Page 10 of Pucking Never

The fire in her eyes is replaced by a wariness, but she doesn’t outright reject my request. Instead, she turns her gaze back toward the ice rink, looking for her brother. At length, she finally mutters, “Fine. Fifteen minutes.”

Relief crashes through me and I have to fight not to let it show in my expression. “All right,” I nod. “Thank you.”

She releases a short breath. “Just don’t keep me waiting.”

With that, she turns and marches away. I can’t help but stare at her perky little ass and the sway of her hips. My body starts to respond, my dick twitching in my pants. I force myself to turn away and skate across the rink toward the locker room.

Once inside, I allow myself to lean against one of the lockers, letting out a sigh as I run my hands through my hair. The reek of sweat doesn’t matter to me right now — all that matters is her. I strip out of my gear and hurry to the showers, eager to get out to the parking lot before she changes her mind and bolts.

During my shower, my mind keeps drifting back to her – Grace or Gracelynn or Lynn or whatever her name is. I think about what she said, that our week together meant nothing to her. I can’t deny the lingering sting in my chest. Had it really meant nothing? Or was she just saying that?

Either way, there’s no denying that what we had was real — at least from my side. She stirred feelings in me that went beyond physical attraction, and as much as I want to play it off as just a fling, a part of me can't let go of the possibility that she might’ve felt something, too.

Emerging from the showers and getting dressed with more haste than usual, I can't shake the uncomfortable anticipation creeping up on me. I don’t know how this conversation is going to go. What do I actually want from her? Well, apart from wanting her, I should say. I’m torn between the same wild desire I felt for her before and total confusion about what I want us to be, moving forward. After checking my reflection one last time in the grimy locker room mirror, I suck in a deep breath and turn to leave.

“Yo, Reece! Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

I freeze mid-stride and turn to see Carson emerging from the steam of the showers, a towel wrapped around his waist. His stance is casual and his grin teasing, so I don’t think he suspects anything.

“I’m meeting someone,” I say. “Don’t want to be late.”

“Ooooh, does the captain have a date?” Zander calls out from where he’s standing buck-ass naked by his locker. He grins toward me and waggles his thick brows, his bright green eyes flashing with mischief.

“Not possible!” Cruz insists with a laugh. He at least has pants on. “Reece doesn’t date. You know that.”

“He’s saving himself for marriage!” Jayce pipes in, cackling, his wet blond hair plastered to his forehead.

“He’s waiting for his one true love!” Wilder adds as he strolls out of the shower behind Carson, tying his long dark, curly hair with a hair tie. The man is huge and has an entire lumberjack vibe going on, but he’s always one of the best men I’ve ever known.

I roll my eyes and scowl at the group of asshats.

“You all can shove it,” I declare before turning and marching out of the room, their howls of laughter following after me. It annoys me how accurate their teasing jabs are. I haven’t really dated much since that Miami trip. The guys are always giving me grief and calling me a monk. It’s not that I’m not having sex, but I haven’t been all that interested in actually having a relationship with someone. No one has ever made me feel the way Lynn did.

Grace. Not Lynn. Christ, what am I going to do about Grace? I know what I want to do. I want to pick up where we left off in Miami, regardless of how much time has passed. When I think of the fact that she’s Carson's sister, though, my stomach twists with guilt. Hooking up with her crosses so many lines and if I were Carson, I’d beat my ass into the concrete. The truth is though, I don’t know if that will stop me, because I already know I want more than a hookup.

Walking out into the cold night air, I spot Grace leaning against her car in the parking lot. The sight of her silhouette sends adrenaline rushing through me. She’s so damn beautiful, but not in the same way she was in Miami. There, she was relaxed and carefree. She wore her hair down and wore mostly bikinis and little summer dresses.

Here, she looks more elegant. Her hair is pulled up into a smooth ponytail and she’s wearing dark, high-waisted trousers with heels and a silky blouse. Still, I know the spunky girl I met once before is still in her. I’d caught a glimpse of her in her earlier defiance." Glad to see you didn’t ditch me,” I say as I approach her.

She crosses her arms over her chest and lifts her chin. "You're lucky. I was about to change my mind."

I consciously smirk from the corner of my mouth in a way that I know will drive her crazy.

"Well, I got here just in time then," I reply, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans. I can’t look away from her. The parking lot lights bathe her body in an ethereal glow, accentuating the contours of her face — those high cheekbones, the delicate arch of her eyebrows, the soft curve of her lips.

Her very, very kissable lips.

I clear my throat and jerk my chin toward my Audi. “Let’s go for a drive,” I say.

She frowns and shakes her head. “What? You said you wanted to talk?—”

“I do,” I nod. “But I know the rest of the team is going to be out here any moment, so we’re not going to have a lot of time to actually talk if we stay here.”

She looks around, as if expecting the other guys to pop out from behind the other cars in the lot and catch us.

“Carson will notice if my car is still here,” she says at length.

“So move it to the end of the row,” I reply easily. “He won’t see it there.”

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