And so insanely stupid.
He cleared his throat and looked away, moving past her, down the hall to his room and away from temptation. Except the king size bed was another temptation and he had the sudden image of her body stretched out underneath his, her long legs wrapped high around his waist as he plunged into her, over and over.
Shit. If he kept this up, he’d need to change into a pair of running shorts and go jogging out in the freezing rain just to cool himself off. And even that might not help.
He dug through his dresser, finding a pair of thick sweatpants before moving to the closet for a shirt. He grabbed a long-sleeve tee emblazoned with the logo of his minor-league team, the York Bombers. The clothes would be too big for her, but at least they’d keep her warm.
“Here, you can wear these.” He handed her the clothes then pointed to the bathroom. “Now go soak under a hot shower to get warm.”
“I don’t need—”
“Lauren, you’re turning blue. Now go get in the shower and warm up while I fix us something to eat.”
“You’re the one who has a game tonight. You should be the one getting warm, not me.”
“I’m plenty warm. Now go.” He pointed to the bathroom again, refusing to back down. She must have seen something in his face letting her know he was serious because she rolled her eyes and moved past him down the hall, muttering to herself.
Kenny closed his eyes and took a deep breath, telling himself to go change and fix lunch. And not to think about Lauren standing in his shower, completely naked as water streamed over her lithe body.
No, he definitely hadn’t lied to her when he told her he was plenty warm enough.
Chapter Eleven
Lauren stood in front of the mirror and finger-combed her hair into something that didn’t quite resemble a frightened porcupine. But she could only do so much without a hair dryer or hair cream. Or even a decent brush. Kenny didn’t have any of those things. She had looked, even though she felt like she was snooping. Just her luck, his medicine cabinet was filled with typical guy stuff: several combs, shaving gel, razor and blades, aftershave and moisturizer. Toothpaste and a new toothbrush, still in its package.
An unopened box of condoms.
Lauren pretended not to see them, not quite understanding the mixed emotions that went through her when she saw them. Excitement and jealousy. What a totally useless combination that was.
She’d used some of the moisturizer, figuring it wouldn’t hurt since she already smelled like a guy after using the shower gel and shampoo.
No, not just like a guy. Like Kenny. And God help her but that thought was more exciting than it should be. Especially after that little encounter in the kitchen. She didn’t think he brushed by her on purpose. In fact, she was certain of it. But there was no doubt he had felt the same thing she had when their bodies touched. Heat. Awareness. Excitement.
Yes, she was attracted to him. She’d have to be blind not to be. But she’d never considered something coming out of it. He was a professional athlete, for crying out loud. There was nothing about her that would make her stand out, that would capture his attention or make him interested in her. He probably had hundreds of women throwing themselves at him on a nightly basis.
Yeah. Just like her sister.
A spurt of anger seized her, threatening to grow and consume her. Lauren pushed it away. She didn’t want to think of Lindsay right now, not after the stunt she pulled this morning after dropping her off at the rink. Lauren still had no idea where she disappeared to, didn’t know why she had never come back to pick her up. Lauren had been at the rink for less than fifteen minutes when she got the text that the games were cancelled for the day because of the weather. Lindsay was supposed to be back in thirty minutes so it shouldn’t have been a problem.
Lauren should have never let her use the car. Dammit, she should have known better. Especially after the credit card fiasco. After learning about Lindsay’s lie about Casino Night.
Thinking about everything only angered her even more. And yes, she believed Kenny. His disbelief and anger Friday night had been too real. And he had no reason to lie about it. Lindsay, on the other hand…sometimes Lauren wondered if her sister didn’t know anything except how to lie. The question was: why? She’d obviously gone somewhere with someone, so why lie about it?
Just one more question she had for her sister the next time she saw her.
Lauren spread a dab of toothpaste on her finger and rubbed it around her mouth, wishing she had thought to throw the small shower kit into her bag this morning. Nothing she could do about it now, though.
She washed her hand off and rinsed her mouth, then gathered up her wet clothes and the towel and washcloth she had used. The smell of something cooking greeted her as soon as she opened the door and she inhaled, suddenly hungry. And of course her stomach chose that moment to rumble, agreeing with her. At least Kenny wasn’t nearby to hear it.
“Perfect timing. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes. You can just throw your clothes in the washing machine and turn it on, it’s all set to go.” Lauren heard his voice but couldn’t see him, and she figured he must be in the kitchen, cooking. Yeah, didn’t take a genius to figure that out.
She stopped in front of the opened laundry closet, staring into the washing machine. Kenny must have changed and put his own wet clothes in there already. She hesitated, wondering why she felt this sudden sense of intimacy. Ridiculous. They were just wet clothes. Washing their clothes together didn’t mean anything except that she was being uncharacteristically silly. She tossed her stuff on top of his and closed the lid then turned the machine on.
Kenny walked into the dining room, carrying two plates. He stopped and looked over at her, his gaze travelling down the length of her body before he looked away. Was it her imagination, or was he blushing?
Lauren glanced down at herself then pulled at the t-shirt. The front was just a little damp from holding the wet clothes in front of her, the material clinging just enough to make it obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra.
