Page 57 of Caught Stealing

My lips land right on his and we both freeze. The crowd erupts in a cheer but we’re both paralyzed in place. I don’t move. He doesn’t move. Nobody is moving, so we’re stuck in time with our lips touching like two kids who have never kissed before. I finally realize after much thought and freaking out, that he’s just as shocked as I am…but also confused. I know what I planned to do, which was kiss him on the cheek, but he has no clue what I’m doing or thinking.

I have a choice to make, and I need to do it fast because this lip pressing thing has just passed shocking and is on a high speed adventure right into the most awkward moment of my life. Do I want to kiss him? Well, I don’t not want to. I hadn’t planned on it, but now that we’re in the beginning stages of it, I’m not opposed.

The crack of a bat sends a screeching warning through my whole body. I have to choose. Now.

I close my eyes and press harder, which is all Andrew needs. He buries his hands in my hair and matches my pressure for a sweet, innocent first kiss. I hum a sigh and he releases me. He presses his forehead to mine to hide my flushed cheeks from the camera.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he whispers.

“I know,” I say, my voice croaky and heavy. “I was going for your cheek and it went all wrong, but I don’t regret it.”

“No?” He pulls back, eyes searching mine.

I shake my head. “No, but I have to be honest. I’m not ready for a full-on relationship thing. It was a sweet kiss and I’m okay with it, but I definitely don’t want to move quite that fast.”

Andrew pinches my chin lightly and grins. “I hear you. I’m glad you’re here, Lottie.”

“Me too.”

And just like that, we settle back into our friendly game of guess the stats while I try not to overthink—or underthink—our first kiss.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Andrew

Even after the game ends and I head down to the locker room, I can’t begin to wrap my mind around what happened. One minute, Lottie was shrinking in her chair and hiding from the kiss cam while I felt like a moron worrying she might think I planned it. The next, my whole future flashed before my eyes. Oh man, she’s got me hook, line, and sinker. I’m a flounder, fried extra crispy and ready to wife her up and buy her a house and give her all the kids she’s ever wanted. Except for the disclaimer. She’s not even ready for more kissing let alone a deeper relationship than what we have right now.

I can deal with that. It’s more than I had a few weeks ago, and it gives me something to look forward to, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more right now.

“That was some kind of kiss on the camera,” Koa teases after our postgame meeting ends. The remainder of the game eased into good times and great fun even though I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. I left Lottie in the lounge with the promise I’d take her for ice cream before she heads home.

I slant my eyes at him. “Yeah. I know.”

Koa nudges me. “Ask her to come out with us. She’ll have a good time and see not all athletes are cheating jerks. Might do some good for her to meet the ladies, too.”

He means the wives and girlfriends, and he’s probably right. I don’t know what the wives of those hockey players were like, but I know for a fact none of the lady Sharks would tolerate the kind of behavior Rory pulled. They would have been scolding her ex and squealing like little piggies all about it, ensuring Lottie knew right away what was happening behind her back. Still, I’m not so sure Lottie will want to jump into a similar situation to what she just escaped.

“I don’t know. She didn’t have the best experience before with the same kind of set up.”

“What do you mean?” he asks and brushes his hair from his face. Together, we head toward the lounge. It’s almost empty in the arena except for the vendors cleaning up and the season ticket holders who stick around to chat and sometimes meet up with us in their season pass lounge.

“Turns out, the lady Arctics knew all about her cheating ex and didn’t say anything to her.” I struggle to know how much I can say without betraying Lottie’s trust, but I need Koa's advice.

“You know that’s not how ours are. Jess Travers alone would be a one-woman wrecking ball if anyone on the team stepped out on their significant other. That’s a strong group of women and their friendships are hardcore.”

“She doesn’t know that though. I’ll ask her, but don’t expect to see us tonight. I told her I’d take her for ice cream.”

“They have ice cream at The Salty Dog. Just throw out the invite. If it helps, tell her I invited her.” Koa pauses at the door to the lounge and adjusts his gear bag strap over his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I really don’t think she’d come to a game and kiss you in public if she wasn’t already getting comfortable. Plus, you said she wanted to go slow and try, right?”

I run a hand through my hair to release some of my frustration. It isn’t Lottie causing it, but my own impatience. I want her, and I’d like to say nothing will keep me from obtaining that dream but I can’t. It’s not something I can bulldoze and claim. She’s worth the wait and the fight, but I can’t figure out how much I should fight and when I should ease back and let her take control. It’s like a game of tug-of-war.

“Yeah, she did but I don’t know what that means. She’s not my girlfriend, but I guess we aren’t seeing anyone else. I’m not. I highly doubt she is.”

“So just ask her. Worst she can do is say no, and you take her for ice cream somewhere else instead, right?”

I can’t argue against this sound logic. “I guess. Wish me luck.”

Koa slaps my good shoulder and chuckles. “Good luck, my friend. Hope to see you at The Salty Dog.” I watch him go and collect my nerve. That kiss really threw me despite the ease of our conversations after we cleared things up, and now I’m about to invite her even deeper into my world. Asking her to the game was taking a chance, but this is more than that. This is asking her to attend a postgame celebration, one Marco is sure to attend since he finally pulled himself out of his slump. It’s asking her to step outside of her comfort zone and into mine. It’s almost like inviting her to meet my family.

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