Page 18 of Forecasting the Forward

“Good,” I say with relief, then turn toward him. “But it’s still a bar of soap? Like an actual bar of soap?”

“Yeah?”

“What kind?” I ask hesitantly.

He shrugs. “Dial, I think? I don’t know. Whatever catches my eye at the store, I guess.”

“You need to use a cleanser, not a bar of soap. Your skin on your face is much thinner than the rest of your body, and due to exposure to the elements, it dries out faster. Especially here. Seriously, Jacob. I can give you some suggestions, if you want. Nothing too girlie. I’d hate to ruin your street cred.”

A slow smile blooms across his face. “I like that.”

“Me suggesting you have a street cred?”

“No.” He pauses, before reaching over and running a finger from my elbow to my wrist. “You calling me Jacob.”

Oh.

I can see it.I can feel it.

The chemistry between us is like static electricity, bouncing back and forth just waiting to be ignited. That simple touch on her arm had her pupils dilating, and goosebumps erupted in the wake of my finger.

I want to push her up against whatever building this is and feel her body wrapped around me. Learn how she tastes, and the sounds she makes.

But I know she isn’t ready for that.

Becca’s mind is at war with her body, and I’m not going to interfere with that. If anything occurs between us, it goes at her pace, not mine.

“Doesn’t anyone call you Jacob?” she whispers, her gaze dropping to the sidewalk pavement as she tentatively steps forward.

“Not really, no. Nicknames are a big deal in hockey. Most people call me Jax, or my last name. Only a few people call me Jacob.”

“I can call you Jax,” Becca says softly.

“No,” I tell her, taking her hand in mine before I have a chance to think about it. “I like you calling me Jacob. I like that you treat me differently, Spitfire.”

“How so?” she asks, and I silently celebrate when her hand closes around mine.

“My teammates are one thing. But almost everyone else I meet sees me as a commodity. Either they want something from me, or they want to fuck me. You didn’t fall into either of those categories, and it was a refreshing change.”

“Do you automatically have to assume that someone isn’t being completely honest with you? I think I’d never want to meet new people. I’d think the worst of them immediately.”

I think for a moment before I answer. “Yeah. It’s probably why I only hang out with my teammates, or other friends in sports. I’m good friends with the quarterback for the Coyotes, and he obviously understands because he goes through it too. I can’t tell you the last time I had a real date. It’s been years since I had a girlfriend.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on a real date too. Well, a date where I didn’t want to run screaming from the restaurant,” she says with a giggle. “I have been on too many first dates this year, and all of them ended horribly.”

“Oh yeah?” I force myself to say, while bitterness fills my veins. It honestly pisses me off that she’s been on dates. Becca is actively trying to find someone, yet I know she won’t ever think to give me a chance. “What’s the worst date you’ve been on? You can only pick one.”

“Only one? Dang. Give me a minute,” she says, tapping her finger to her lips. Her perfect, plump, rosy lips that I stared at so many times tonight. She snaps her fingers and says, “I’ve got it! A guy met me for dinner, then asked if I’d be okay running to grab his dog from the vet.”

“Seems somewhat normal,” I comment.

“Just wait. I’m sure you figured it was a dog having a procedure or something at the vet, right?” When I nod, she continues. “Nope. The dog died, and he was picking up the remains. And not the cremated remains, Jacob. The actual remains. He said the cremating process was too expensive. Then, without telling me what we were doing, he drove to a public park, where he proceeded to grab a shovel out of the trunk and start digging a hole for his dead dog.”

“What the fuck?” I breathe, completely shocked at her story.

“Yeah. I was pretty freaked out, seeing as how we were alone in a park and he had a shovel, so I bolted and called the police. He was arrested for a bunch of things. The DA wanted me to testify at the trial, but fortunately it was all settled out of court. I never heard from him again.”

“That is so fucked up. What was his reasoning for burying the dog there?”

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