Page 36 of The Puck Stops Here

‘That had to be tough growing up.’

He rubbed at his jaw. Unlike his brother, he lacked the stubble to run his hands over, but the move was identical. ‘Tough doesn’t come close. And my brother suffered more than most.’

‘How so?’ she couldn’t stop herself from asking, wanting to know it all. For her article, for karma, for her.

He shifted in his seat, his eyes drifting to the bar and her back prickled – Blake was on the move. ‘Andthatis a question for another day.’

‘Sure, but… I’m sorry anyway.’

‘Apology accepted.’

‘Woah,’ Blake drawled, planting two bottles of beer and a prosecco on the table. ‘He’s got you apologising now too, what gives?’

She gave a flustered, ‘Nothing.’

And Aiden didn’t contradict her.

‘In that case, shift over so I can get in; my ass ain’t gonna perch all that easy.’

What?She glanced up. He wanted to sit onherside?

Though to be fair, they were big guys – it made sense for her to be the one to share. But still… she swallowed, scooting over slowly, and he joined her. No such worries on his part as his thigh came up against hers, his biceps too, her body thriving on every connected millimetre as her heart raced.

‘So…’ He slid her drink over and she reached for it on impulse. ‘Sissi alright?’

Her hand faltered, her galloping heart with it. ‘Huh?’

‘Sissi?’ Aiden probed.

‘Her friend. She was on the phone to her when I arrived; seemed like it was a fairly intense convo.’

‘She’s – she’s fine.’ Astrid wet her lips, tucking an errant curl behind her ear.Herfriend, he’d said. No suggestion of a connection to them. And Sissi didn’t have to be short for Sienna. And even if it was, there had to be a million Siennas in the world. ‘Or she will be soon. Thanks for asking.’

‘Glad to hear it.’ He settled back in the booth, and she took a drink to settle her nerves. Another to fill the silence that suddenly felt strained. Though it was entirely possible that the tension remained wholly within her, sparked by him stepping in on her phone call and magnified by the very real body heat closing in on her.

What had he meant by‘I’m onto you’ifhe hadn’t been referring to Sissi?

She could hardly ask him with Aiden sat right there. But she could hardly go home with him either. No, no, no.

‘You want to know what I think would be fun?’

‘No,’ her and Aiden blurted in unison and Blake chuckled.

‘Tough, I’m going to tell you anyway. I think if this little firecracker is going to spend her days quizzing us on our life story, we should get to do a little quizzing of our own.’

‘Littlefirecracker?’ she shot at him.

‘Sorry, would you prefer Twinkle Toes?’

‘I’d prefer Astrid; it’s my name after all.’

‘And it does suit you, but we’re all about monikers in this business. It’s an occupational hazard. He’s the Ice King, I’m Fury, and you’ – he dialled up the intensity of his gaze as it swept over her – ‘are definitely a firecracker. It’s in your eyes. And that smile… when you choose to give it like you mean it.’

Fuck fuck fuck, there went her heart and her foo foo and her brain.

And she couldn’t escape, hemmed in by his body as much as his gaze.

‘Seems like a fair trade to me,’ Aiden said.

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