s when I spotted it a fresh dark bickeV

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Chapter 183

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right on the side of his neck, impossible to miss under the locker room lights. I raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at my lips.

“Guess someone’s been extra busy lately, huh?” I said, nodding toward his neck.

Rhys froze mid-motion, shirt halfway on. “What the hell are you talking about?”

I pointed at my own neck, right where the mark sat on his. “Right there, bro.”

His eyes went wide. “Shit.” His hand flew up to cover it, cheeks flushing a little as he cursed under his breath.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he muttered, avoiding my eyes.

I raised both hands in surrender, chuckling. “Dude, I’m not judging. I’m just glad you’re finally with someone. Far as I’ve known you, this is the first time I’ve seen you walking around with a hickey like some horny teenager. For what it’s worth… I’m happy for you, man. You deserve it.”

Rhys dropped his hand, the corner of his mouth twitching into a reluctant smile. “Thanks, man.”

Before I could say anything else. Will popped back into the conversation from across the room, still naked and unbothered.

“We should celebrate tonight,” he announced. “Bar. Booze. Hot chicks. Real healing.”

Jamal snorted. “Nothing says team bonding like watching you get rejected in public.”

Will pointed at him. “Jealousy is ugly on you.”

“Nah.” Rhys said, reaching for his bag. “I’m gonna take a rain check.”

For half a second, my stomach tightened. I thought maybe tonight was gonna be one of those nights where the grief hit him harder. I almost said I’d skip too, just to hang with him and make sure he was straight.

Then his phone buzzed. He looked down. And the way his face changed told me everything I needed to know. His neck went red. His mouth twitched. And that little grin he tried and failed to hide?

Yeah. My man wasn’t going home to be alone.

Just then, my own phone buzzed in my hand. I glanced down. And there it was. A text from Emery. Just seeing her name on my screen pulled a smile out of me so easy it almost pissed me off.

Well. Guess Rhys and I were both busy tonight.

I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

“Looks like I’m out too,” I said.

Will looked between us like he’d just been betrayed by his country. “Wow. Unbelievable. You two are sick.”

“Cry about it,” Rhys said, still smirking at his phone.

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Chapter 185

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“Later,” I said, already heading for the door, still grinning like an idiot at the message on my screen.

Things between Em and me had changed… and fuck, it was all in the best way possible. We were on the couch like horny teenagers, her straddling my lap, grinding down hard while we dry-humped like the world was ending. My hands gripped her ass, squeezing tight as she rolled her hips again, and a low groan ripped out of my throat.

“Shit… do I get this after every win? ‘Cause fuck,” I bit my lip hard, eyes half-lidded as she rocked harder against me. “I’m gonna make sure we win every fucking game from now on.”

She let out this breathy little chuckle that went straight to my dick. “Well then… I think your teammates owe me a thank you.”

My lips found her breast through her thin tank top. I sucked hard on her nipple, tongue flicking over it until it pebbled against the fabric. “If anything, I should be the one saying thank you,” I mumbled against her skin, voice rough.

Em moaned loud, her fingers digging into my shoulders, and damn… that sound. It made my cock throb so bad I thought I was gonna bust right there.

Ever since that visit to Ford and Sam’s place, we’d been all over each other. Making out like crazy every morning before breakfast and every night after dinner, like it was on some fucked-up timetable. Tongues, hands, dry-humping….everything except actual sex. Before the game tonight I’d eaten her pussy so good while she jerked me off, and I swear that’s what had me flying around the ice like a beast.

I groaned again, capturing her mouth in a messy kiss, bucking my hips up faster to meet her grinding. Thinking about finally sinking into her had me right on the edge. From the way she was whimpering and shaking against me, she was close too.

But I wasn’t fucking her yet. As bad as I wanted to….God, I’d missed being inside her for years, dreamt about it, jerked off to it, I wanted to take it slow. Cherish every second we’d missed. Build it back up right.

Emery moaned into my mouth, her whole body vibrating as her orgasm hit her hard. Not even a second later I was gone, blowing my load in my pants like a damn teenager, hips jerking up against her while I cursed under my breath.

We didn’t stop moving until we’d both ridden it out, then she collapsed against my chest, our breaths coming hot and ragged. Her hair stuck to her forehead, cheeks flushed pink, lips swollen from kissing.

“That felt so good,” she whispered, voice all soft and fucked-out.

I kissed the top of her head, one hand still lazily stroking her back. “Yeah… anything with you feels the best, baby.”

She smiled against my chest, that sweet, satisfied little curve of her lips that made my heart do stupid shit. Once we both calmed down a bit, I stretched over to grab some tissues from the coffee table. I cleaned her up first, gentle as I could, then yanked my pants down just enough to deal with the mess. My dick was still half- hard, sticky and wet, glistening under the living room light.

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I felt her eyes on me immediately, heated, hungry. When I looked up, her gaze was locked right on my cock,

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Chapter 185

lips slightly parted.

Fuck.

Then she smiled, slow and wicked. “Want me to lick it off?”

Double fuck.

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My dick twitched hard at her words, already starting to thicken again. “Em,” I groaned, voice strained, one hand gripping the couch cushion so I didn’t lose it. “You can’t say shit like that and expect me to behave.”

She leaned in closer, eyes flicking up to mine with that teasing glint. I was two seconds away from ripping her shorts off and forgetting every damn thing about “taking it slow.” My hands were already sliding up her thighs when her phone started ringing on the table.

She groaned, head dropping to my shoulder in frustration. “It’s work,” she announced, checking the screen.

I nodded, trying to get my breathing under control as she got off the couch. “Will be back.”

Again, my head moved in a nod shamelessly, watching how good her ass looked in that short. When she was finally out of my sight, I could finally think straight enough to clean myself up properly. I grabbed fresh shorts from the bedroom and changed quickly. When I came back, Em was still on the phone, pacing a little, laptop open on the counter as she talked shop.

I leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over my bare chest, just watching the way she brushed her hair behind her ear while she talked. The way her face shifted into that focused work look she got. The way she looked completely at home in my place now, like she belonged there… Like she belonged with me. A slow grin spread across my face.

Then my own phone beeped on the coffee table. I picked it up, thumb swiping across the screen, and there it was… the email I’d been waiting for all damn day.