Page 264 of Securing the Pucking Rebound
I want to agree with her, but considering I’ve never been pregnant and the closest thing I’ve probably experienced is period pains, I keep my mouth closed.
“So, what happened to New York, then?” Bea asks, focusing on Garrett.
He grimaces for a second but forces a smile onto his face. “I decided a night with hot hockey players would do New Year’s Eve better than a boring bunch of statisticians.”
“Amen,” Rett mutters, lifting his glass of soda into the middle of our little huddle.
“Dude, you can’t raise a glass of soda to that.” Calvin laughs.
“Sure, I can. I’m still fun sober.”
Our banter continues, and gradually, the others start to make their way over—including Sutton, who looks like she might have grazed the dessert table one too many times. Not only is there a smear of what I really hope is chocolate on her cheeks, but she’s wired. She runs around us, someone else’s kid hot on her tail before they go screaming off.
“Wow, that’s—”
“Don’t,” Kodie warns, making me chuckle.
“She’s just excited. She wants to see Parker dump a drink over Linc’s head again,” Casey says, making everyone laugh.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Last year, Linc decided it would be a good idea to kiss Parker at midnight. She retaliated with her drink.”
“Fair play,” I muse.
“He didn’t even ask.” Parker balks as if she’s stiffly offended by the move, despite the fact they’re now married. Beside her, her husband smirks. “He just assumed it would be okay.”
“Dude, that’s not cool,” Garrett says. “Consent, always.”
Linc rolls his eyes. “She married me; it can’t have been that bad.”
“No, it was fucking brilliant,” Handsy states with a laugh. “You should have seen his face. Classic.”
Parker grins proudly.
“Any chance of a repeat?” I ask.
“We’ve got a while until midnight. I’m sure he’ll piss me off a few times before then.”
Parker shrieks as Linc pulls her into his arms. The second they start kissing, Rett rolls his eyes and turns his back on them.
“I need someone to kiss at midnight,” Garrett sulks.
“Maybe a hockey party doesn’t have it all, huh?” Bea asks.
Garrett glances around the room as if he’s looking for someone. Darcy, I assume. But he comes up empty.
“Tonight might be the night you finally prove your theory,” Calvin says, making Garrett light up a little.
“This is true. Excuse me, everyone. I’m going to hunt for a midnight kiss.”
I watch him go with a smile. Something might be going on in New York, but I’m glad to have my brother here tonight. A few days at my parents’ wasn’t enough.
A pair of hands slip around my waist before a hot and hard body presses against my back. I shudder when his breath tickles over my ear and down my throat. “Dance with me,” he rasps.
He takes my hand, and, leaving our friends behind, he leads me to the dance floor.
I sigh the second he pins our hips together, his arm banded around my back as we begin to move to the music. The song that’s on is way faster than the imaginary beat we’re dancing to, but neither of us seems to care.
