Page 16 of Pucking Amazing

I roll my eyes but can’t help the grin tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“Oh, they’re nothing special. Just giant, muscular men with chiseled jaws and eyes you could drown in, gracefully gliding across the ice and smashing each other into the boards.”

“Mmm, sounds rough,” Selena purrs, propping her chin on her hand. “Any frontrunners emerging from the pack to sweep you off your feet?”

I snort. “Please. Even if it weren’t wildly unprofessional, I’m not ready for that. No matter how tempting their...stick handling skills may be.”

But even as the words leave my lips, my mind flashes to DJ and Tyler—their intense gazes, the crackling tension when they’re in close quarters…

Selena watches me knowingly as I squirm in my seat. Damn twin intuition.

Desperate to change the subject, I ask about her latest Tinder exploits, and soon we’re giggling over cringe-worthy pickup lines and debating the merits of bad boys versus geeks.

As our sushi arrives, Selena’s eyes light up. “Ooh, we should plan a spa day soon! Massages, mani-pedis, the works. God knows we could both use some pampering and girl time.”

“Mmph, yessh,” I mumble around a mouthful of rice and fish. Swallowing, I nod enthusiastically. “I’m so in. My treat, for putting up with my moping lately.”

Selena waves a dismissive hand. “Please, what are sisters for? Besides, maybe a little TLC is just what you need to get your groove back. Among other things...”

She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

I groan, fighting a blush. As much as I adore my incorrigible twin, her well-meaning meddling is so not what I need right now.

Selena’s phone pings and she dives for it, eyes scanning the screen.

“Potential suitor?” I tease. She winks at me saucily as her thumbs fly over the keyboard.

I prop my chin on my hand, letting the cheerful chatter of the restaurant wash over me as I gaze at my sister. This moment might be mundane, but after everything I’ve been through, something as simple as dinner with Selena makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Putting down her phone, Selena takes a sip of her lychee martini and leans in across the table. “So, Syd, seriously, when are you going to get back out there and find yourself a man?”

I nearly choke on my tuna roll at her blunt question.

“Wow, way to ease into that topic,” I mutter, wiping my mouth with my napkin.

“I’m just saying,” she shrugs unapologetically. “It’s been months since you and Paul. You can’t let that douchebag ruin dating for you forever. There are plenty of great guys out there.”

“Can we not talk about Paul right now? Or my love life in general?” I snap, my fingers tightening around my chopsticks.

Selena holds up her hands in surrender. “Okay, touchy subject, got it. But I worry about you, sis. I don’t want you to close yourself off because of how badly things ended with him.”

I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the surge of irritation.

Selena means well, but she has no idea how deeply I was wounded when Paul shattered my heart and my self-esteem.

Okay, maybe she doesn’t know because I haven’t really told her much. But still.

“I appreciate the concern,” I say tightly. “But I’m doing just fine on my own. My career is taking off. I have great friends. I don’t need a man to complete me.”

Selena studies me over the rim of her glass, one brow arched. “If you say so. But if a hockey hottie does come along, don’t shut him down just because of Paul. You deserve to be happy in a relationship again.”

I stab my chopsticks into my dragon roll, my appetite fading.

Is Selena right? Am I still letting that toxic relationship taint my future, without even realizing it?

The thought unsettles me more than I care to admit.

The next day, Tomas finally shows up.

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