Page 60 of Securing the Pucking Rebound

And it only gets worse when he leans forward to snag the tray of wedges. The muscles in his back and arm pull and twist in the most delicious way, and his movement makes his boxer briefs ride up, exposing his muscular thigh and⁠—

“You’ve got a tattoo,” I blurt.

My eyes are glued to the piece of art. It’s a sunset over rolling fields. And in the sky, stars. But not just any stars—a constellation. The only one I know.

“That’s Scorpius,” I blurt out a beat before he tugs the fabric down his thigh, covering it up.

“Yeah,” he rasps, turning to look at me.

Our eyes connect, and my breathing fractures.

Memories come flooding back to me of lazy, humid summer evenings lying in fields, staring up at the sky.

That summer. It was the best of my life. It was before I started middle school, a time I’d rather forget. But that summer…It’s always lived rent-free in my head. I can’t remember a time since then that I’ve been so relaxed.

“Are you okay?” Calvin asks softly.

When I come back to myself, I find his eyes bouncing between mine as if he’s trying to see what has me so lost.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.”

My breath catches as he reaches out, the pad of his thumb dragging across my bottom lip.

“Sauce,” he says simply before pulling the digit back and licking it clean. All the while, his gaze never moves from my lips.

My already racing heart begins to beat even faster, my hands trembling in my lap.

He can’t want to kiss me.

He’s…he’s Calvin Keller, and I’m…I’m no one.

He leans forward, his warmth spreading farther across my body. My hands clench into tight fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Don’t let him do this, Sienna.

He’s only in it for the high of the ride.

You have no interest in being a throwaway puck bunny he won’t think of again.

One second, I’m waiting for the inevitable collision of our lips, and the next, I’m on my feet, blurting, “Right, I should carry on. Thanks for bringing pizza. That was really thoughtful of you. You can let yourself out, right?” And then I’m gone, bursting through the door, leaving him sitting there, stunned.

“Fucking hell,” I whimper the second I’m in our nail tech room, hiding in the corner.

He was going to kiss me.

Calvin Keller was going to kiss me. And my head was such a mess with memories of when things were easier that I almost let him.

Get it together, Sienna.

Focus on what you want, not the easy option that’s standing right in front of you.

“Sienna?”

I shriek at the sound of his voice. But the second I look in his direction and find his concerned eyes, I relax.

18

SIENNA