by Jaci Burton
"He's ripped, for sure. Even more so now than he was in college."
"And you want to fuck him again?"
"Honestly, Stella. You're so . . . blunt."
"So? What's wrong with women loving sex? When was the last time you got laid?"
She had a point. "Too long."
"Okay, then. Go jump hot stuff's bones, then dump him, hard. You'll get a great release and it'll be nice payback. But hey, first we should go to a game. I love hockey. Can you introduce me to some of the players?"
"Why? Do you want to ruin one or two of them, leaving them well satisfied but crying in your wake?"
Stella laughed. "Maybe."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Good. Since they're in town, send hot stuff a text message. We can go party with them after the game."
"Uh, it's a little late, don't you think?"
"It's Friday night. What else are you going to do?"
"I was going to work tomorrow."
"You can start a little later. Let's have some fun tonight."
She narrowed her gaze at Stella. "You're a very bad influence."
Stella laughed. "No, honey. I'm the best friend you've got. The one who's going to prevent you from turning into a sweater-wearing cat lady who owns a rocking chair. Now send the text. They're deep into the third period now and up by two goals, and I'd wager your guy is going to be ready to party after the game."
Carolina could not believe she was doing this, but she grabbed her phone and sent the text.
"You're going to make me regret this."
"No regrets. Just fun."
Carolina didn't know about the fun part. But the message had been sent.
And she already regretted sending it.
TEN
AFTER A GRUELING GAME THAT ENDED WITH A three-to-one win, Drew was ready to let off some steam. So were some of the other guys.
He was shocked when, after showering and getting dressed, he grabbed his phone and found a text message from Carolina.
My friend Stella and I want to meet up with you after the game for drinks. Are you and your teammates heading somewhere?
Huh.
He wondered who Stella was. A fan, maybe? Either way, he was happy to hear from Carolina. He texted her back the name and location of the bar he and a few of the guys were headed to, and told her to meet them there.
McGill's Bar was dark and packed, a typical hangout for the before, during, and after-the-game crowd. Drew always felt comfortable coming here because the fans were respectful and didn't give them a hard time. They could hang out, drink a few beers, play some pool, and unwind. The big-screen TVs to watch the games didn't hurt any, either. Since it was mostly guys, he didn't have to deal with the hockey groupies.
So when Carolina walked in, looking cool and sexy in a brown leather jacket and dark jeans that hugged her slender legs, she definitely got the once-over from all the guys in the bar. And the tall blonde with her was gorgeous. Drew moved from the back of the bar to meet them.
"Hey," he said, winding his arm around Carolina. "Glad you could make it."
"Drew, this is Stella Slovinski. Stella, Drew Hogan."
Drew shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Stella."
"Same here. Good game tonight."
He arched a brow. "You're a fan?"
"I love hockey. Carolina and I watched the game at her place."
He shifted his gaze to Carolina's. "You watched my game, huh?"
She shrugged. "It was on while I was eating. Then Stella dropped by, and she likes hockey."
Drew grinned. "I love a hockey fan. Come on back. We're playing pool."
He led them to where the guys were in the middle of a game. He introduced Carolina and Stella to the six other guys who'd come with him to the bar.
"Nice saves at goalie tonight," Stella said, striking up a conversation with Avery.
"Thanks."
"Can't believe you let that one in the third period slide by you, though. Were you napping back there?"
"Oh, tough critic," Trick, Drew's fellow forward said with a wide grin. He signaled the waitress. "Beer, Stella?"
"Definitely. And you have room to talk, Trick. You missed an easy pass from Drew while you were an inch from the goal."
Trick laughed. "I like her. She has balls."
"Well, no, I don't, but I don't mind busting yours."
Drew laughed, then turned to Carolina. "What can I get you to drink?"
She grabbed a chair. "I'll have a glass of wine. Something red, if they have it."
"Coming right up." He went up to the bar and ordered a glass of cabernet for Carolina, watching as Stella engaged the players. Deep in conversation with them, Stella seemed right at home while Carolina observed.
Actually, her gaze tracked back to him at the bar. But as soon as she saw he was looking at her, she slipped off her chair and joined Stella in conversation with the other guys.
Okay, he liked that she didn't want him to know she was watching him.
She liked him. He knew it, and he understood the history between them and why she was wary.
His fault, really, but he was the one who was going to have to do something to change that.
He handed her the glass of wine.
"I was just telling your friend Trick here that he'd better get his ass in gear if he wants his stats to be as good as yours before the season starts," Stella said.
"Oh, a statistician in our midst," Drew said.
"Yeah, but I think she has her math wrong, because I've outshot you three to one."
"My math is never wrong, Trick. Just ask Carolina."
"I'm afraid Stella is right on that," Carolina said.
"Yeah? How would you know?"
"She's a hard-core hockey fan, and follows every player on the Travelers. She probably knows your stats better than you do."
Trick leaned back to observe Stella. "No shit. Are you some kind of mathematician?"
Stella laughed. "No. I'm a dancer. But I'm very good at math."
"So, you're smart and beautiful. Score two for you, Stella."
Avery moved over and pulled up a chair next to Carolina. "And you're some kind of . . . designer, right?"
