Page 42 of Second Act
Chapter 10
“Goal!” Pete leaped to his feet, and Jessica jumped up to cheer, too. Her companion’s enthusiasm for the game and his colorful running commentary had proven contagious. She was rooting for the New York Rangers as loudly as he was.
“That’s evened things up,” Pete said, giving her a high five. “Now we’ll take the lead.”
She was glad to have something to focus on other than just conversation. Sitting across a table from Pete would have been hard with Hugh’s face and words still roiling through her brain from their encounter the day before. The hard-fought hockey game provided an excellent diversion.
The luxury box hosted twelve guests, all of whom Pete had introduced her to. They were either employees of ExDat or their significant others. It had become obvious to her that Pete was a big wheel in the company by the way their fellow spectators treated him. There was liking, certainly, but also respect and some deference, all of which Pete was clearly comfortable with.
When the end-of-game horn sounded, the arena erupted in celebration of a Rangers come-from-behind win. Jessica stood and joined the victory cheers. Pete’s face was lit with fierce pleasure. He took his hockey seriously.
“Yes! I knew they’d do it,” he shouted into the din. He wrapped his arm around Jessica’s shoulders and pulled her against his side in an exuberant hug.
She let herself relax into him because it was nothing more than his way of sharing his excitement at the win. But when she smiled up at him, he leaned down and kissed her, a real kiss, not just a “hey, my team won and I’m happy” kind of kiss. His lips felt strange and unfamiliar on hers. Because he wasn’t Hugh, of course. Anger flared, and she reached up to thread her fingers in his pale hair so she could kiss him in return.
She was damned if Hugh was going to ruin this.
Pete wrapped his other arm around her to bring her closer as the kiss deepened. She tried to sink into it. She wanted to feel heat sear through her. Pete knew what he was doing, but her body refused to acknowledge his skill, remaining quiescent and indifferent.
When the cheering subsided and the spectators began to file out of their seats, Pete released her mouth, but his gaze stayed on her face, his eyes blazing with desire. “Nowthatwas the right way to celebrate a win,” he said with a scorching smile.
Jessica laughed, even as she realized she’d made a mistake. “I had no idea hockey was so exciting,” she said. “It went to my head.”
“There’s another game tomorrow night,” he said, his arms still around her. “I’ll get tickets.”
She smiled and leaned away from him so he let her go. “I can only handle one work night out a week,” she said, sidling sideways to exit the row of seats. As soon as they were back in the luxury suite, he wound his arm around her waist while the group collected their coats and said good-bye.
And it remained there, a heavy, uncomfortable weight, as they walked the two blocks to the parking lot where his big Range Rover waited, gleaming darkly in the city lights. He made a wry face as he held the passenger door open for her. “I wish you didn’t have to work weekends.”
“Me, too,” Jessica said, although it was providing a useful excuse to hide behind right now. She really wanted to give Pete a chance—he was such a solid, trustworthy guy—but Hugh’s allure was too vivid and fresh.
When they arrived at her house, Pete double-parked in front and escorted her up the stairs. His kiss was meant to persuade, to seduce, and to promise, but she felt none of the hot, melting response Hugh’s kisses evoked, so she ended it as soon as she could and slipped inside her door.
She walked into the kitchen to find a note from Aidan, saying he’d gone out. She pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge and poured herself a glass before wandering into the living room. Pushing Pete out of her mind, she examined Aidan’s progress on the walls and had to admit that her brother was doing a good job.
It cheered her up to have one part of her life moving forward in a satisfyingly concrete way. Until her gaze fell on the perfectly smooth plaster where once there had been a long, jagged crack. She closed her eyes and groaned.
Would she ever be able to look at that wall again without thinking of Hugh?
The next morning, Aidan sat across the kitchen table from Jessica, sporting sweatpants, a flannel shirt, and a hangover as he nursed a mug of coffee between his hands. “I’m glad I don’t have to go to work today,” he mumbled.
She cut another bite of the pancakes she’d made for herself. Aidan had taken one look at the fluffy golden disks and turned green. “That’s why I don’t party hearty on Saturday night,” she said.
“You don’t party hearty any night,” he said. “You work all the time.”
“Hey, I went to a hockey game last night.”
Aidan brightened. “With Pete, right? Did you have a good time?”
“The luxury suite was great. It had its own bathroom. A really nice one with snazzy glass tiles.”
Her brother rolled his eyes. “Figures you’d be more interested in that than the actual game.”
“In fact, I enjoyed the game. The Rangers had a come-from-behind win, which was pretty exciting. Pete knows hockey, so he explained the more esoteric rules.”
“Are you and Pete, um, getting along all right?” Aidan asked.
Touchy question, but she kept her tone casual. “We get along fine. Why?”
