Page 123 of The Puck Stops Here

‘Is it because I’m not Aiden?’

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Blake stared at a flabbergasted Astrid and wanted to give himself a smack upside the head.

He’d been making amends. Trying to show her that he wanted to move forward. That he didn’t care that she liked his brother. That the kiss they’d sharedhadn’timprinted on him. That ithadn’tkept him awake at night and stolen his concentration by day.

How the hell he’d managed a record-scoring game that week he had no idea, but he’d suspected she’d be watching, and he’d wanted to outshine the rest, be the best.

But to what end?

She liked Aiden and he needed to make peace with that.

Because looking into Astrid’s eyes and seeing the compassion and understanding glistening back at him, to know that regardless of who she wanted in the bedroom, she cared about him… that it wasn’t just about her article, it was about his wellbeing.

So why in the hell had he askedthat?

‘Get your skates on and forget I said anything. I’ll go clear the cones off the ice.’

He pushed off and she reached out. ‘Wait.’

Slowly he did a one-eighty, eyes narrowing on her frown, the way she chewed over her lip…

‘I’m… I’m really sorry for what happened,’ she said eventually. ‘For what I did.’

His jaw pulsed as his body fired with the memory of justthat… ‘You should’ve been straight with me from the beginning.’

‘Straight with you?’

‘About liking my brother,’ he said tightly. ‘I wouldn’t have liked it, but I wouldn’t have got in your way.’

‘You weren’t in my way. It wasn’t… it’s not like that.’

He swallowed the noise in his head, in his heart, and focused on her and the potential hurt she was walking into. Because he could care about her too.

‘Well, whatever it’s like, just watch yourself. My brother’s a good guy, he has a good heart, but he gave it to a girl a long time ago, and I don’t think he ever got it back again.’

Her eyes widened, her chin lifting, voice weak. ‘He did?’

‘He hasn’t mentioned her…?’

Of course Aiden hadn’t. The man was trying to outrun his past, like the rest of them.

‘No. How long ago are we talking?’

He hesitated, the shimmering emotion in her eyes giving him pause.

‘Are we talking a few years? More?’

‘They were childhood sweethearts.’

She gave a nervous chuckle, her false bravado destroying him. ‘Long enough ago not to leave an impact now, surely?’

‘Aiden would like the world to think so. But for a man who thinks he’s an expert on how our exit from Ashbury Falls affected me and Mom, he’s pretty clueless when it comes to himself.’

She wrapped her arms around her middle. ‘Why are you telling me?’

‘Because as much as I love him, I’m not sure he’s the guy for you. And I’m not saying this because I like you…’You sure about that?‘I’m saying it to protect you.’

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