Page 26 of The Kiss Connection

My best friend doesn’t know how to keep her mouth quiet. “If you’re not going to tell him, I will.”

“Tell me what?” Myles asks, turning his full body to face me. That familiar wafting scent from moments earlier hits me, and my body wants to react in a way I’ve never felt. I can’t even explain.

I blame the pheromones. Maybe he releases extra after playing hockey or a hot shower?

Fuck, he smells good.

And I’m a crazy person for noticing the scent on a guy I despise. I press my lips together, shift on the stool, and my thighs clench.

I stare up at him, my gaze sharp and narrow.

Why can’t he just walk away?

Rowan nudges me. “Tell him.” But her nudge is a bit more forceful, and she shoves me forward, knocking the stool off balance, and I stumble headfirst into his chest, my entire body clumsily falling into him.

His arms instantly wrap around my waist, keeping me from face planting and hitting the floor. All it takes is him to move a few inches to the side, and I’d have ended up with a goose egg on my head and a bloody nose.

But he takes the impact with ease. His muscles are taut and he grunts for a fraction of a second as he catches me. “Careful,” he warns.

I’m trying not to moan because I hate Rowan right now almost as much as I hate Myles, which says a lot.

“That was smooth.” Rowan chuckles under her breath.

Humiliation floods my cheeks, but I ignore it. “Brat,” I grumble back at her as I sit my ass back down on the bar stool and Myles releases his hold around my waist.

“As much as I’d love to stay for your girl fight,” Myles says and winks at me.

The nerve that he has, to wink at me, like we’re old friends, or that I’ve given him permission to flirt with me!

“I should head back to my teammates, unless you want to fall into me a third time?” That smile sends my heart racing, and I silently shake my head no.

It’s not bad enough I tripped in my heels and right into his arms, I’ve now officially stumbled off a barstool into him.

What is the universe doing to me? Is this some big cosmic joke?

“Was there something you wanted to tell me?” Myles glances from me to my friend.

“The message—” I fling my arm out and cover Rowan’s mouth with my hand, glaring back at her to shut up.

Nine

Myles

My chest aches with a bruise from a nasty hit that I took in Toronto. We got our asses kicked; it wasn’t pretty, with a final score of 4-1.

I’m glad to be back, and I can finally say that the apartment feels like my own place.

Home.

Lying on the couch, stretched out with the latest sci-fi book from my favorite author, I’m finally able to relax. Even the joints in my ribcage are calming down, my body melting into the sofa when I hear a strange sound outside the door.

It’s probably the neighbors coming back. It’s a Friday night and I haven’t met any of the other residents. Which is perfectly fine; it’s not like I need all of them to know there’s a hockey player living on their floor.

Hell, with my luck, I’ll be asked for free tickets.

It wouldn’t be the first time it’s come up. I’m in my first year and already some guys who I went to college with reached out begging for free seats.

Actual friends, sure, I’d be happy to hook them up.