Page 45 of Securing the Pucking Rebound

“Oh, Jesus. Just stay away from her and sanitize everything.”

“I am. I will not cope with Everett’s overbearing ways if I get sick.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I murmur, thinking of how bearable Calvin has made this whole experience. “You never know, you might enjoy it.”

“Oh, no. Absolutely not. He’s bad enough on a good day.”

“You love it,” I tease.

“Hmm…maybe. If you’re feeling better tomorrow, I’m coming over.”

I hate that for a split second, my first thought is Calvin. If Bea comes round, then he won’t be able to.

It’s for the best, a little voice says.

You’ve had two breakfasts and one dinner together and you’re getting attached already.

This is why you don’t get close to hockey players.

“Yeah, okay,” I agree. “But only if I’m better. I don’t want Rett’s wrath if I make you sick.”

“I can handle Everett,” she states confidently.

“Oh, girl. I know you can.”

14

CALVIN

All fucking day, that cheer chant has been spinning around in my head. It’s stupid, and more than a few of the guys have caught me singing it out loud.

Rett didn’t want to admit it, but I saw a flash of recognition in his eyes when he heard it. There’s no way Parker let him get away with never watching it. The only person who shamelessly joined in with me was Hayden. He even knew a few of the moves, too. That had the guys howling with laughter. I’m pretty sure the worst bit about it was that Hayden’s moves weren’t bad. Maybe if things hadn’t worked out for him on the ice, he could have gone into cheerleading.

But the movie isn’t the only thing that’s stuck with me from last night. The sight of Sienna’s giant pink vibrator sitting proudly beside the sink in her bathroom is burned into the back of my eyeballs.

She knows I saw it. She couldn’t even look at me when she opened her front door this morning. And I get it; it’s probably not what she wanted me to find. But, goddamn, the images I’ve had going on in my head ever since. Those little rosy cheeks from this morning would be blazing if she knew what was in my head.

It was never like that the first time we met. I wanted her, I knew that from the moment I saw her. She was the hottest girl I’d ever laid my eyes on. But we were young, innocent. Neither of us had reached the point where we understood what our newly teenaged bodies were really telling us.

Now, though? Now, I’m more than aware of what I want.

The problem is, she keeps stating that she doesn’t want the same.

Every time I hit on her, she waves me off and pretends she isn’t interested.

I can see more than she thinks I can, though.

I see the way her eyes darken and her cheeks heat.

She’s definitely interested; she’s just holding back.

Right now, I can only predict why that is, but I have every intention of finding out, because I’m not going to be going anywhere any time soon.

I’ve waited years to find her again. It’s killed me not to say anything since she walked back into my life, but this isn’t something I can rush.

If I want her to get to know me again, to see if the horny teenage boy that still lives inside me was right all those years ago, then for once in my life, I need to practice patience. It’s not one of my strong suits, but for Sienna, I’d pretty much do anything.

I drag my hand down my face. There is no other woman I’ve ever met in my life who has made me want to be different, to be better.