Page 108 of Behind the Net

He looks down at me with a small smile, and a moment later, his fingers brush my hair as he plays with the ends.

By New Year’s Eve standards, sitting in a small-town bar and listening to the house band play while drinking cheap beer is mild. Sitting here, tucked into Jamie’s side, though?

This is the best New Year’s Eve I’ve ever had.

CHAPTER51

PIPPA

Two hours later,I’m happily tipsy, surrounded by loud, boisterous hockey players. Jamie’s glued to my side, and he’s had a few drinks. There’s a pink flush across his cheekbones, similar to when he gets out of the shower, and he even smiles a few times. A handful of players keep doing shots from the shot-ski, a series of shots taped crudely onto a ski so all participants need to drink simultaneously, and Hayden ordered a special shot that led to him currently getting spanked with a paddle by the bartender while the bar cheers. In the corner, a band plays, and as we approach midnight, the fun party energy in the bar heightens.

“You going to kiss me at midnight?” Rory asks Hazel.

She holds his gaze, wearing a smug grin. “Go kiss your sex doll.”

“I left her at home.”

I hold back a laugh, and Hazel looks like she’s trying to as well.

He looks to me. “What about you, Pippa? Can I get a spot on your dance card?”

Beside me, Jamie stiffens. “No.”

I glance at him. His arm is up on the booth, but I can feel the heat from him. “My dance card’s full tonight. Thanks for the offer, though.”

Jamie glares at Rory, but before anything can happen, Hayden’s at Jamie’s side. “Streicher, you’re playing pool with us.”

Jamie glances between me and Rory, uncertain.

“Go,” I tell him, tipping my chin at the pool tables. “Hazel will protect me with her sharp teeth.”

Hazel bares her teeth at Jamie, and I laugh. Rory just gazes at Hazel with horny interest.

“Back in a bit.” Jamie’s hand brushes my lower back before he follows Hayden.

“So,” Rory says across the table, “you two.”

My smile is tense, and I shrug at him. “What?”

His gaze is curious and teasing. “He likes you.”

I laugh to myself, and my face feels hot.

“It’s true,” he goes on, nodding. “He likes you more than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

His words send a thrill through me, and I hide my smile. Maybe I have feelings for him, but I’m not ready to tell people. I haven’t even fully admitted it to Hazel. “I’m just his assistant,” I lie.

He makes a noise of disbelief. “You’re hissomething, that’s for sure.”

Thankfully, more players arrive at our table with drinks, interrupting us, and I make conversation while I watch Jamie playing pool with Hayden and Alexei.

“Alright, folks,” the lead singer of the band says into the microphone a few minutes later. “We’re going to take a short break just before midnight, but we have a special treat for you.”

Jamie and Hayden make their way back to our group through the crowd, and Jamie’s eyes are on me.

“We’ve got another musician in the house, and she’s going to sing us a song,” the lead singer says into the mic, and Jamie’s mouth tips up.

My pulse stops.

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