Carolina smiled at Avery, surprised he remembered her at all from their brief meeting at the mission on Thanksgiving. "That's right."
"What kind of designer was it again?"
"Clothing."
"Oh. So you're big into fashion and stuff."
Carolina smiled. "Yes. You could say that."
"And you're friends with a hockey stats geek."
"Hey," Stella said, giving Avery a glare.
Avery laughed. "Touchy, touchy. Sorry. A beautiful, dancing, hockey stats genius."
Stella nodded. "Better. And now you owe me a beer for the insult."
"Consider it done. But how good are you at pool?"
Stella slid off the stool. "I'll kick your ass at pool. Especially after that geek comment."
Carolina shook her head and watched Avery rack the balls. Stella shrugged off her jacket, much to the admiration of all the guys.
"Get over here, Carolina," Stella said. "You're going to play, too."
"I haven't played pool since college."
Drew came up next to her. "So? Afraid you'll get beat?"
"Not a chance." She took off her jacket and went to pick out a cue. "Stella, let's show these boys how it's done."
Two hours later, she had won two games and lost two. All in all, not bad. Stella, of course, was kicking major butt, not surprising considering how good she was at pool.
"Your friend is a hit with my friends," Drew said as they stood and watched Stella line up her shot.
Carolina grinned. "Men love Stella. And she's a natural with them, always so comfortable around guys."
"And you're not?"
She shrugged. "Men don't naturally gravitate toward me."
He laughed. "You must be blind, babe, because every set of male eyes in this place has bee
n on you since you walked in the door."
She looked around, and caught several gazes quickly darting away.
Huh.
"Plus the guys on my team. I've had to glare at all of them to keep them away from you."
She turned back to him. "And why would you do that?"
He leaned in closer. "I think you know why."
She warmed as he looked down at her, his gaze direct, his intent obvious.
"I don't pay much attention to men."
"Maybe you should. Because they sure as hell pay attention to you. I sure as hell pay attention to you."
And then it got hotter in there and she lost herself in the beauty of his face, the way his shoulder brushed against hers. It was like they were all alone in the bar despite the shouts of his friends and Stella's raucous laughter.
"Why did you text me tonight?"
"Because Stella wanted to come meet the guys."
"Is that the only reason?"
"Yes. Of course."
He cocked a brow. "You didn't want to see me."
"Why would I want to do that?"
He tucked her hair behind one ear. "Because you missed me."
Her eyes held his. She should step back and go hang out with Stella, but something about him, about the way he looked at her, held her there.
"I didn't miss you. I've been working."
"And not thinking about me--at all."
"No. Not at all."
He leaned closer and wrapped an arm around her, tugging her closer. "I've been thinking about you, Carolina. A lot."
"Don't."
"Don't what? Don't hold you like this, or don't think about you?"
She didn't know which way to answer. She didn't know what to think. Right now she wasn't thinking, because Drew's hard body pressed against hers. She reached up and palmed his chest.
"Don't--"
"Hey, are you two going to stare into each other's eyes all night, or are you going to play pool?"
Thank God for Stella. Drew moved away, and Carolina took a breath.
"Definitely play pool," Carolina said, picking up a cue and moving back to the table.
After she took her shot, she moved alongside Stella.
"So what was going on over there?" Stella asked.
"We were just talking."
"With what? Your tongues?"
Carolina laughed. "There were no tongues involved."
"I don't know about that. I could feel the heat transfer all the way over here. You two have something hot going on."
"We have nothing going on."
"But he wants to get it on."
Carolina rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Stella. I think you're the one who needs to get laid."
Stella eyed Trick's butt as he bent over to take a shot. "You're right about that. But it has nothing to do with you and Drew." She took a long swallow of beer, then turned to Carolina. "Don't hesitate, honey. Take what's so obviously being offered. Sex is fun, you know."
She did know that. Sex was fun.
And oh, so complicated.
But maybe it didn't have to be. After all, Drew had offered her a no-strings romp. So why not take it and ease some of the tension tightening her muscles? She already knew how good it could be between them. This time she wouldn't be timid and inexperienced. She'd be relaxed and could enjoy herself.
She didn't have time to cultivate a relationship with someone new. And actually, the last thing she needed right now was something complicated.
With Drew, she'd know exactly what she was getting--or rather, not getting. He was easygoing, and he didn't want a girlfriend. He wanted to get in her pants. She would certainly enjoy getting in his again. Then she could get back to work, a lot more relaxed.
She searched the room and found him at the bar, chatting it up with one of the guys from his team. As if he had some kind of psychic connection to her, he lifted his head and turned it her way, then smiled at her, as if he knew what she'd been thinking about.
She took a deep breath and smiled back.
It was on.
ELEVEN
THE GROUP HAD STARTED TO THIN OUT AS THE NIGHT wore on. It was late, and some of the guys headed out.
After a while it was only Drew and Carolina and Stella and Trick. It was obvious that Trick was into Stella, and Drew got the feeling Stella was into him, too, since they had hung together since the start of the night. Though he hadn't paid all that much attention since his focus had been on Carolina.
