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“Sadly, my hockey-playing days are behind me.”
His eyes skim down my body, landing on the knee currently screaming for some Advil. I’m wearing jeans, but I have the sense he’s seeing the bare skin beneath.
“The surgery?”
I nod, my throat going dry with the memory of his mouth dropping feather-light kisses along the scar that runs the length of my knee and ended my college hockey career. The way he murmured “ouch” and promised to kiss it better. The feel of his stubble as he left the site of that old injury, kissing his way up the inside of my thigh, higher, harder, deeper… until I was gasping his name.
“Y-yes.” And if that didn’t sound guilty enough to give away where my head had just gone, I’m sure the flames licking at my cheeks will do it.
“You wouldn’t believe how many times I thought about that scar,” he says casually, putting his skates in his bag, like he’s not talking about something he only saw because I was completely naked beneath him a few hours after we met. “It drove me nuts that I didn’t get to ask you about it. I had a feeling it was sports related, but I didn’t know you were a hockey player until I found out who you were.” Then after a beat, he shakes his head. “The footage from that last game was intense. You were badass out there, but that collision was brutal.”
“You looked me up?” I ask quietly, not sure I trust my own voice.
A shrug, but there’s a darker tone to his cheekbones than there was a minute ago. “What, I’m not allowed to look someone up?”
He watched me play.
“Of course, you’re allowed, it’s just not many people do.” Why would they when my brother’s worst day is better than my best. When there’s a real star right beside me, unintentionally overshadowing almost every aspect of my life.
Coming to his feet, he swings his bag over his shoulder. “So if you aren’t playing, what are you doing? Coaching?”
“Yep, 12U girls, and when schedules don’t conflict like they did tonight, sometimes I help out with these guys too.”
“That’s awesome, Allie.” The way Vaughn is looking at me has every cell in my body straining toward him on a molecular level, begging me to step closer, to give in to the pull that’s been drawing me toward this man for longer than I’d like to think about.
Clearing my throat, I glance over to the rink door. “Well, I ought to get going. It was nice to see you.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.” Stuffing a hand in his jeans pocket, he nods toward the back wall where there’s an exit to the rear lot. “We could go out that way, so no one sees.”
A shiver skates across my skin at the thought of being alone with him again. “Thanks, but I, umm, don’t have a car. There’s a bus out front that runs right by my house though, so I’m good.”
Before my eyes, his features harden and the muscle in his jaw starts to bounce. “Goodto get a ride from me, then. Great. Let’s go.”
I shouldn’t agree. But the second Vaughn’s hand moves to the small of my back, I’m walking with him, my brain shut down to anything but the heat and tingle radiating out from that light touch.
The rear lot is well lit, but the handful of people at their cars are too busy loading and unloading gear to notice us. Vaughn lets me into the passenger side of his beast of a ride, his hand remaining at my lower back until I’ve stepped up into the seat.
Sliding into the driver’s side, he cuts me a curious look and frowns. “What?”
“I think most people would be surprised by what a gentleman you are when no one’s looking.”
He huffs out a short laugh. “Yeah, that’s me. Helping little old ladies cross the street and minding my language in polite company.”
There’s more to being a gentleman than limiting four-letter words. “I’ve actually seen you helping a little old lady. And she adored you for it.”
In fact, I’ve seen him hold doors, assist with bags and offer his arm enough times that I have to wonder how none of it shows up in the press. All they ever seem to have are shots with Vaughn shooting death glares, bumping shoulders as he passes other players, and that “resting prick face” thing that I’m starting to suspect might be tied directly to knowing people are watching him. Because right now? It’s nowhere to be seen. Right now, Vaughn’s rugged features are relaxed, his jaw isn’t set, and there’s no dark shadow beneath his brows. He’s so painfully handsome, I almost wish I could make myself look away.
But that’s the nice thing about being in his car. No one can see me watching this closely. Except for Vaughn, and when he looks over at me for a moment, giving me one of those almost-smiles before turning his attention back to the road, everything feelsright.
We talk about my coaching, and his away game against Arizona next week. I tell him about my job as a physical therapist and how I work with one of the girls I used to play with. He tells me about Quinn O’Brian’s bet with Rux over the correct name of some iced coffee drink and how O’Brian ended up having to wear women’s lingerie under his pads to a practice the week before. I’m laughing so hard it hurts, because this is what I had that night in Vancouver. This is the man I couldn’t resist, even though it meant breaking every rule I had—at least for a few hours.
And when he pulls into a spot down the block from my place and cuts the engine, and my laughter quiets as he watches me with a look that tells me I’m not the only one thinking of that night, I wonder what would happen if I broke those rules just one more time.
He runs a hand over his mouth. “I need to know. Vancouver. What happened there?”
I’d figured it was only a matter of time before it came up. Had thought about how to answer. But now as he watches me, waiting for an explanation, I’m nervous to confess the truth.
“I used to watch you at my brother’s tournaments. You were the only guy who wasn’t either idolizing him or terrified of him. You were different, and I liked it.” I take a breath, feeling the heat filling my cheeks and wondering if he can see it even in the dark. “But it wasn’t just that. You were big and tough on the ice, but off… I remember watching you shoot pucks with the little kids between games, giving them tips and… I realized you were nice.”
