Page 20 of Power Play Pursuit

We keep walking in silence until we reach the pavement.

“How did you get here?” I ask, looking around. “Do you have a car?”

“Nope,” she says, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I took the subway.”

“Let me drive you back, then.”

Her cheeks flush a cute shade of pink. “Oh, no. You don’t have to. It was a direct train ride here.”

“We’re going to the same place, Elizabeth. Don’t be silly. I can drive you.”

She looks down, and after a moment, her eyes meet mine again. “Okay. Thank you.”

10

"I’m kind of like Clark Kent, except I actually need the glasses to see."

Beth Bowen

“So,” I begin, “you’re not half bad at poker. I guess it’s the many years of experience,” I say, unable to stay silent as we step into James’ extravagant car—the thing is pretty much a Batmobile. All that aside, it’s better that I control the conversation than leave it to James and his flirty comments.

He chuckles, starting the engine. “That, and also pure, raw talent.”

I roll my eyes, buta giggle escapes me.Really?“Anyway, it’s good that you take time to come and see them. They seem to care for you deeply.”

“Feeling’s mutual,” he says, backing out of his parking spot. “They’ve been a great support system ever since Grandma died. I love visiting them. Brings me out of my world, you know?”

“Yeah,” I say, studying him from the corner of my eye. I feel like I just stumbled on a new piece of the James Adler puzzle. “But I thought you loved your world. Being a pro athlete is a dream for a lot of people. It’s great that you get to live it.”

He adjusts his hands on the wheel. “It is. I love it, but it’s also nice to talk about something other than hockey once in a while, you know?”

I nod, though to be honest, I’m a little surprised. Hockey was all Lucas ever talked about. And even though I’m sure Caleb, Max, and Aaron have interests beyond the rink, I mostly just hear them talk about hockey when they’re together.

“Speaking of poker, you were pretty good yourself,” he says. “I’m guessing you’ve played a lot before?”

I smile, remembering our heated family games. “Yep. My grandma, as you saw, is a fierce player. She passed all her card skills on to me. We used to have a family game night every week.”

“You don’t have them anymore?”

I shake my head. “We’re all busy with work, and our schedules usually conflict. So it’s hard to get together as often as we used to. I see my parents maybe twice a month, even though they’re right here in New York. As for Grandma, well, I think I might start seeing her more often. I’m trying to find a place near the coffee shop, and that’ll put me close to the home as well.”

“Oh, you’re looking for an apartment?”

“What, you thought I’d be bunking with Marissa and Aaron for the rest of my life?” I say with a chuckle. “I do think they want kids, but they’re probably hoping for a cute little baby, not a grown woman.”

He snorts a laugh. “Right. So, have you found anything yet?”

“Honestly, no.” I sigh. “The market is super saturated here, but I did set up notification alerts on all the real estate websites, so fingers crossed that I’ll find something soon.”

“Well, if Miles and Marissa ever get tired of you, you can always stay with me, Elizabeth,” he offers again.

I’m about to roll my eyes and throw back a snarky retort. But when he glances my way, the look in his eyes is neither playful nor flirty. More like dead serious. And extremely sexy.

“I mean it. You’re welcome anytime. I have three extra bedrooms.”

I swallow hard, staring at my lap. The tension in the car thickens, and I need to say something before I burst into flames. “So, you wear glasses? I never noticed that before.”

He shifts in his seat. “You’ve mostly only seen my public persona. I play hockey with contact lenses. I’m kind of like Clark Kent, except I actually need the glasses to see.” He chuckles. “And I don’t have heat vision.”

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