Now Stella and Trick were huddled together at the bar, their foreheads nearly touching as they talked and laughed, which left Carolina and Drew to stick it out together, since it was obvious Carolina wasn't leaving without her friend.
Though, knowing Trick as well as Drew did, he didn't think Stella would be leaving with Carolina tonight.
"Need another glass of wine?" he asked.
Carolina shook her head. "No, I'm already woozy enough and I'm going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow while I work. I should have said no to the last . . . two glasses."
She wasn't slurring, so she held her liquor well enough. He signaled for the bartender. "Maybe a club soda?" he asked her.
"Great idea."
He ordered one for her and another beer for himself.
Stella slid from her stool and came over.
"I'm heading out."
"Oh," Carolina said. "Let me get my coat."
Stella grinned. "No, you stay here. Trick is going home with me tonight."
Drew liked Stella. Very straightforward. Nothing coy about this woman.
He stood and held out his hand. "Great meeting you, Stella."
"You too, Drew. I trust you're going to take care of my girl and see that she gets home okay?"
"You can count on it."
Carolina hugged Stella. "Call me tomorrow?"
"Of course. You two have fun and be safe."
"You, too."
Stella laughed. "Honey, I'm always safe."
"Later, Trick," Drew said.
Trick dipped his head and smiled. "Later."
Trick threw an arm around Stella and they headed out the door.
"Surprised?" Drew asked.
"About what?"
"Stella hooking up with Trick."
She took a sip of her club soda. "Not in the least. Stella knows what she wants and goes after it with a vengeance."
"Jealous, then?"
She laughed. "No. Well, maybe a little. She's very confident and always has been."
"You're always confident. It's one of the things I like most about you."
She took another drink. "I wasn't always that way."
"Yeah? When were you ever not confident?"
"Like . . . always."
"You were bold enough to come after me in college. I liked that so much about you. So many girls back then . . . I mean they were bold, but not in the way you were."
She leaned back against the stool and swiveled around to face him. "Care to elaborate on that one?"
"Yeah. They flirted, but they expected me to be the one to do the chasing, to ask them out, to coax them into bed. It had to be my idea, you know? It was nothing more than a game. But with you, it was so different."
"Don't remind me."
He laughed. "No. It wasn't like that. At least not for me. You were like the only drop of water in a desert. You stood out to me because you were so fresh and so beautiful. There was no pretense with you."
"You do realize I was drunk off my ass that night."
"So? You were honest. You didn't slide up to me and rub your breasts against me, and then act all innocent. You boldly asked if I'd take you to bed."
He saw her grimace, knew that memories of that night made her uncomfortable. But he wanted her to have good memories, not bad ones. "Carolina, I loved everything about that night. I still remember every minute of it."
She lifted her gaze to his. "So do I."
"But how do you remember it?"
"What do you mean?"
/>
"I remember it as a hot, sweet night where this beautiful young woman propositioned me and gave me a gift I'll never forget. She was so sweet, so innocent, and yet oh, so sexy. And we spent an amazing night together, a night I've thought about a lot over the years."
She took a deep breath, looked away for a few seconds, then met his gaze again. "For a while I tried not to think about it at all. I felt like I'd made a mistake. I was so heartbroken. But that was youth, and fantasies. After a while I got past it. And yes, I do think about that night."
"I'm sorry I hurt you."
"I know you are."
He signaled to the waiter, who brought the tab for him to sign. He grabbed her jacket and held it for her while she slid her arms in. They headed outside and he hailed a taxi.
"Your place or mine?" he asked.
"Isn't yours closer? I'd like to see it."
He nodded and gave the driver his address. It was a short ride to his brownstone, especially this late at night with less traffic on the streets. He paid the driver and they got out.
"This is nice, Drew."
"Well, it's not your place, so don't expect much."
She laced her arm in his. "I'm not expecting anything."
He could tell she was buzzed and a lot more relaxed than the last few times they'd been together.
Which he liked. He wanted her to have a good time. He just hoped he'd remembered to pick up the place before he left for his game.
They walked up to the second floor. Drew took his time. He liked Carolina leaning against him. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, then flipped on the light, exhaling as he saw the place. That's right. He'd just had it cleaned yesterday, so it wasn't its normal disaster.
She slid out of her coat and hung it on the rack by the door. "This is nice, Drew."
"Thanks. Just a one-bedroom. Kind of small. Like I said, nothing fancy like your place."
And it wasn't. It was a simple, one-bedroom apartment. He had some basic furniture, a sofa and a couple chairs. He had a killer TV and gaming system, of course, but this wasn't home to him. It was where he stayed during the season.
"You want something to drink? I have water, pop, and . . . beer. No wine. Sorry."
"Water would be great, thanks."
Drew grabbed two bottles of water from his refrigerator, opened the tops and handed one to her.
"Thank you," she said.
Carolina walked around his living room, then down the hall, opening the door to his bedroom.
Okay, they were going there. He was going to ease into it, maybe turn on the television or play some music.
She stared at his king-size bed. There wasn't room for much else in the small apartment, but there was no way in hell he was sleeping on some cramped, tiny bed, so he'd opted for the bed and a nightstand and shoved the dresser in the closet.