“Ready to eat?” Kenny motioned for her to sit then disappeared back into the kitchen, coming out with two glasses of milk and placing one next to each plate.
Lauren took a seat the offered him a smile. “You’re not a slob and you can cook. I think I’m impressed.”
“Yeah, well. It doesn’t take gourmet talent to open a can of soup or fix a grilled cheese sandwich.”
Lauren picked up the sandwich and took a bite, enjoying the taste of the gooey cheese. “You obviously don’t know my brother. He can grill a mean steak but put him in front of the stove and forget it. You’re taking your life into your own hands.”
Kenny laughed and took a bite of his own sandwich, chasing it down with a swallow of milk. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin then looked over at her. “So is it just the three of you? Any other siblings?”
“Two of them aren’t enough? Nope. Just Dale and Lindsay. Dale is twenty-eight, two years older than me. And Lindsay is twenty-one going on forty and thinks she knows everything.”
“Has she always been—” Kenny stopped and looked away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything.”
Had he noticed her slight stiffening? Maybe, maybe not. She shook her head and waved away his apology. “Don’t worry about it. Lindsay has always done her own thing. The recklessness didn’t really start until her last year in high school, though. It’s only gotten worse since then. I had hoped she’d snap out of it when she moved in with me but—” Lauren paused, merely shrugging her shoulders because she didn’t know what else to say. And she didn’t really feel like talking about her sister, anyway. She needed time to process her anger, her disappointment. Mostly her anger.
Kenny must have sensed that because he nudged her bare foot with his own under the table. A tingle of awareness shot through her at the contact and she looked up, surprised. “So it’s the three of you then. How about your parents?”
“Mom and Dad are happily ret
ired and enjoying it. They sold the house last year and bought a small condo north of Cockeysville. And an RV.” Lauren took a sip of milk, a smile on her face. She still couldn’t believe they had done it. It shouldn’t surprise her though, not when they had talked about doing just that for years. “I think they’re somewhere south of here. Or west. Florida, Texas. Who knows?”
“So they’re living in the RV?”
“Yes and no. I think they’re giving this a try for now and if it doesn’t work out they’ll move into the condo full-time. But for right now, they’re enjoying the travelling.”
“Well good for them.”
Lauren nodded her agreement then turned her attention back to the sandwich. They ate in silence for the next few minutes, simply enjoying the meal. Kenny finished before her then leaned back in his chair, a small grin teasing the corners of his mouth as he watched her. Lauren paused, the last bite of her sandwich raised to her mouth, and tilted her head. “What?”
Kenny chuckled and shook his head. “Nothing.”
“So you stare at me and then laugh and then tell me nothing. And you expect me to believe that?” She popped the bite into her mouth and chewed, her eyes never leaving his.
“Honestly, it’s nothing. I just thought…well, you look kind of cute, sitting over there with your hair all mussed up.”
“Oh great. Just what every woman wants to hear.” She ran her hands over her hair, wincing when she felt it sticking up here and there. She tried to smooth it down then gave up, knowing there was nothing she could do about it.
“Sorry. I meant it as a compliment, really.”
“If you say so.”
“I did.”
“Hm.” She raised her brows, surprised to see his face turn pink. The sight made her laugh. Just the idea of a big bad hockey player—a defenseman, no less—sitting across from her, blushing, was enough to keep a smile on her face.
“So why were you at the rink this morning? Didn’t they let you know the games were cancelled?”
“Yeah, but I was already there when I got the text. I didn’t think it would be an issue because Lindsay was only supposed to be gone for a half hour. Only she never showed back up.”
“So you were going to walk home? And then do what? You said you didn’t have your keys.”
“Wait, just like I said.”
He frowned, obviously not liking the answer.
“It wouldn’t have been a big deal. Honest. I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.”
“That’s not the point. I just don’t think it’s right. I would never dream of doing that to my sister.” He paused, a quick smile flashing across his face. “She would kick my ass.”
Lauren laughed, some of the tension that had been knotting her neck and shoulders drifting away. He had a nice laugh, deep and mellow. Warm and comforting. The corners of his eyes crinkled just the smallest bit, a sign that he wasn’t afraid to laugh or smile. And his smile was just this side of crooked, somehow looking charming and devilish at the same time, like he was one step away from being up to no good.
And this was no good. She didn’t need to be sitting here, cataloguing each charming trait like she was trying to memorize them. If she kept this up, she’d convince herself that there was more to him than there really was. That she liked him more than she should.
No, if she kept this up, she really would like him more than she should. She couldn’t let herself fall into that trap.
Lauren stood and grabbed her empty plate, reaching across the table for Kenny’s. He put a hand on her arm, stopping her.
“I’ll do that.”
“No, I’ve got it. That’s the least I can do. You should go back for your nap.”
He hesitated and she wondered if he was going to argue. But he must have seen the determination in her eyes and decided against it because he finally released her arm and pushed away from the table.
“Um, just help yourself if you need anything. There’s more food in the fridge. If you get tired, you can use the other, uh, bedroom. Just ignore the boxes along the wall and—”
“Kenny, I’ll be fine. But thank you. I’m just going to clean up and then I’ll probably just read or watch television or something.”
