I snicker, eyeing the two of them. “You’d think with all that hockey practice, your muscles would actually be useful.” Nathan and Ryan shoot me simultaneous glares, and I can’t help but chuckle. “Just kidding. Thanks for hauling all this up for me.”
Nathan rolls his eyes dramatically. “I wasn’t gonna help, but then Mom guilted me into it.” He gives an exaggerated sigh.“Something about looking after my baby sister, and being a good brother… blah, blah, blah.”
I roll my eyes. “Love you too.”
“Yeah, whatever. You owe me,” he says, then gestures to the boxes. “Where do you want these?”
“Just leave them by my bed,” I tell him, glancing at the mess I’ll deal with later. “I’ll sort it out when I get a chance.”
He nods, lifting one of the boxes before squeezing past me, and I step out into the hallway to give him room. As I do, I almost stumble straight into Ryan. His hands catch me just in time, before I can crash into him.
“Shit. Sorry,” I mumble, taking a step back.
“Don’t sweat it,” Ryan chuckles, his eyes flicking down to me with a teasing smile. “Not the first time you’ve bumped into me.” His gaze trails down my clothes, brow quirking as he takes in the sight.
“I just came back from pottery class,” I explain, motioning to my jeans, which are covered in what looks like a toddler’s abstract art project. “Hence the disaster.”
Ryan blinks, his eyes widening in surprise. “You do pottery? That’s so frickin’ cool. I can’t even draw stick figures.”
I laugh, tucking a curl behind my ear. “Debatable. Honestly, it’s stressing me out way more than I expected, which totally defeats the point of doing it in the first place.”
He shrugs, running a hand through his hair, and for some reason, I feel my stomach do this weird flip.God, why is that so hot? “Still cool.” His lips twitch into a grin, and his eyes sweep over me again. “I’m kinda picturing you behind the pottery wheel now… your hands all covered in clay…”
I snort, shaking my head. “It’s not as pretty as it sounds.”
He clicks his tongue and tilts his head. “Somehow, I don’t believe you.”
I feel that nervous-flutter thing again, right in my chest. I clear my throat, trying to change the subject before I make a bigger fool of myself. “Are you nervous about the game on Friday?”
A sigh leaves his lips before he smirks, shaking his head. “Nah, we got this.” He gives me a cocky grin. “Your dad busts my balls on the ice to make sure I don’t slip up.”
My face scrunches up. “Yeah, I really don’t wanna hear about my dad and your balls,” I joke, trying to hide my smirk.
Ryan laughs, tipping his head back, and I feel a shiver run down my spine. He has such a nice laugh.
He chuckles, pursing his lips. “You coming to the celebration party?”
I let out a scoff, arching a brow. “You’re that confident you’ll win?”
He shrugs, that smug smirk playing at the corners of his lips. It makes my knees feel a little weaker. “Confidence is attractive. Or so I’ve heard.”
My lips twitch, my stomach flipping. “Are you flirting with me?”
Ryan studies me for a few seconds, long enough that I start to memorize every detail of his gaze. Then he tuts, shaking his head, as he steps closer. His cologne fills the space between us, and it’s like everything around me fades. “Baby, if I was flirting, you’d know. You wouldn’t even have to ask.”
I suck in a sharp breath at the nickname and his gaze drops to my lips, his grin widening. Yeah, he’s definitely flirting. And I’m definitely enjoying it.
“Ryan!”
The sound of my brother’s voice snaps me back to reality. Ryan takes a step back, facing Nathan as he nods toward the hallway. “Bring the rest of the boxes.”
“Better go help your brother.” Ryan glances at me before lifting one of the boxes, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a teasing smirk. “All these purple throw pillows won’t unpack themselves.”
I roll my eyes. “I like purple. Sue me.”
He chuckles, his eyes locked on mine. “Didn’t say it was a bad thing. It’s kinda cute.”
My cheeks warm before I can stop them.
