Page 47 of Breaking the Ice

In beautiful synchrony, we drop our whiskey shots into our beer and then chug. Drew slams his glass down first, and I’ll give him that victory. The whiskey burns, the hops bubble on my tongue, and I can’t wipe the smile off my face, although I do swipe the back of my hand across my mouth to mop up stray moisture. Jonas grins, too, and the shared camaraderie in this moment transcends teams.

Since the college hockey world is not that big, we’ve played Drew before and we’ll play him again. We’re rivals on the ice, but he’s not a jerk. We can share a drink and hang out. Because the way he plays—he clearly understands the game and loves it as much as we do. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes pro next year. I got nothing but respect for the man.

“Have a seat,” he says, gesturing at the empty space in his booth.

“We’re just waiting on our girls.” Jonas cocks his head in the direction of the restrooms. “But thanks, we’d love to chill here.”

We slide in and start gossiping about guys we know. I’m laughing at something Drew said, pleasantly warm from the Boilermaker in my veins, when a sultry brunette saunters up to him and taps him on the shoulder.

“Hey, baby. You gonna keep me waiting all night?” she purrs, letting her waves of hair brush over his arm. She has a cute button nose, pointed chin, and eye lashes so long they have to be fake.

“Oh, sorry, Payton. I was just chilling with some of the Harrison guys. This is Jonas and Evan.” He points to us in turn.

“Nice to meet you,” I say, sliding out of the booth.

Jonas follows suit. “We actually have friends who were just using the restroom. We should go check on them.”

“We’re fine,” Hadley says, popping around the corner, her arm linked through Isabella’s. “I just had to sneak a peek at real Vegas slots. Sorry!”

“Hey, ladies!” Drew spreads his arms, encompassing the booth. “You should join us for a drink.”

Before I can blink, Payton plops down on Drew’s lap and introduces herself to Hadley and Isabella. Drew orders a second round of Boilermakers for the table, and it’s not long before everyone drops their whiskey shot into their pint glass and chugs. I mean, we can’t refuse drinks, can we?

At a lull in the conversation, Drew leans over to Hadley. “So, did you get to try the slots?”

“Oh, no, I was just looking. It’s on my bucket list, but maybe later.”

Payton gasps. “I have a great idea! Everybody should get to do one thing on their Vegas bucket list tonight!”

Hadley’s blue eyes light up, and Isabella looks intrigued. Drew smiles wide. “I’m down. Sounds fun.”

“I like it.” Jonas stands and holds out his hand to Hadley. “Are you picking the slot machines?”

“Absolutely!” She bounces in place, and it’s hard to say no to her enthusiasm.

He gives me a shrug as she hops up and leads the way. “It’s our last night. We’ll make sure things don’t get out of control.”

Control. Hadley tugs Jonas in her wake, and I should get a grip on myself and exercise some control. But I can’t tear my gaze off Isabella.

I offer her my arm like a gentleman, and she tucks her palm in the crook of my elbow. Elbows are not sexy, but shivers race down my spine at the contact. I raise my brows at her and try to play it cool. “This could get interesting. What’s on your bucket list?”

“I don’t know. Vegas has never been on my list of places to visit. I’ll have to think about it.” She smirks up at me.

The filter between my brain and mouth—faulty at the best of times—gives up working entirely. “It’s more fun with you here.”

“Oh yeah? Maybe I’m lucky. Let’s go try out the slots and see.”

I think it’s more than luck, but I don’t tell her that.

The slots are fun, but no one wins big. Payton’s bucket list item is tequila shots followed by a lime chaser—which feels like something she could do anywhere and isn’t unique to Vegas, but I manage to only whisper that in Isabella’s ear and not say it aloud to everyone. Progress.

“Okay, what’s next?” Drew asks as the burn from the shots begins to fade.

“Mine is kinda silly.” Jonas blushes in the low light as he holds up his phone. “Did you know they have a botanical garden inside the Bellagio? Can we go check it out?”

“Of course, man.” Drew claps him on the shoulder. “It’s just across the street.”

After pausing to watch the fountain show again—it seriously doesn’t get old—we walk around the pond and into the casino. Like in Planet Hollywood, anyone can enter the lobby. The botanical gardens are straight ahead.