Page 36 of My Pucking Perfect Goalie

I resist the shiver that threatens to run down my back.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Those words were not meant for me, but my body seems to have trouble digesting that fact. When he was looking at me, saying those things, he was thinking of Harper. A younger, prettier, muchpeppierperson than me. Someone who would look good on the arm of a hockey player.

When I try to imagine Sammy and I together—me, serious in my pencil skirt and him in his hockey uniform—it just doesn’t work. My stomach starts to flip at the image I’ve conjured: Sammy with his hand on my back, large and warm through the thinmaterial of my blouse, his eyes going dark like they did before, the way he’d tip his head down and draw me in—

“No,” he finally says, breaking the spell. “And do wehaveto talk about how shitty I did tonight?”

I realize a moment has passed between us where I’ve done nothing but stare at him. I fight the blush threatening to rise to my cheeks. While I was checking him out, thinking about him kissing me, he must have interpreted my gaze as being assessing. Scrutinizing.

“No,” I say, and then, “well, yes. In a way.”

He lets out a low groan and I ignore the way I feel it in my belly.

“Come on,” I say, laughing a bit. In a move that surprises me, I reach out and tug on the sleeve of his hoodie, pulling him in my direction. Pulling him toward the door.

“Come on…where?” he asks.

“Let’s get something to eat.” I tuck hair away and pulling my hood up as we step into the brisk night air. Penny had to go out and get me something heavier than the jackets I brought from California—each time I go outside, it feels like an attack on my body.

“You’realreadyshivering,” Sammy laughs, glancing at me as we walk to the car. “And we haven’t even been out here for a minute.”

“My body is not used to this kind of cold.”

“I could warm you up.”

The moment he says it, I blink in surprise and turn to him, eyes wide. He blinks back at me, like the line surprised him too.

“I—” he starts, but stops, laughing. He clears his throat. “Sorry. I was practicing.”

“Oh,” I say, the word coming out like a breath, my traitorous body deflating at the obvious statement. “Right, of course. You could give me some warning next time.”

“Yeah, makes sense.” He grins at me as he opens the passenger door of his car. “Knowing you, you were getting ready to throat punch me.”

“Going for the eyes makes more sense. More vulnerable.”

His laugh is warm against my skin, and I hide my self-satisfied smirk in the collar of my coat as I buckle myself in. The nice thing about this big, ridiculous wig is that it does cover my face a bit, just like it covers Sara Bellum’s in the cartoon.

A moment later, Sammy slides into the driver’s seat. “Where to?”

“You live here, shouldn’t you know somewhere good?”

“Oh, I know plenty of places,” he says, hand lingering on the gear shift, car staying in park, “but I’m worried they’re not good enough for you.”

I let out a puff of air, but know better than to be offended. Idohave high standards. And Iampicky. And for some reason, Sammy stating this almost feels good. Like he knows me.

“For tonight,” I say slowly, “as long as the place is up to current health codes, with no outstanding negative inspections, I’m good.”

“That crosses a lot of great stuff off the list.”

I laugh as he finally puts the car in reverse and backs out of the spot. I can’t help the way my eyes drift to him, taking in the way his body fully relaxes, his fingers loose and tapping against the top of the wheel. Personally, I hate driving, and there’s something so comforting about the fact that he’s right at home.

Sammy takes us out of the driveway and steers us toward downtown Burlington. The car rocks a bit as we pull behind a row of buildings and into a parking lot riddled with potholes, but he doesn’t even blink.

A moment later, he’s on my side of the car, taking my hand and helping me down.

I need to figure out what’s wrong with me. Why everything he does is affecting me like this. It’s like I’m starved for touch suddenly, or I’ve discovered a new need I’d never paid attention to before.

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