Page 51 of Puck and Prejudice

I narrow my eyes. “Does shit like that happen to you often?”

He turns, and our eyes meet. “No. Come on. They wouldn’t dare pull something like that with me.”

I roll my eyes. “Why? Because you’re a hotshot hockey player?”

“No, because theywouldget their asses kicked if they tried.”

His gaze burns into mine, so hot that I begin to sweat. Great. I look away first and pretend to be very interested in the digital monitor showing the floors we speed by on the way to the top.

When the door finally opens, I exhale in relief.

“Ladies first,” he says.

I’d rather wait and follow him, but if I do, he’ll wonder why. I walk out first, and suddenly become very aware that my PJ pants are sort of see through, and I’m wearing granny panties. Fucking fantastic. Mercifully, Jackson doesn’t stay behind me. We walk side by side down the hallway, and with each step, my heart seems to beat faster.

“Is everyone on the team staying on this floor?”

“Yes. Why?”

“No reason. Just curious.”

“Chad’s room is next to mine,” Jackson says once he stops in front of his door.

“I hope you brought earplugs,” I reply without thinking, and when Jackson looks at me with an eyebrow raised, my face heats again. “Just saying.”

He laughs. “I brought them.”

He unlocks the door and walks in first this time. Maybe he wants to make sure there aren’t any compromising items on display. His room is a bigger than mine, with a king-size bed, a proper couch, and a coffee table close to the window. Jackson opens one of the drawers and grabs a T-shirt. “Here. You can change out of your PJ top.”

“Uh…”

He smirks. “Unless you prefer to walk around with slime all over you.”

I take his offering. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He sits on the couch and takes his cell phone out while I stand in the middle of his room, unsure what to do.

Jackson looks up and says, “You can use my bathroom to change, Izzie.”

I put my hands on my hips. “I wasn’t planning on taking my top off in front of you!”

“I sure hope not.”

My jaw drops. “Why do you sure hope not? What do you think this is? A seduction game?”

Now it’s his turn to open and close his mouth without saying a word. “That thought never crossed my mind,” he says finally.

Now my face is on fire. I’m regretting my outburst big time. “Can I use your shower? I want to wash the goo out of my hair before it solidifies.”

“Yes, of course. There are fresh towels in the bathroom.”

“Thanks.”

I hurry into the bathroom and lock the door. And just when I thought I couldn’t get more embarrassed, I glance at my reflection in the mirror.Son of a bitch. I look like a swamp monster. No wonder Jackson wasn’t even a little bit tempted to get a peepshow. I wouldn’t be either.

ChapterTwenty-Two

IZZIE

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