Page 54 of Puck Happens

Except it felt wrong. Like I needed to know one way or the other who this guy really was. I also didn’t want to be disappointed when I found out.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You left me hanging on the ice today,” I said. “Skated away like I was…nothing.”

He braced his hands against the counter and nodded. “I did. I know it was a dick move. This whole situation is messing with my head, Liv. I nearly went ballistic out on that ice today. Fucking Ron…” he stopped and I shifted in my seat to face him.

“Ron what?”

“He just reminded me that I have one goal this year and that’s getting back the Stanley Cup. But this…stuff between you and me, it isn’t going away. Obviously, because I’m here now.”

“Stuff?” I asked. It seemed a little vague. Maybe I shouldn’t want clarification, but I couldn’t help it.

He pushed off the counter and crossed my tiny apartment like some kind of apex predator. He was so big, he filled the space completely. Took half the air. Filled my brain with cotton. Made my body crackle with electricity.

Leaning down to me, he put one hand on the table and the other on my chair.

His eyes were on my lips like all he could think about was kissing me.

All I can think about is kissing you too.

“Yeah, stuff,” he breathed. “Thiscan’t stop thinking about youstuff.”

He lifted a hand and touched my face. His thumb on my cheekbone. It took everything in me not to close my eyes. Not to lean forward the three inches necessary and put us both out of this misery with a kiss.

“We can’t do anything about it,” I whispered. Because the reasons we couldn’t do anything were serious. Real. My job. My future, the only one I wanted, hung in the balance.

His thumb pressed against my lower lip and I gasped with the sensation. Heat spilled through my body, pooling between my legs.

I was already wet. One touch and I was wet. Sex with this man, with his control and intensity, with our chemistry, would have changed the game for me. I was forcing myself to be glad it never went that far.

“We can’t do anything about it at work,” he said, his voice low and dark. “But we’re in Siberia now.”

“After that little speech you gave my neighbor, he recognized you. Siberia is not exactly safe. He knows you’re here now.”

He took a deep breath, that massive chest rising and falling.

“Damn, I wish we were back in Calico Cove,” he said, and then stepped back and the world around us came back into focus for me. “Open your gift.”

I gave my body a little shake to gather myself and he groaned.

“That fucking shimmy,” he muttered. “I have dreams about you doing that shimmy on my cock.”

Blazing heat filled my cheeks and my resolve weakened even more.

“Gifts,” he said, and crossed the room, putting as much distance between us as possible. He leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed those giant arms over his massive chest.

With trembling hands I opened the bags and pulled out a helmet and what looked like an impact shirt. All in my size.

“What…” I whispered.

“If you’re on the ice you need to be protected,” he said.

“Skills coaches-”

He shook his head. “Ineedyou to be protected. Today took ten years off my life.”

He looked at me like he’d been hollowed out and it was enough to make me reach for the gear.

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