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“Want help with the zipper?” Hot athlete beside her sounded hopeful and teasing.
Nice. “Nope.” Piper slid the side closure up, containing her womanly wonders herself, just like Momma had taught her. Faking nonchalance, she smoothed her hair and hit the “E” for the executive floors.
He punched floor nine. “You going to see Dodo?” His voice lost enthusiasm.
So much to unpack there. Dodo was Donovan Applebaum’s nickname, a major owner of the team, and her cousin Dahlia’s new fiancé. Her cousin’s office romance had turned into an official engagement this week. Piper shoved down her concerns about Dahlia marrying an Applebaum, searched her fellow passenger’s cobalt gaze, and tried to read his expression. Judgment or curiosity? Was he thinking she was pucking around with a taken man? She wasn’t with any jock, but if she were, he’d be single and a high scorer who was super into history nerds. Lots of those out there. “Why do you ask?”
The elevator eased past floor four.
He held up his palms in masculine self-defense like she was about to throw red wine on his number sixty-five jersey. “Just asking. I wouldn’t mess with one of Dodo’s birds.”
Hmph. “You know Dodo’s engaged, right?”
The player gave a long blink, and his eyebrows arched. He had not known that. His gaze flicked to her ring finger. “That so?”
Piper smiled slowly. “To my cousin.” Dahlia was waiting for her upstairs.
The elevator dinged as the car reached the handsome player’s floor. He moved forward, exposing that he’d been stepping on the papers that had spilled from her bag. On top was a brochure titled Purity Pledge. She’d created the design at Dahlia’s request and had filled each bubbled letter with pale peach flowers, a delicate touch to appeal to her cousin. Dahlia had asked her for two things: try on the dancers’ new costume and make the cover art.
He picked up the pamphlet with two fingers as if the paper were made of hellfire, brimstone, and a wedding vow. “This yours?”
“Yep.”
Without a word, he handed her purity back and darted from the confines of the elevator faster than a runaway groom.
A small flash of hurt bounced in her chest. Dang, he’d seen all the goods and hadn’t even asked for her number? Lingerie plus the admiring male gaze was supposed to equal a request for digits. Where had she gone wrong?
Despite his error in judgment, the hockey hottie still held her interest. Piper reached her floor, and once she was free from the elevator, she did a quick web search for player number sixty-five. A boatload of handsome images appeared instantly.
Offensive defenseman, Mikah Czerski, age twenty-five.
Her age, single, interesting. Piper put her phone away, found Dahlia’s office, and knocked.
CHAPTER 2
A moment later, Dahlia’s office door swung inward letting out a waft of Dahlia’s signature floral perfume. “Piper.” She leaned in for an air kiss and stepped back. “No costume?” Her voice shifted to sounding disappointed. “I mean, cute mini-dress though.” Dahlia waved her to the seating area by the glass wall overlooking the Austin skyline.
“Thanks.” Piper put her bag on the coffee table and took a seat in the over-stuffed leather club chair. “As for the costume, the elevator ate it.”
“What?” Dahlia snagged two bottles of lemonade from her mini fridge for them.
Piper took a long, sweet drink before she shared the story. “I was a chiffon cookie, and the elevator went for me.” She put the drink down and jerked her body left and then right to illustrate.
Dahlia giggled. “The puck was too wide, right?”
Yep, Dahlia had only had this job officially since her graduation last May, before that, she’d interned here. She didn’t need a hit to her confidence. “Would work for a tear-away costume. The dancers could skate out onto the ice and drop their pucks…”
Dahlia did a grimacing smile like she didn’t know whether to laugh or blush. “I’m aiming for a family friendly dance team, and less…”
“Stripper?”
“Yep, you get me. I’ll brainstorm a new costume.”
They could talk about that, or the attractive player she’d just met. The urge to tell Dahlia about him pushed through her, but Piper didn’t want to make this meeting all about her. Dahlia had just gotten engaged to Dodo, and Piper had dated his brother. Whereas Piper’s relationship had bombed, Dahlia’s had bloomed. No doubt Dahlia wanted to share more of her news but was possibly hesitant to protect Piper’s feelings. Piper pointed to the shelves above the minibar where a red velvet rope marked off a row of gold label and cut crystal bottles. “Shouldn’t we be toasting to your happiness?”
“Oh, no, Dodo’s daddy gave him those. He’s saving them for when they win the Stanley Cup.”
Piper pointed to Dahlia’s engagement ring. “Spill it.”
