If running into me wasn’t bad enough, he now has the audacity to laugh. I narrow my eyes, and his amused look suddenly straightens.
“I was referring to that kiss outside.”
“Kiss? Who was kissing?” Chloe pipes up behind me.
“She was kissing me.”
“You were kissing him?” Her voice raises three octaves.
“Kissed! Not kissing. I kissed you,” I clarify for both of them.
“Damn, dude. He’s not even your type.” Chloe settles back down onto the whole of her foot, rather than trying to jump over my shoulder.
I roll my eyes and focus my attention back on an even more confused Noah. “I only did that because you were shaking in your boots and clearly wanted that girl off of your back. You should be thanking me, not trying to knock my block off.”
“I wasn’t shaking in my boots.” He scoffs. “Who says that anyway?”
“You were hiding on your balcony from a pretty girl. I don’t think you get to be the one judging here.”
His eyes bore into mine and despite the thumping in my forehead, I stare right back. My scowl deepens because twothings about me are, and will always remain true. The first is that I’m stubborn as hell. I’m not going to let this man with his chiseled jaw, or lips that are turning up at the side intimidate me.
“I’m going to go warm up your car. Keys?”
I drop my keys into Chloe’s waiting hand without taking my eyes off Noah. I can feel her gaze bouncing between the two of us, but I don’t acknowledge her as she slides out the door.
Noah’s eyes drop to my mouth for the quickest moment, but when he looks back into my eyes, I can still feel the warmth from his gaze on my lips. His expression changes again and his body relaxes.
“Why are you leaving already?”
“Because one hour was about sixty minutes too many for me.”
“We could go someplace more quiet.” He’s already as close as I thought he could possibly be in this crowded room, but when he dips his head towards me, he feels infinitely closer. “Back outside? Or I could show you my room, which you so quickly ran from.”
I bite the corner of my bottom lip and unfortunately, I don’t have any alcohol to blame for the weird dance happening in my stomach right now.
“What do you say?”
Noah and I have exchanged exactly zero words prior to tonight; however, with how many times I’ve reached out and touched him, you would most definitely think there was something going on between us. It’s all the more evident now when my hand goes rogue, and I suddenly feel the soft waves of his dark hair beneath my fingers. I drag my hand along the side of his head once, and despite the music being so loud, I swear I can hear a groan rumble deep inside him.
Unfortunately for him, the second thing about me that will always be true: I will never date a hockey player.
“Sorry, captain. I only pretend to date hockey players.” I drop my hand, smile sweetly at his look of disbelief, and close the front door behind me.
The mid-morning sun that reflects through the bay window is usually one of my favorite sights. This morning, with a pulsing headache, I hate it.
“There’s ibuprofen on the floor,” Chloe says.
I lift my head enough to find her curled up on the other side of the couch, watching reruns of her comfort show. Her long, blonde hair is tied up in a messy bun on top of her head. Her thick, black-rimmed glasses tell me she hasn’t gotten up to put her contacts in yet, and I’d be willing to bet she’s wearing nothing but underwear and an oversized T-shirt from a random bar under that blanket.
I welcome the fluffy cushions beneath me as I lay back down, drop my hand beside the couch, and find both bottles immediately.
“It’s fucked up that I didn’t even drink last night and I still wake up feeling like I got hit by a train.”
“Not a train, babe. Noah Kingston.” She doesn’t take her eyes off the TV but I can hear the teasing smile in her voice.
Unfortunately, not even the throbbing of my brain is enough to make me forget that I kissed Linden Creek’s all-star hockey captain.
What. An. Idiot.
