Page 21 of Pucking Never

Grace shoots me an irritated glare.

“It’s okay,” she insists. “I can get an Uber or something…”

Carson shakes his head. “No way, Grace. I drove you here and I’m not going to have you go off with some stranger in a city you’re not familiar with. Either you go with Reece, or I take you.”

Grace stares up at her brother, and I can see the frustration flashing in her gaze. She glances around, as if looking for a way out. Before she can respond, though, Carson turns to me with a smile.

“You sure you don’t mind?” he asks me.

“Not at all,” I assure him, shooting a look toward Grace, but she’s pointedly not looking at me and is scowling down at the floor. “Happy to help. Plus, I’m stone-cold sober, so happy to be the DD.”

Carson claps me on the back, a grin spreading across his face.

"You're a lifesaver, man." He shoots Grace a look of brotherly concern before returning his attention to his eager redhead. "Let me know when you get home, okay?"

"I will," Grace murmurs, still avoiding my gaze. With one last glance in our direction, Carson turns around and returns to his companion, who’s waiting by the pool table for him.

I look at Grace and she takes a step back, her hands nervously clenching and unclenching at her side. There's a tangible tension between us that I can't ignore, but I am unsure of how to defuse it.

"Grace," I begin slowly, "I didn't mean..."

"I know," she interrupts me, her gaze finally meeting mine. Her eyes are wide and vulnerable, the panic from earlier replaced with something that looks like regret. "I know what you meant."

The intensity in her eyes catches me off guard. She's resolute, yet worried; bold, yet skittish. It's an intriguing combination.

"Can we just… can we go?" she says softly, avoiding my gaze once again as she turns towards the exit.

It's clear she doesn't want to talk about what almost happened on the dancefloor, so I simply nod, guiding her gently by the small of her back as we weave through the crowd and out into the cool night air.

We don’t speak as we walk, and despite the potential awkwardness of it all, it's not particularly uncomfortable. If anything, it gives me time to consider what had transpired on the dance floor — our heated words and that almost-kiss.

As we reach my car parked down the block under a flickering lamplight, I pause before opening the door for her. She’s still not looking at me.

“Grace,” I say, and this time, she meets my gaze. “I meant what I said back there. Every word.”

Her brow furrows slightly and she looks somewhat taken aback, but before she can say anything, I open the passenger door for her. She gets in and I circle around to take the wheel.

When I slide into the driver’s seat and start the car, she says, “Just so you know, the only reason I’m letting you drive me home is because I didn’t want to make Carson suspicious by refusing to go with you. This doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a ride.”

I nod. “Sure, sure, I get it. Don’t worry. I’m not reading into it at all.”

Honestly, I don’t care why she’s letting me take her home. I’m just grateful to have some more one-on-one time with her. It’s another chance to convince her to dump her stupid rule about dating hockey players and give me a real shot with her. Because I refuse to give up on this girl. I see a future with her, one I desperately want. And I always get what I want.

I shift the car into gear and pull out into traffic, determination thrumming through me. I’m going to prove to her that we could have something good and that I’m worth taking a risk on. She might not want to admit it now, but Miami wasn’t the one-off fling she insists that it was. It was the start of something much bigger.

Chapter Twelve

GRACE

I can’t believe I’m letting Jensen drive me home. What is wrong with me? This night has gone off the rails. It was supposed to be a chill time with my brother but it has devolved into a stressful test of my willpower. What was I thinking, dancing with Jensen? I should’ve just left him to the blonde.

What was he thinking by almost kissing me? Carson could have seen us! This whole situation is getting way too messy and I’m so confused about my feelings right now, I can’t think straight.

I do my best to ignore his overwhelming presence next to me, even though he makes this car feel small. I gaze out the window at the passing buildings. When I realize that I don’t recognize anything we’re driving by, I frown. I’m still new to the city, sure, but I have a good memory and a sharp sense of direction. We’re not heading to my building.

“Where are we going?” I demand to know, reluctantly turning my gaze to him.

“I’m getting you something to eat,” he tells me.

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