Page 9 of Puck of the Irish

As soon as the door clicks closed I run my hands through my hair, trying to process what in the hell had just happened. Her walking out, which is still a mind fuck, but also the entire night. We’d finally crossed that line and while I definitely think we can be normal at work and everything, there was something more than a fun night of orgasms going on here…wasn’t there? Or fuck, was it just me? She’d left so casually, maybe it really was just a meaningless hook up to her.

It should be for me too. I don’t do more than that, never really have. I dated a couple of girls in high school sort of seriously I guess, but other than that, it’s all been casual and fun. So why does it feel like this was…more? Why am I already craving her again, and not just in the sexy way? I liked talking to her, I liked opening up in ways I rarely do. I can count on one hand the number of people who know about me and mom’s St.Patrick’s Day thing or our trips and what they mean, or about my childhood. So why had I told her all that?

I groan loudly and push all the thoughts away. It’s too late—or early?—for this much thinking. I settle back in on the couch, not even bothering to head into the bedroom at this point, and try to get some sleep.

But damn it if the couch feels empty without Nat.

“Are yousurenothing happened during that little snowed-in adventure?” I ask Shep at the Skating with Santa Event a couple of days later. I haven’t seen or talked to Nat since that night, but I’m not reading anything into that. We had practice, she has work and a life. It’s fine. No matter what weird shit is going on in my head, the most important thing really is that things are cool between us. She’s a good friend and I really love hanging out with her. I don’t want that to be ruined. So, I’ve been scanning the rink every few minutes trying to catch a glimpse of her, but she hasn’t gotten here yet.

He finishes lacing up his skates and gives me an exasperated look.

“Don’t even start with me, you know damn well that it’s a valid question.”

He takes off his hat and runs a hand through his hair, tattooed knuckles on display. Girls seem to fucking love Shep’s look, all tattooed biker bad-boy. We’re polar opposites in that regard since I look more like the small town, All-American quarter back who dates the head cheerleader in some Hallmark movie, but he’s my best friend on the planet. We’ve known each other since freshman year of college and have been together ever since. We got called up at the same time, played for theKodiaks together, and then moved to the Vipers together too. I would literally take a bullet for the guy. He always jokes that he’s my longest relationship and he’s not actually wrong about that, which is probably a little sad, but whatever.

He exhales roughly. “Something…almost happened,” he admits. My eyes go wide and he holds up his hands to halt my inquisition. “It didn’t though. She was upset after telling me about her fucking ex—which, are you up for tracking a psycho down and putting him in the ground?”

“Do you really have to ask that? Who’s car we taking?” His lips curl and he nods.

“Ok good. We’ll circle back to that. Anyway, she had just told me about all that and she was upset and I didn’t want to like, take advantage or whatever. She pulled away embarrassed before she actually kissed me, anyway, so I don’t think she was ready to go down that road.”

“You are both fucking idiots.”

“You keep saying that,” he sighs. “Anyway, how was that fundraiser thing you went to the other night?”

I normally don’t keep secrets from Shep, but I’d kept my evening with Nat close to the vest. She isn’t just some random chick that we’ll never see again, so it doesn’t feel right to tell anyone about our night, not unless she wants to.

“It was good,” I say. Not a lie. “Great food. Good cause. I look like James Fucking Bond in a tux, so there’s also that.”

He chuckles and then Mac bounces over to the wall nearby, smiling widely at the two of us. I’ve grown incredibly fond of Hattie McNamara in her short time here. Not only is she a great girl (who my best friend just happens to be in love with even if he’s too fucking stubborn to admit it yet), but she’s gotten asses in seats at games like we haven’t had in years. There had been serious talk about the Vipers being sold and moved to Jerseybefore Mac came along and started to turn shit around.Jerseyfor crying out loud. No thanks.

“Are y’all ready?” she asks in that adorable southern twang of hers.

“The real question is areyouready for what’s happening afterwards?” Shep asks, leaning his forearms on the wall. Mac wrinkles her nose and I grin thinking about the walker we decorated for her. The whole team pitched in when Shep told us we were teaching our newest Viper to skate after the event.

“Don’t remind me,” she groans.

“Oh come on, Mac. It’ll be fun, I promise. You can’t be the only member of the Sin Bin who can’t skate. It’s illegal. And super embarrassing.”

“Har har,” she says with a roll of her eyes, but she’s smiling, those sexy little dimples on full display, and I know that she’s actually enjoying all these things Shep is doing to make her hate the holidays a little less. She glances at her watch. “Ok I’m gonna go get this show on the road. I’ll be back in a bit.” We watch as she heads up the stairs and out towards the main entrance where I imagine hundreds of kids are waiting to skate with Santa and a bunch of hockey players. I’m really looking forward to it, actually. I think it’s going to be fun as hell, and I know I would have killed for something like this when I was younger, so I’m all too happy to help out.

A few minutes later, I see Nat directing some volunteers on the other side of the rink.Welp, better pull off the band aid and get back to being friends.I skate over, smiling widely and when she sees me coming, she thankfully returns it easily, though I do spy a faint blush across her high cheekbones. I slide to a stop at the wall just as she joins me there.

“Hey,” I say casually.

“Hey back.” She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and I can’t stop myself from shifting my gaze to her lips. God whatI wouldn’t give to kiss them again right now, to wrap my arms around her and pull her close…

“Stop looking at me like that,” she scolds, but she’s smiling and giving me a pointed look.

“Like what?” I ask innocently. She meets my gaze and gives me one of those sexy challenging looks I love so much.

“Like you’ve seen me naked and made me come too many times to keep track.”

I huff out a laugh, surprised she’s going the direct route instead of the ignore-the-elephant-in-the-corner one. I’m for it. If she can joke about our hook up, then that must mean she’s ok with it, that she isn’t regretting what happened.But is she wanting another ground, like I am?I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, about getting her back in my bed at the earliest opportunity.

But then I remember her walking away, the way I have with hundreds of one-night stands, and I think for her it really was just a one-time thing. Which is fine. Totally and completely fine. That’s the smart move here, and I know it…but damn if I don’t want to be smart right now. I want to be stupid as hell and turn this thing with Nat into…I don’t know, a friends-with-benefits situation?

“Pretty sure it was seven, but who’s counting?” I grin and nod towards the ice. “You skating or just supervising today?”

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