Page 100 of Miami Ice

“It’s time for you to step away from hockey BookTok.”

We both crack up. He brushes his knuckles lightly against my cheek and then removes his hand, but not before looking down at it with a scowl on his face.

“What?” I ask, taking a sip of my Champagne.

“Cupcake, what do you put on your face?” he asks, turning his hand around to show me his knuckles. I smile when I see they have picked up the highlighter I put across the top of my cheekbones.

“Grumpy, that’s called highlighter. It gives me a pretty, glowy look.”

“It looks like something your ornaments would be dipped in.”

“Stop, it does not!”

He grins at me, and my heart dances inside my chest.

Another server appears at our table, carrying a pile of stone crab claws on a bed of ice. “Stone crab for the table,” he says, setting it between us. “Along with a bowl for your shells.”

“Thank you,” I say.

“You’re welcome.”

As soon as he steps away, I eagerly pick up a crab claw. “Now, in order to be fair, you should try it with the mustard sauce and then the cocktail sauce, but cocktail sauce is—”

“So yum?” Beckham interrupts.

God, I adore this man.

“Yes, so yum.” I pick up my crab fork and begin picking away at the precut claw, tossing the shells into the metal bowl and hearing them land with a plink. I retrieve a piece of the sweet, white, succulent meat and dip it into the cocktail sauce. Then I put it to my lips and take a bite, and a groan of pleasure escapes. I think my eyes have rolled back into my head, the crab tastes so decadent and delicious.

“Soooo good,” I manage, putting the napkin to my lips and blotting it.

Suddenly I realize Beckham is watching me, his eyes riveted to my face.

“What?” I ask, putting my napkin down in my lap.

“I think I’m getting hard just watching you eat.”

I laugh, and he laughs, too.

“Quit thinking about me as a sexual goddess—”

“Impossible. Not if you’re going to eat like that.”

I blush, and now he looks rather pleased with himself.

“I’m ignoring you.”

“Trust me. There’s no part of me that is ignoring you.”

“Stop.”

He laughs some more.

“Anyway, you need to eat one. Go on. It’s going to change your life.”

“That’s a pretty serious declaration for a crab claw.”

“I’ll back up my claim.”

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