Page 77 of Wilder Puck
He pulls me in, smelling the shampoo. “I fucking love it.”
I smile at him while I rinse my hair first, leaving him without any splash of water this entire time.
He watches me. “You really are my best friend, Ads.”
I'm pulling out two loaves of bread from the oven while I cook the spaghetti noodles. The savory aroma of garlic and herbs fills the kitchen, making my stomach rumble in anticipation. Balancing the hot bread pans, I set them on the counter to cool before turning my attention back to the stovetop. Cooking in Ryan’s kitchen is a dream. This is luxury.
Pasta is my specialty - the one dish I know I can nail every time. And tonight, it needs to be perfect. I'm hosting dinner for the guys who helped me move into Ryan's place last weekend and I'll be damned if I don't wow their hockey skates off with my culinary skills.
I taste the sauce, letting the rich flavors of ripe tomato, basil, and a hint of wine dance across my tongue. Perfection. Nodding in satisfaction, I cover the pot to let it simmer. You'd think that cooking for a bunch of hockey players would be daunting, but I've got this.
Lost in thought as I absently stir the noodles, I don't hear Ryan come up behind me until his arms are wrapping around my waist, his chin coming to rest on my shoulder. I’m startled for a second before relaxing into him.
“Something smells amazing in here,” he murmurs appreciatively, pressing a soft kiss to my neck.
I can't help but grin, tilting my head to give him better access. “I hope so. It’s been cooking all day.”
It's only a slight exaggeration. I did spend the better part of the afternoon prepping and cooking, determined to get everything just right. Luckily, I find the process therapeutic rather than stressful.
“I don't know how you do it, Ads.” Ryan's voice is filled with warm admiration as he gives me a gentle squeeze. “You make hosting look effortless. The guys are going to be licking their plates.”
I turn in his arms, looping my own around his neck. “I just want to make a good impression, since I’m going to be seeing a lot more of them now that I'm living here and we’re officially together.”
“I'm going to have to beat them off with my hockey stick after they taste your cooking.” He smiles down at me, eyes sparkling with affection.
“You can only beat me with that hockey stick of yours,” I joke, fighting back a smile.
He chuckles, leaning down to brush a kiss across my lips.
“I can think of many ways you can do that for me.”
With that, he releases me, moving to snag a piece of the cooling bread.
“I’m quality testing.” He nods and blows to cool it down. “I have to make sure I approve before the critics come.” He winks, dodging my swat and popping a fluffy piece of bread in his mouth.
I roll my eyes, turning back to the stove to hide my smile. “Can you set up the table? They should be here soon, and I’m almost done with this.”
“Yes, I can do that.”
By the time the doorbell rings, everything is ready and being kept warm. I smooth my hair and take a deep breath before following Ryan to greet the guys.
Chase, Andrew, and Colton all pile in, talking loudly over each other and telling Ryan to join in on a random argument about someone they know.
They greet me with bear hugs, asking how I’m doing.
Andrew says, “It smells amazing in here.”
I smile. “I hope you came hungry.”
Colton smacks Ryan on the back. “You lucky bastard.” He turns to me and says, “Damn Addie, it smells like an Italian grandmother's kitchen in here!”
Ryan asks the guys, “Ready to eat?”
They waste no time filling their plates, piling pasta, sauce, meatballs, and bread. I hope I cooked enough. Feeding four grown athletic men is no easy feat.
When Chase takes his first bite and immediately groans, I smile. Ryan takes his first bite and gives me a thumbs-up.
“Holy shit, Ads. This is incredible,” Colton mumbles around a mouthful of food.
