Page 108 of Mine to Take

If I was impressed by the three hockey players, I’m blown away by Juliette. “Wow, your sister has an amazing voice.”

Maverick flashes a smile as pride lights up his eyes. “She took choir all through high school. And this has always been one of her favorites.”

Her big, blond boyfriend is no slouch in the karaoke department either. All that brawny muscle and the man can actually carry a tune.

I can’t help but be drawn into their performance. They stare at one another as if they’re unaware of the crowd watching them.

“They’re really good together.”

Maverick nods before admitting almost grudgingly, “They are. I’m still getting used to thinking of them as a couple, but it’s getting easier.”

“It’ll just take time for your relationship with Ryder to settle into something new.” I nudge his shoulder with my own. “I still think you should mention it to him.”

He jerks his shoulders. “Maybe. We’ll see. It’s doubtful they’ll be breaking up anytime soon. I think this has been a long time in coming. Plus, he’d be a fool to let her go.”

I glance at the couple on stage. The love between them is obvious. It’s difficult not to be envious of it. I hope for Maverick’s sake that they can find the closeness they once shared. It would be a shame if he allowed his sister’s relationship to get between him and his friend.

Applause rings throughout the bar as the final notes of the song reverberate on the air.

The blonde I met at the game takes her place on the makeshift stage.

She sings “Criminal” by Fiona Apple. It’s slow and erotic. There’s a handsome guy sitting a couple chairs away from me who leans his elbows on the table and smiles, all the while watching her.

I glance at Carina again.

She moves her body as if she knows exactly how to command a crowd. Even I’m entranced by her performance.

It doesn’t take long to realize that she’s serenading him.

And he is totally here for it.

Fire leaps to life in his eyes. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he jumped up, stormed the stage, and threw her over his shoulder before stalking out of the bar.

The heat these two generate is combustible and off the charts.

I lean closer to Maverick before pointing toward Carina and the hunky hockey player who’s way too good looking for his own good. With those chiseled cheekbones, he could be a model.

“I assume those two are together?”

“Yup. Ford had been not-so-secretly pining for his ex-stepsister ever since I met him.” He snorts. “You should have seen the way he’d trail after her like a puppy dog.”

I blink, uncertain if I heard him correctly. “Did you say ex-stepsister?”

He chuckles. “Sure did.”

“Huh. That sounds like an interesting story.”

“If you ask Carina, I’m sure she’d be happy to share all the gory details with you.”

I consider the idea. “I might just have to do that.”

My earlier suspicions were correct.

As soon as Carina wraps up the song, Ford leaps to his feet and stalks to the stage. He nabs her fingers before towing her to him and laying one on her. The crowd goes even more nuts than before. Whistles and shouts for them to get a room echo throughout the dark bar.

Ford grins at his teammates before throwing Carina over his shoulder and carting her through the thick crowd and out the back door.

My guess is that we won’t be seeing them anytime soon.

---