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“She seems pretty amazing,” Huck says. My gaze finds his, and I glare at him. He lifts his hands. “I know. Hands off.” He chuckles. “I’m no threat, trust me. I have my own stuff. But it’s true. You know it is. She’s smart, funny, it seems. She planned this entire party for our team. And Barnett said she made the cookies herself?” I nod. He whistles under his breath. “I take it back then. Maybe I should propose.”
Whatever he sees on my face makes him bark out a laugh. I can only glare at him. He’s right—she is amazing. Sharp-witted and funny, a natural caretaker. Not just for Tabby, but for everyone. She’s been taking her foster mother to dialysis all week. When I asked, she said Lily argued with her about it, and said she could take public transportation. But June wouldn’t hear it, and my guess is that Lily didn’t mean it, anyway. I would always choose time with June versus time alone, too.
But it’s not only things like that. She is constantly doing small things for everyone, just random acts of kindness. I found a book on my desk with a Post-it, saying she thought I would like it. She made me overnight oats, throwing in strawberries and raspberries because she noticed I enjoyed them.
It’s nearly impossible not to fall in love with her.
I jolt, wondering where the hell that thought came from. I shake my head. Falling in love is not what I need right now. I need to focus on hockey, on leading this team.
Huck leans back in his chair, studying me. “You know, if you don’t make a move soon, someone else will. She’s hot as hell.”
I glare at him. “That’s not the point.”
He shrugs. “Whatever you say, man. But you’ve got to see that everyone else notices, too.”
I do see that. My teammates obviously notice anyway. Every time I look at her, one of them is chatting her up. But I can’t just make a move. All the professional reasons aside, what if she doesn’t feel the same way? Then everything will be awkward. No, June is off limits. She’s Tabby’s nanny and under my care.
But as I watch her laugh with Travis and Colt, I can’t help thinking I’m not in control of my feelings anymore.
Every hour I spend around June, my resolve to steer clear of her crumbles a little more. It’s only a matter of time before I’m left with only one option. And that terrifies the hell out of me.
June
Thebarbecuegoesoffwithout a hitch. Well, mostly anyway. There’s plenty of food, and everyone raves over my desserts. There aren’t that many kids who come, but the handful that are there spend the afternoon in the pool or covered in melting ice cream. The karaoke machine is an enormous hit. After Violet and I get it started, it feels like everyone sings something. Tabby even convinces Duke to sing with her. He harmonizes along with her to a song by Taylor Swift, Tabby’s favorite.
Everybody heads out by dusk, some of them joking with Duke about how they’re exhausted because their captain is a dick and forces early morning runs. He doesn’t react much to the teasing, but I can tell he’s pleased. Violet and Hunter hang around at the end because Violet insists on helping me clean up, claiming it reminds her of how they cleaned up after sorority parties in college. Then she throws her arms around me in a hug and insists we get together for lunch or something soon. I quickly agree.
Duke takes Tabby up for her bath while I store the leftovers and start in on the dishes. They come down so Tabby can hug me good night before he takes her back up to tuck her in. When he rejoins me, he falls into the cleanup in companionable silence.
I’ve already done the hard stuff. By the time he finishes loading the dishwasher, there are only a couple of pots and serving platters left. He steps up to the sink, so I grab a hand towel and wait to dry.
“Thank you so much,” he offers, his hands buried in soapy water. “Between the planning, the decorating, the desserts… You did a great job.”
Pleasure sings through me as I take the first pot from him. “You’re welcome. It looked like everyone had a good time. What do you think?” I spent a lot of time running around, but it seemed like everyone was getting along. “It was a lot of fun getting to plan with Tabby. I think she had fun, too, in the pool. So that’s good too.”
“Everyone had fun. I’m sure of that. I saw some of the older guys chatting with the younger ones. We have a split locker room, veterans and newbies. Today, they were mingling.” He hands me a platter. “I couldn’t figure out how to bridge that gap. But you did. Thank you.”
I dry the serving platter and set it on the island, emotion welling in my chest. The intensity of his words makes me uncomfortable, so I try to smooth over the awkwardness. “Of course. You’re welcome. We’re friends, after all.” As I turn to face him, I notice how close we’re standing. I can feel his breath on my cheek and his eyes lock on to mine. “Friends.”
The last word comes out as a whisper, and I search his face. He sets the hand towel he just used to dry his hand on the island behind me, closing the distance between us. I can hardly breathe.
He looks down at me, his gaze conflicted. Electricity runs through me, heating me. His eyes flicker to my lips for a moment before he speaks. “We are,” he agrees, his voice low and husky. “Friends.”
We stare at each other. The only thing between us is the sound of our breathing, fast, erratic. My heart races in my chest. My skin feels too sensitive, and maybe that’s why the piece of hair that’s come out of my braid tickles my cheek so much. With a quick swipe, I brush it back from my face, dropping my hand to my side again.
He follows the movement, and we both watch as he takes my hand. The feel of his warm fingers on my skin is intoxicating. His grip is firm but not painfully so, and he rubs his thumb across my knuckles, sending a shiver through me.
“But June?” he whispers.
I swallow hard, my eyes locked with his. “Yeah?” I reply, my voice barely audible. His touch is doing things to me I can’t quite explain. I feel vulnerable, yet I want to lean closer.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. Not like friends.” His voice is raw, his eyes searching mine as if looking for some sort of answer. He closes the distance between us, his free hand moving to my waist, pulling me gently toward him. Our bodies are so close that I can feel the warmth of him. “I want to kiss you, June,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky.
My heartbeat picks up. I know it’s wrong to feel this way, especially since this is Duke, but I can’t help it. I want to kiss him too.
My body presses against him. I can feel his breath on my lips, his hand still holding mine as his other hand grips my waist. It’s like the air is thick with desire, and I can’t resist any longer.
I don’t know if he leans toward me, or if I lean toward him. It’s both, it seems, because our mouths meet in the center. The kiss begins as a gentle exploration, yet quickly becomes heated. His hands move from my waist to my back, pulling me closer as his tongue finds mine. I melt against him and grip his shirt, feeling the powerful muscles of his chest beneath my fingers. He deepens the kiss, and I feel something inside me awaken. His hands move up, cradling my face as his fingers tangle in my hair. His touch is gentle yet demanding, and I can’t help but respond to him with a moan of pleasure.
