The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Chapter 95

ARIA’S POV

For a second, I thought I was imagining it.

55 Voucher

My heart stuttered violently as I instinctively took a small step back, my body reacting before my mind could catch up. This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Not like this. Not when I was alone.

Because I wasn’t supposed to be alone. Brandon had stepped away just moments ago. He had told me to wait. Just a minute, he said.

Just one minute. And somehow, that was all it took for Luca to find his opening. “You look surprised,” he said, his voice low, almost amused, but there was something off about it. Something unsteady.

My brows drew together slightly as I studied him more closely. He didn’t look happy. That was the first thing I noticed.

Not just unhappy, he looked restless. His eyes carried something heavy, something unsettled, like he was holding too much beneath the surface.

This was his engagement party. He was supposed to be glowing, proud and certain. But he wasn’t.

“Why are you here?” I asked quietly, my voice steadier than I felt.

His lips parted slightly, like he hadn’t expected that question. Or maybe he had, but didn’t have an answer ready.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said instead.

That wasn’t an answer.

My chest tightened. “That’s not what I asked.”

Silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. And then he stepped closer. Too close.

The sharp scent hit me almost instantly. Alcohol. My stomach dropped slightly. “You shouldn’t be here with him,” Luca muttered, his gaze dragging slowly over me, lingering in a way that made my skin crawl.

I stiffened. “Luca…” I started, but he cut me off.

“You look…” he exhaled, shaking his head slightly, like he couldn’t find the right words. “Different.”

My fingers curled slightly at my sides. His eyes moved again. Slower this time. “Better,” he added, almost under his breath. “You’ve… filled out.”

Disgust twisted in my chest. “Stop,” I said firmly, taking another step back. But he didn’t stop. Instead, he reached for me.

My breath caught as his hand wrapped around my arm, his grip firm enough to hold me in place.

12:22 Thu, May 14

Chapter 95

E85 vouchers

“Do you know how much I’ve thought about you?” he said, his voice lower now, rougher, like the alcohol had stripped away whatever restraint he usually had.

My heart began to pound again, faster this time.

“Luca, let go.” I said, trying to pull away.

But his grip tightened. “I made a mistake,” he continued, like he hadn’t even heard me. “I should have chosen you.”

The words hit me like a slap. I froze. For a second, everything went quiet. Because a part of me, a very small, very broken part of me, had waited for those words once.

Before Julian, I had waited and hoped and wished.

But not like this. Not now. Not when it didn’t matter anymore. “You’re drunk,” I said, my voice colder now.

“I’m honest,” he shot back immediately.

Before I could react, his hand moved to my waist, pulling me closer. My breath caught sharply.

“Luca—”

“I’ve missed you,” he murmured, and then he leaned in.

My heart slammed violently against my chest as panic surged through me. “Stop!” I snapped, trying to push him away.

But he was stronger. And for a split second, I felt it, that same helplessness I thought I had left behind. Until, “Get your hands off her.” The voice cut through everything. It was cold, sharp and final.

Luca was pulled away so suddenly that he stumbled slightly, clearly not expecting the force behind it. Brandon.

Relief hit me so fast it almost made me dizzy. He stood between us now, his presence overwhelming, his expression darker than I had ever seen it.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Brandon’s voice was low, controlled, but there was something dangerous

beneath it.

Luca let out a dry laugh, trying to regain his footing. “Relax. We were just talking.”

“That didn’t look like talking.” The tension between them was immediate. Thick. Unforgiving. For a moment, I thought it would escalate further.

But then Brandon turned. And just like that, everything about him shifted. His gaze softened slightly as it landed on me. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

I nodded, though my heart was still racing. He didn’t look convinced.

Without another word, he gently guided me away from Luca, putting distance between us like it was the most

12:22 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 951

natural thing in the world.

3.55 vouchers

And then, something unexpected happened. He led me to a seat. Right there. In the middle of the event. I blinked in confusion as he crouched slightly in front of me, his hands moving to my feet.

“Brandon-what are you doing?” I whispered, startled.

“You’re shaking,” he said simply. Before I could react, he slipped off my heels. My breath caught.

Right there. In a room full of people. Watching.

He didn’t seem to care. His hands moved gently, carefully, massaging my feet like it was the most normal thing in the world.

The murmurs started almost immediately. But he ignored them completely. “You need to relax,” he added, his voice quieter now.

My chest tightened. Because no one had ever done this for me before. Not like this. Not so openly. Not without hesitation. “I’m fine,” I whispered, though my voice didn’t quite match the words.

“No, you’re not.” The way he said it made it impossible to argue. And for once, I didn’t. A few minutes later, when I tried to stand, the exhaustion hit me harder than I expected.

“I’m tired,” I admitted softly. That was all it took. Without a word, he bent slightly and lifted me off the ground.

My breath caught again. “Brandon-”

“I’ve got you,” he said simply. And somehow, I believed him.

He carried my heels in one hand and held me effortlessly with the other, walking us out of the event like nothing else mattered.

Like no one else existed. By the time we got into the car, my body had finally started to calm down.

The silence between us felt different now.

“Thank you,” I said softly, staring down at my hands.

He glanced at me briefly. “Is he your ex?”

My head snapped up immediately. “No.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify