Page 163 of Tangled up in You

“Oh, so now you’re curious about my personal life...” A wicked glint darkened his eyes, turning the yellow-hued topaz, amber.

She lifted her shoulder. “I want to hear about everything I missed. Don’t leave any details out.” It was like old times. As if the past ten years was in another reality in a far-off galaxy.

“Can I ask you one question?” he hedged.

“You can ask me anything, Archer.”

“You and Wyatt... You a thing or...?” The delicate way he worded the question, like he didn’t want to seem hopeful, but also guarded and curious.

“Complicated. Not exclusive, if that’s what you’re asking,” she replied. “I don’t know if I could explain our connection properly.”

Archer exhaled. “Right. Makes sense.”

“You never answered my question, though,” she said.

“Nope. Not in a relationship. Hard to find someone who isn’t interested in my money or fame.”

Although watching a sport she loved was hard on her, she’d known about Archer, Cam, and Brody’s rise to fame in the NHL. Wasn’t surprising considering how good they were in the junior league. However, they didn’t all play on the same team. Archer went to Seattle. Cam headed to Los Angeles while Brody was traded to St. Paul and theThunderbolts.

“I bet it is,” she said, half teasing while understanding the truth of his statement. “I’m sure when you find the one, she’ll be everything you’ve waited for.”

“Speaking of,” Archer said, tugging her toward him. “Want to hear a little secret?”

Did she? This close to him, the earthy scent of his cologne washed over her in warm notes of vetiver, bergamot, and sage.The newestHaught Linefragrance. The same he’d done a spread for at the beginning of his career. The scent suited him.

“I love secrets,” she said, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth.

Archer lifted her chin. Her breath lodged in her throat. Sasha’s heart gave a silly little thump of anticipation. Because she’d spent most of her mornings and after school skating with her team, she never really made many friends besides the guys. So, having a crush on Archer seemed natural. What wasn’t natural was taking a liking to each of her friends. What made everything more complicated, or added to the complication was the fact Wyatt had been the first guy she could actually see herself happy with—before Archer, Brody, and Cam step back into her life.

“Good,” he replied, lowering his voice to a sensual rumble while running the tip of his tongue across his bottom lip. “Because it’s time for us to make up for lost time.”

He kissed her then. The way he brushed his lips across her in the most tender of ways, had tears burning the corner of her eyes. Her heart squeezed. A sob lodged in her chest. Too many thoughts filled her mind, and he was there to silence them with a swipe of his tongue and a groan at the back of his throat. She curled her fingers in the shoulder of his hoodie, clinging to him for dear life.

Sasha always wondered if he was a good kisser. Always thought the girls each of the guys dated through high school were lucky. She on the other hand she had stayed to herself. She emersed herself into her studies and worked hard for a scholarship to her top five college choices. When she woke up after surgery, the regret of not putting herself out there stung. All her hard work and dedication, meant nothing if she didn’t have someone to share the riches with, right?

She’d lost everything.

“Wait,” she whispered, pulling back, hating the twisted turn her of her thoughts. She touched her lips before swallowing around the lump of emotion in her throat, placing her hand to his chest. The steady yet quick beat of his heart matched hers. “Why aren’t you mad at me?”

Archer tugged her to him, burying his face in her neck. He inhaled. The expanse of his body dwarfed her. “I could say the same for you, Rogue. Why aren’t you mad at us for not stopping Trent?”

They were kids. All of them competing for places on teams, hoping some college would give them a chance. She supposed in some respects she had an easier time, while Archer was always competing against the best of the best. “I never blamed you. I could never blame you for his actions. You didn’t make him hurt me. He did that because he’s an asshole with a giant inferiority complex to rival Napolean’s.”

Archer chuckled. “Exactly. None of us blame you for healing on your terms. I just wish you would have let us help you deal with Trent.”

Looking back on it, so did she, but hindsight was twenty-twenty and she was ten years removed from that fateful day. “If I couldn’t be out there with you on the ice, the one thing I could do was keep Trent from messing up your lives, too.”

“I should beat his ass for pulling you away from us,” Archer said, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Or help you give him the beat-down of his life. I’ll even give you a stick to help.”

Sasha chuckled softly. “Tempting... However, revenge is best served cold. Ignoring him the whole time we’re stuck here... Chef’s kiss.”

“There she is,” Archer said, gathering her up in his arms. “Come on, the guys said something about a hot tub.”

“I’m completely dressed, Archer.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan for that, too.” He gently lifted her, tucking her against his chest. “Could you get the door for us?”

She obliged, turning the knob. The second Archer stepped out of the room; his features turned feral, excited to boot. “Look who’s joining us in the hot tub, boys! Last one in pays for dinner tonight.”

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