Page 46 of The Ex Puck Bunny
She starts to the parking lot. “Such a gentleman.”
“See? Not all hockey players are bad.”
“That’s still up for debate.” We stop in front of her white 4Runner.
“I’ll take some credit, too.” I’m about to list my reasons when Heidi’s phone vibrates repeatedly in her pocket.
She checks it. “Ugh. Another video of us doing karaoke. I guess there’s no escaping you.”
“I suppose not.” My voice comes out a bit lower than I expect.
Her gaze flicks to mine. Once more, her eyes shine and the corners of her lips play with a smile.
It’s the kind that causes a flare inside. “It’s asmall town.”
“Sure is. Everyone knows everyone’s business.” She lets out a breathy sigh.
“Mrs. Gormely is probably watching us right now.”
“Nah. She’s fast asleep, dreaming about unee-corns.”
Heidi laughs. “That would be Bunny.”
“Plus, everybody doesn’t know everything,” I say vaguely because thateverybodyincludes me. I’m not quite sure what my feelings for Heidi mean, but something inside sparks.
We move closer together.
A smile slides across Heidi’s face and she wiggles her nose.
That trips the wire.
First, I kiss her there.
Next, she kisses my jaw.
We play connect the dots until our lips meet.
Then my hands circle her waist. Hers wrap around my neck.
My pulse perks up while her chest heaves with each breath as the kiss deepens, making me forget yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Then a thought that’s been chasing me catches up. It’s a two-hundred-pound thought. Light brown hair. Freckles. Built like a brick wall.
If Derek finds out about this, I’m dead.
But like checking the opposition on the ice, I don’t let anything stop me from giving Heidi what she deserves.
All of me in this kiss.
CHAPTER NINE
After such a full day,I want to go to sleep. Sweet Bunny snoozes peacefully in her “big girl bed.” It’s about four feet away from mine, so she’ll surely crawl in with me before the night is over.
Living in my parents’ basement isn’t the worst. Dad set to work finishing off an area for us. We have a bedroom, a living area, and a bathroom on this level. Plus, the washer and dryer are under the stairs which means I don’t have to carry the basket up and down.
But there is the utility closet, the furnace which makes a racket, and musty corners and junk that my parents keep saying they’re going to clear out.
It’s not where I expected to be at twenty-six and it’s nothing like the condo I had in Los Angeles with a balcony, modern kitchen cabinets, and a plush carpet that was like walking on a cloud.
