Page 65 of One Pucking Wish

“Yeah, I agree. I picture me and my wife somewhere beautiful, just the two of us, vows and endless sex.”

Glass to my lips, I almost inhale the water in my mouth. “You’re such a romantic,” I scoff.

He raises a brow. “Oh, I guarantee you, she’ll have no complaints. It will be romantic as hell.”

“I never pictured you as a guy who plans his future wedding.”

His shoulders rise. “I never was.”

The implication that he is now causes my heart to race in my chest.

His deep brown eyes hold my stare. My tongue peeks out, licking my bottom lip before I pull my lip with my teeth. Gunner’s gaze drops to my mouth, and his lips part. The desire to touch him is so intense it’s almost painful, but I don’t dare. If I’ve learned anything about us, we’re not to be trusted in moments like this. Gunner makes me feral with need, and I lose my head. We’re about two seconds from finding a coat closet. I need to rein this in.

“Nelly!” Tucker’s voice cuts through the lust-filled haze surrounding me.

I bolt up from my chair and turn to face him. “Hey!” the greeting comes out louder than I anticipated.

“I’m so happy you made it. I want you to meet Marcela.” He turns to his beautiful bride. “Babe, this is Nelly.”

“Nelly.” She leans in and kisses my right cheek and then my left, the greeting throws me off as does the name. Tucker is the only one who has ever used that nickname, and coming from anyone else, it grates on my nerves. “I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too. Such a beautiful wedding. Thank you for having us.”

Gunner is standing at my side. His arm circles around my waist.

“Gunner Dreven?” Tucker asks, his tone carries an air of disbelief.

Gunner extends his free hand. “Pleasure to meet you. Congratulations to you both.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were dating the G.O.A.T goalie, Nelly,” Tucker says to me before addressing Gunner. “I’m a huge fan, man. You were amazing this season. Congrats on the Cup win.”

“Thank you. You and Marcela should come out for a game. Penny can hook you up with VIP tickets anytime,” Gunner says.

“No shit? You can do that?” Tucker asks me.

“Hell yeah, she can. She pretty much runs the whole Crane Organization. She can do anything,” Gunner answers for me.

I feel my cheeks redden. With a shake of my head, I say, “I don’t run the organization.”

Gunner chuckles. “She basically does. She keeps us all in check.”

“So you’re like the boss?” Tucker questions.

“Yes.” Gunner answers in unison with my, “No.”

I nudge Gunner’s side. “I’m not the boss. I’m head of PR and keep everything running smoothly.”

“Don’t let her fool you. She’s the boss,” Gunner states.

Tucker smiles wide. “Good for you, Nelly. I always knew you’d do incredible things. God, it’s so good to see you. It’s been way too long.”

“It has. So tell me about you. Where are you working?” I look between Tucker and Marcela. “Where are you two living?”

Tucker tells us all about his life with Marcela. He goes on about his promotion and the new house they purchased. A smile crosses my face as he speaks. He looks genuinely happy, and it fills my heart. After a couple of minutes, Tucker says, “Well, we need to make the rounds, but it was so good catching up. Don’t be a stranger, Nelly. It was great to meet you, Gunner.”

“You too, and I’m serious. Hit Penny up about those tickets. We’d love to have you out for a game.”

“I definitely will.” Tucker smiles. He leans in and gives me a hug, whispering, “I’m happy for you, Nel.”

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