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- CHAPTER ONE -
Hazel
The bell of the coffee shop chimes above my head. A smashing wave of heat blasts against my cheeks, making my skin prickle. I gaze around the bustling cafe, tucking the wind-blown strands of my long, auburn hair behind my ear.
She must be here somewhere…
I pull my heavy jacket off, shaking through a shiver. I hang my coat on the stand by the front door. I pull my gloves off and tuck them under my arm just as two tall, bulky men walk in behind me and smile. They reach over my head with their coats and hang them up beside mine. I smile back and notice they’re both wearing the colours of the Vancouver Vikings, the local ice hockey team. It’s no surprise, the Vikings are the lifeblood of this town.
A warm feeling heats my tummy. It’s good to be home.
Vancouver, Canada.
Yes, it might be fucking freezing outside. I’m wearing at least six layers. And that doesn’t include the two pairs of less-than-desirable panties I threw on, both of which do nothing to compliment my already huge backside.
But as the two gruff, handsome, rugged men find a seat in the café, crashing on their chairs with a thud, I can only smile.
They don’t make men like that in New York.
There’s no sign of a suit here. No slicked hair and flashy gold watches.
Nope. It’s pure Canadian muscle. And beards. Lots of beards.
Not that it matters to me. I wouldn’t have the guts to talk to any of these men if I wanted to. I’m twenty-eight years old and I’ve barely even looked at a naked man, let alone touched one.
I take a timid step forward, seeking out my best friend. I haven’t seen her in three years. I moved to the Big Apple to join a start-up cybersecurity company. I’m now acting as the Operating Officer, and it’s consumed my life. Ellie, my best friend, is the reason I took the job, and when I see a flash of dark chocolate brown hair, shining as glossy as I remember, I move towards her.
“Excuse me.” I step up to the counter and mock a stiffened expression up at the menu board on the back wall. “Do you serve real coffee here? I mean, what is a Jim Morton’s anyway?”
I see Ellie’s green eyes look up from the steaming coffee machine. A lazy, uninterested expression meets my gaze, but when our eyes connect, the mug of milk she’s steaming drops to the floor and she’s dashing around the counter and into my arms.
“Hazel? Hazel!” Ellie bounces in front of me, gripping my top with a firm handful as she hops up and down on the spot in front of me. “You’re here! You’re really here! What are you doing here?”
I laugh and ignore the fact that the entire café is staring at us. “I’m here for the weekend. Just thought I’d come and surprise you.”
“Babe! You should have told me!” Ellie settles down and I can finally get a good look at my best friend. She looks well. Her glowing skin is impeccable, and the plump lips that all the boys fussed over are as chapped as I remember. “Come. Sit. We have so much to talk about.”
I look over the counter to a man in an apron who’s raised his brows at Ellie. He’s wiping at the spilled milk while muttering something about ‘lazy girl’ under his breath. “Ah… Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
Ellie flaps a hand. “Old Geoff will be fine.”
Not feeling entirely comfortable with how ‘Old Geoff’ is looking at me, I follow behind Ellie to a booth beside the window. It’s foggy and there’s a few used coffee mugs grouped to one side. I sink into the chair and look over at the husky men that walked in behind me. One leans back in the chair, his thick arm draped to one side. His shirt lifts up as he does so, revealing a tiny amount of bare skin, and suddenly my insides come alive.
Without realizing, my tongue swipes across my lips and I can’t look away from his curved ass as he shuffles in his chair. His denim jeans are worn at the knees, tassels hanging in multiple threads. I feel my hand grip my leg hard as I stare at the mound in his crotch, picturing in my mind what it might look like beneath. I wonder how it would taste. How it would feel against my tongue…
“Ummmm… Hello?” Ellie waves a hand in front of my face, pulling me from my daydream. “Could you wipe the drool from your lip and talk to me please? I fucking miss you!”
I shake my head. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t real-”
“Realise you were practically rubbing yourself while you looked at Parker?” Ellie pins me with her green eyes.
“Parker?” I ask, my brows scrunching.
“Parker Phillips. Plays for the Vikings…” Ellie looks over her shoulder, and as she does, the bulky man flashes her a smile and waves. “Please tell me you still watch hockey.”
Ellie waves back and I get the feeling the players on the Vikings hockey team are regulars here.
I’m not going to lie. I haven’t watched a game of ice hockey since the Stanley Cup finals series two years ago. The truth is, I’ve been too fucking busy working. Ever since the brains behind the start-up company fell ill eighteen months ago, all I’ve done is work. Getting us to a point where we can start competing with the best in the business has taken a lot of work. Eighty-hour weeks sometimes.
But to sit here and explain that to my best friend, a proud Canadian and the most passionate Vancouver Viking fan?
I’ve got more chance of finding a polar bear on Main Street. And despite what you might think about Canada, that’s just not going to happen.
“Uh… Yeah, I do. I just haven’t had much time lately…” I shrug.
Ellie gives me a pointed look, her brows rising. “How’s it all going, anyway? What are you doing again? Computer hacking or something?”
I chuckle. “Close. Except the opposite... We’re the ones preventing the hacking.”
