Page 53 of One Pucking Destiny

“But you… you showered me.”

“Would you have rather had Gunner do it?”

A grumble leaves my throat. “I don’t know, maybe.”

A mischievous smile graces her face. “As you said, it’s nothing I haven’t seen already anyway. And despite going in the pool against orders, your chocolate chip cookie looks great.”

“Oh, thank God for that.” I roll my eyes.

I make my way into the bathroom and reach for my toothbrush. The mint tastes amazing.

Ari leans up against the bathroom doorjamb. “I can take it from here.” I grin.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “So you don’t remember anything?”

“No. Have you heard the expression blackout drunk? Yesterday was me blackout drunk. Why, did I run around the house naked, quacking like a duck? What awful, embarrassing thing—that the guys will never let me live down—did I do?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing. You didn’t embarrass yourself.”

“Well, that’s up for debate.” I tilt my head from side to side.

“Are you going to watch me shower, too?” I ask after spitting the green mouthwash into the sink. She doesn’t answer immediately, and it strikes me as odd. “Ari?”

She raises her hands, palms out. “I’m out of here.”

I close the bathroom door and turn on the shower and step in. The scalding water rains down my face, and I feel so much better. I’m not sure if brushing my teeth or the medicine and water Ari gave me did the trick, but I’m already feeling so much better. I may have the fact that I puked most of the alcohol out yesterday to thank for a quick turnaround time.

Relief floods over the fact that it’s our last day here. This week wasn’t awful, but it was enlightening. I’m ready to get back into the swing of things. Nothing cures a confused heart better than my first love, hockey.

“Bash.” My name is so soft I’m not certain I heard it. I remove my head from the water.

I turn my head to the side, and my mouth falls open. Ari stands outside the glass shower door. She’s blurry from the steam that’s fogged up the glass, but she’s undeniably naked.

Opening the door a crack, I trail my gaze from her perfectly painted toes up to her rosy-cheeked gorgeous face. “What are you doing?”

“Can I join you?” She swallows, her eyes wide with nerves.

I open the door wider and motion her inside the shower. “Always. But what’s going on? I thought…”

She presses her finger to my lips. “I have a proposition, and we’ll only do it if you’re comfortable with it.”

My heart beats wildly in my chest as I wait for her to continue.

“Everything I said is true. I don’t want anything serious or regular, but I was thinking that we could use today as a sort of one-night stand goodbye.”

I raise a brow.

“It would be strictly physical. Just sex. No attachment. We’ll enjoy ourselves today, and when we leave tomorrow, we go back to our lives. Today can be a way to… blow off some steam.”

“I thought you didn’t want this.” I hate the words coming out of my mouth and can’t believe I’m even questioning this incredible proposition, but I have to be sure.

“I don’t want a relationship or feelings, but I do want sex. With you.”

Once again, my stupid brain runs through all the reasons this is happening. I’ve been trying to sleep with her since she arrived, to no avail. Why now?

I shake my head. “I’m so confused. You want this?”

She hikes her leg up and rests her foot on the edge of the shower. Taking my hand, she places it between her legs. “You tell me.” Her voice is hoarse.

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