Page 1 of Check & Chase
Emma
Prologue
“No. Absolutely not.” I shake my head at Maya, who stands in my bedroom doorway, an expectant look on her face. “I already told you I’m not going.”
“Emma.” She crosses her arms, dark eyes narrowing. “You’ve been holed up in this apartment for months. It’s pathetic.”
I flip her off without looking up from my textbook. “I have a valid reason to be ‘holed up,’ thank you. I’m studying.”
“You’ve been using that excuse for three weeks.” Maya flops onto my bed, disrupting my notes. “And the exam was yesterday.”
Damn it.
“Look. I just don’t feel like watching Tyler parade around with his latest puck bunny.”
“Who gives a shit about Tyler?” Maya sits up, her tight black curls bouncing. “It’s been four years, Em. Four. Years.”
“I know how long it’s been,” I mutter.
Her expression softens. “Tyler’s an asshole who broke your heart. But he’s also your ex from a million years ago, and you’re giving him way too much power by avoiding these parties.”
“I’m notavoiding—”
“The Bears just won the championship. This is the party of the year. We’re going.”
I glance at my cozy pajamas and then back at Maya, already dressed to kill in a form-fitting red dress.
“I don’t have anything to wear,” I try.
The corners of Maya’s mouth curl. “I thought you’d use that excuse. So I brought options.”
And that’s how, forty-five minutes later, I find myself staring at a stranger in my bathroom mirror. Maya has transformed my blonde hair from its usual mess into soft waves cascading down my back. My green eyes pop with smoky shadow and mascara, and my lips are painted a deep pink.
But it’s the dress that has me questioning my life choices.
“Maya, I can’t wear this in public.” I tug at the hem of the black dress, which barely covers my ass. “I’m practically naked.”
“You look hot.” She appears behind me, looking me up and down with approval. “And FYI, showing skin isn’t a crime.”
The dress is sinful—skin-tight black fabric with a neckline that plunges dangerously low, showing off cleavage I didn’t know I had. The back is practically nonexistent, and the hemline… bending over is definitely not an option tonight.
She must see the panic written all over my face, because she sighs as she passes me a pair of strappy black heels that look like torture devices. “Em, nobody’s going to care what you’re wearing. This is a hockey party in Pinewood. Everyone will be too drunk to remember if you flashed your ass or not.”
“That’s reassuring,” I mutter, but step into the heels anyway.
She grins. “You’ll thank me when some hot hockey player is drooling all over you tonight.”
I roll my eyes. “Been there, done that. Never again.”
The party is in full swing when we arrive. The large house, owned by one of the Bears’ defensemen, is packed with bodies. Music thumps through the floor, and the distinct smell of alcohol and sweat hangs in the air.
“I need a drink!” I shout to Maya over the music.
She nods, already scanning the crowd. “I’ll find us something. Don’t move.”
I press myself against a wall, trying to become invisible, which is difficult in this dress. From my spot, I can see into the living room where several Bears players are doing shots off the Stanley Cup.
“Beer for the lady.”
