Page 5 of The Enemy Face Off

"Good. In that case, I'm going."

"But…"

I drop my gaze to my feet.

Come on, guys, this is your cue to do the thing I just said I'm going to do and skedaddle.

But nope, they stubbornly refuse to listen to me. It's probably their punishment for me using the termskedaddleand nothing to do with wanting to hear what Milo has to say.

I blow out a frustrated breath and look up at Milo with those incredible eyes, that sexy stubbled jawline, and that supremely annoying man bun. "But what?"

He stares at me for a few long seconds, his eyebrows knitted together.

I have no idea what's going through his mind, but I amcompletelyunprepared for what he eventually says.

"Why don't you like me?"

2

Milo

There. I said it.

Puck's in her possession now.

I take another half step back, being respectful and not wanting to crowd her in—when a woman asks for space, you give it, no questions asked—and study Beth's face as she formulates a response.

It'll probably be some sharp, witty barb designed to cut me down, which I should not find as much of a turn on as I do, because what is wrong with me?

The answer to that question is a lot, but since I don't have time to unpack all of that right now, I focus on what's right in front of me—making some progress on the Beth Moore front.

Assuming she bites.

She stamps her foot, her cheeks puffing out in frustration.

"What do you mean,why don't I like you?"

She bit…

I play with the puck for a moment before passing it back to her.

"You completely iced me when we met at karaoke," I say, referring to the group karaoke Culver invited me along to a few weeks back. Beth and I barely exchanged a few words the whole night, and whenever our eyes met, she'd look away so fast it's a wonder she didn't get a crick in her neck.

"I did noticeyou," she says the word with disdain, like even the faintest hockey reference is too much for her to stomach. "I…don't know you, that's all."

"Well, you could try talking and getting to know me."

"Oh. That's what you want, is it?" She comes in nice and close to me, eliminating the gap I'd created between us. "For me to fawn all over the big, burly hockey player? To bat my eyelashesand hope against hope that you pick me over all the other desperate puck bunnies clamoring for a little bit of your…" She backs off a fraction, and her eyes roam slowly down my body. "…little bit?"

I blink.

Did she just insult my manhood?

Right.

That's it.

My feelings for this woman have torpedoed from liking her to…to full-blown infatuation.

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