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The teenage pictures told Jules a story of a young man with the world at his feet. He was always surrounded by friends and family, including Angelo and Sergei. Even back then, the photos depicted tension between the two cousins.
Angelo’s words to Nik about her had humiliated her and made her angry. He knew nothing about her, and yet he assumed he could find some way to lure her away from Nik? As if. Angelo’s controlling behaviour reminded her a little bit too much of her ex-husband. His being married made his actions worse. Jules sympathized with Nik for what Vanessa had put him through but could empathize with how much she was suffering married to Angelo. Vanessa had made some bad choices, and she was paying for them.
Jules didn’t know if Nik was conscious of how frequently he casually touched her: his arm draped over her shoulders when they took their seats, his hand in the small of her back to guide her through the crowds around the concession stands. He’d even brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Every touch lit her up like lightning sparking along her skin, but he gave no evidence that it affected him at all. Meanwhile, she was on fire.
Jules cheered when the Vancouver captain slapped the puck into the net, putting the team in the lead just as the period was ending. The rest of the arena was booing, including Nik. He was grinning, though, staring at Sergei even as he booed the goal. Sergei subtly gave Nik the finger before redirecting his attention to the players coming in off the ice.
“Sergei is wishing anyone but you won the tickets right now,” Jules said with a laugh. “Or maybe not. Wearewinning the game. Maybe you brought them luck?”
Nik gave her a mock glare. “Never say it. I’ll bleed Toronto blue until the day I die.”
“Not my fault you have a terrible team. When was the last time you won a championship?” Jules grinned up at Nik. When she met his eyes, it wasn’t humour reflecting from them. The heat in his gaze took her breath away, making her wish for things they couldn’t have. “I—”
“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” The crowd was chanting loudly, breaking the spell Nik had on her.
One of the Toronto fans sitting behind them leaned forward. “Give her a kiss, buddy. You’re on the kiss cam.”
The what? Jules looked around to find everyone close to them staring at her and Nik. Her heart raced when she noticed that they were plastered all over the jumbotron, with a red heart around them and electronic lip graphics floating over their image. The thought of kissing Nik was anything but a hardship, but being the centre of attention made her queasy. The crowd continued chanting, demanding they kiss.
Nik gave her an apologetic shrug. “This happens at every game, but I’ve never been the target before. If I kiss your cheek, they’ll be disappointed, but they’ll target another couple.” He leaned towards her face, lips pursed.
Jules felt her anxiety rising, but swallowed it down. These kisses were often featured on sports highlight reels, and if broadcasters found out who Nik was, it was more than likely they would be. One of the reasons for this trip was to make people think they were old friends, to throw them off the scent of WYCK buying Coastal. If she handled this right, this could be an opportunity. Besides, if Angelo saw it, she wanted him to believe the lie they’d spun this afternoon too. If he didn’t, that would be one more thing he could taunt Nik with.Let’s give them something to watch.
She turned her face towards Nik so that his descending mouth pressed softly against her lips rather than her cheek. His lips were lush and full, and desire built as he increased the pressure of the kiss. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking the hair curling at the edge of his jersey. When he moved to lift his head, she gripped him tighter and opened her mouth slightly. Her tongue ran along the edge of his lower lip, teasing for entry to his mouth. With a low groan, he let her in.
Nik’s hands came up to cup her face, his long fingers brushing back her hair. His tongue tangled with hers, and a delicious tingling sensation filled her belly. Jules was straining to get closer to Nik when an air horn went off.
Nik broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers as the crowd in the arena went wild. Jules’s chest rose and fell as she sucked in ragged breaths. What had she been thinking? Half the country could see that kiss if it made the highlight reels, and odds were good that it would. Hopefully it would throw investment analysts off the scent. At least it might make Angelo and Michael think twice about hassling them again. Having her own equilibrium turned upside down had not been part of the plan.
* * *
Nik stayed still,trying to shelter Jules from the camera. He didn’t know why she had turned a friendly kiss into spontaneous combustion, but he didn’t think she realized what damage it might do to her reputation. Even though they both wanted to distract analysts from the idea that WYCK might buy Coastal, if the sale went through, he didn’t want people to think Jules had slept with him to keep her job.
When he raised his head to look at her, Jules was grinning. “I figured a real kiss would get under Angelo’s skin if we make the highlight reels.”
Her words shook him. Was it an act? Had the kiss affected him more than it had her? He didn’t want to think so. It had been a seismic shift for him, taking them from former lovers and current co-parents to the possibility of so much more. Kissing her was exhilarating, full of temptation and promise. He wanted her, but it had to be her idea.
Jules blew him another kiss, then turned to wave at the camera. The crowd around them was laughing and cheering, and Nik gave an exaggerated bow. Jules took his hand and motioned for him to follow her. Eager to get away from the crowd, Nik went along with her. Did the kiss mean anything? Would it change anything between them? He was afraid to read too much into it. He wanted more, but he couldn’t rush Jules.
She led him out of the stands back to the concession area, leaning up against a wall in a secluded corner, laughing and taking deep breaths. Her eyes sparkled, and her laughter was infectious. He should stop overthinking this and relax. Jules didn’t appear to be worried about the kiss. Impulsively, he leaned down and kissed her again, brushing his lips over hers, nibbling at her lower lip. Her hands moved to grip his hips, pulling him closer until there was no space between them. Her mouth opened in invitation, and Nik slipped his tongue between her lips, tasting her. Jules was all soft curves against him, and his body responded, every inch of him hard and aching. God, he wanted this woman.
With a muffled groan, Jules broke off the kiss and looked up at him. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks deep pink, her eyes luminous, even in the harsh fluorescent lights of the arena.
“We need to get back to the game, but we should continue this later at the hotel.”
His brain clouded with desire, it took a minute for what she’d said to penetrate. Did she mean what he hoped? Was she ready to give their relationship a chance, move past being platonic co-parents? Or was he reading his own desires into her words?
When one of her hands moved from his hip to caress his erection through his jeans, all doubts fled. She wanted him. “We could leave now.”
Jules grinned at him. “And miss seeing my team beat yours on your home turf? No way. But I’ll make it worth the wait.” Every word was heavy with promise. Nik intended to hold her to it.
The rest of the game was a blur, filled with friendly ribbing about the game mixed with teasing, flirty touches. The ride back to the hotel felt like forever. Nik desperately wished he had called for a car instead of travelling back with the team, but he hadn’t wanted to draw attention to his desire to get Jules all to himself. As it was, he was amazed none of the players had picked up on the sizzling sexual tension between him and Jules. Sergei had given him a sideways look, but his silent message had been one of approval.
Not that Nik needed anyone’s permission. He didn’t want to embarrass Jules. They were adults, but the perception of a power imbalance between the two of them could hurt her. He would talk to Charles to find a way to solve the problem. Next week. It could wait.
When some of the players invited them to join them in the lounge for drinks, Nik wanted to groan. Was everyone conspiring against them?
“Not tonight, guys,” Jules protested with a laugh. “You kept me out way past my bedtime last night. Between the time change and the excitement of the game, I’m exhausted.”