“Are you sure? I feel bad—”
“Don’t.” She nudged him then motioned to the hallway with a nod of her head. “Go. Take a nap. I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. You’re the one who has to work in a few hours, not me. Now go.”
But he just stood there, indecision written all over his face. And Lauren realized that he really did feel bad, that he probably felt obligated to play host when he should be preparing for tonight’s game. She rolled her eyes and nudged him again.
“Either you go back and take a nap, or I’m walking home so you don’t have to worry about me.”
“You would, wouldn’t you?”
“In a heartbeat.”
“Fine. But if you need anything, just wake me up.”
That would never happen. Just the idea of going back to his room, of seeing him sleeping, was enough to send her insides into a tailspin. She didn’t want to think of what she might be tempted to do if she actually saw him spread across a bed. But she merely nodded her agreement and walked into the kitchen, figuring he would keep standing there talking if she was still there. Sure enough, a minute later she heard his footsteps moving down the hall, heard his door swing closed. But she didn’t hear the sound of the knob clicking and knew that if she looked, she’d see that the door was probably cracked open.
Just in case she needed something.
Yeah, she needed something alright. What she needed was her head examined.
She finished cleaning up then moved to the living room, grabbing a magazine and stretching out on the sofa. There was a soft throw blanket draped over the edge and she pulled it down, tossing it over legs.
But she didn’t read the magazine, not at first. She looked around the room, taking everything in, trying to learn more about the man sleeping down the hall just from his surroundings.
He didn’t live like she had imagined a hockey player to live. Or any professional athlete, actually. The Mercedes sedan he drove was a little pricey but not what she’d call flashy or extravagant. The apartment was nice, located in an upper scale neighborhood close to the Inner Harbor but again, not over-the-top. It was a simple two bedroom, nothing fancy. In fact, when she thought about it, her own condo was probably a little bigger, with a more open floor plan.
The furniture was nice, overstuffed and comfortable. Not exactly new, maybe a year or two. Minimal decorations, just a few knick-knacks here and there, most of them hockey-related. Definitely the apartment of a single man.
An average single guy.
Except Kenny Haskell was anything but average.
And she was only going to succeed in driving herself crazy if she kept thinking about him. If she kept picturing him back in the bedroom, wondering what he slept in. Was he still wearing the sweatpants and worn t-shirt he had changed into? Or had he taken the shirt off? Or the sweatpants? Or both?
And yeah, she definitely needed to stop thinking about it.
She shifted on the sofa and flipped open the magazine, determined to push images of Kenny Haskell from her mind and lose herself in the articles. She must have done just that because she started awake sometime later with a dizzying sense of disorientation, the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She pushed up on her elbows and looked around, the surroundings only vaguely familiar in the foggy sleep daze that still gripped her.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. Sorry.”
Lauren looked to her left and blinked at the man leaning over the back of the sofa, a grin on his face. She blinked again and everything clicked into place.
The morning games being cancelled.
Walking home because her sister disappeared with her car.
Kenny picking her up and bringing her back to his place. Fixing her
lunch then taking a nap.
Lauren sat up and swung her legs to the side, scrubbing her hands across her face. Apparently Kenny wasn’t the only one who had taken a nap. The only difference was he looked fresh, recharged, ready to go.
And she felt like she was still struggling against the thick cotton in her head, trying to get her bearings straight when all she wanted to do was close her eyes and go back to sleep.
“What time is it?”
“A little after four. Here, drink this.” He passed something over her shoulder, something cool. Lauren turned her head and blinked again, the bottle of water finally coming into focus. She took it, mumbling her thanks as she twisted off the plastic cap and took several long swallows.
Kenny moved to the front of the sofa and sat down on the edge, sitting sideways so he could watch her. He was dressed in a suit, a charcoal gray with the faintest of pinstripes with a crisp white shirt and a dark patterned tie. He looked so different from earlier, when he’d been in nothing but sweatpants and a worn t-shirt. He seemed more approachable then. More…real. Just an average guy. Now he looked—she wasn’t sure. Dashing and attractive, definitely. But something else as well. Not professional. He didn’t have that polished veneer she so often associated with most men in suits. Her hazy mind struggled to find the right words, failing to come up with anything that would fit other than ‘off-limits’, and she wasn’t sure why those were the words that came to mind.
She felt the heat from his leg against her thigh, even though he wasn’t touching her. The thought that she should probably move away from him crossed her mind and she pushed it away. It was a silly thought, brought on by the remnants of whatever dream she must have been having along with her struggle to figure out how to describe him.
Or maybe she just needed some more sleep.
“I wasn’t going to wake you up but I wasn’t sure if you’d feel like you had to leave if I wasn’t here.”
“Hm. Probably.” She took another long swallow of the water then ran a hand through her hair. She could feel it sticking up on one side—and smashed against her head on the other. Lauren grimaced then heard Kenny chuckle, the sound entirely too warm and inviting in her current state of mind.
On Thin Ice (The Baltimore Banners Book 8) Page 9
