Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Two could play at that.
"Okay. So tomorrow, after your ball is over, of course," I looked up at her with a smirk on my face. "What are you doing then?"
"I really haven't gotten that far," she whispered sadly, thoughtfully.
"What if we went for a drive?”
Again — what the fuck, Jaxson?
“A drive?”
I nodded, even as my subconscious told me to shake my head and say never mind, I’m an idiot, excuse me while I fuck off and leave you alone like I should have in the first place.
“Where?” she asked.
“Anywhere.”
She folded her arms. “And my brother?”
A warning flared in my gut, but I ignored it. “Do you tell your brother everything?”
What. Is. Wrong. With me?
This was a girl with a broken heart, fresh out of a relationship that clearly hurt her. She was twenty-two — far too young for me.
This was Grace Tanev, my teammate and one of my best friend’s little sister.
Walk away, logic begged me. This is not your place.
But I stood tall, rooted in place against my will, watching her and waiting for her to be the stronger one because apparently, I couldn’t be.
Mischief bloomed to life in her sea green eyes, the first real smile I’d seen since Austin curling on her light pink lips. Then, she popped off the bed.
“Road trip?”
My eyebrows shot up.
I had more of a drive along the beach in mind, or maybe a long winding road in the country. But that didn’t stop me from opening my stupid mouth and replying, “If that’s what you need.”
If that’s what you need, Jax?
This was absolutely insane.
Again, I felt like a prisoner in my own body, like no matter how loudly my common sense raged inside my head, I couldn’t obey it even if I wanted to.
Because clearly, I didn’t want to.
Just being back in this girl’s presence had scrambled my fucking brain.
Her eyes narrowed a bit, like she didn’t quite believe I was serious.
That made two of us.
“What about practice?”
“Off-season,” I explained. And at that point, whatever was left of my common sense turned its back on me.
Grace’s eyes sparkled like diamonds.
“Anywhere?” she asked, echoing my earlier sentiment.
“Anywhere.”
Her smile climbed even more, and she crossed the room in two strides, holding out her hand for mine.
“We ride at dusk,” she said, referencing her shirt.
I ignored the sirens in my mind when I took her hand, and she shook it like we’d just done a multi-million-dollar business deal. Then, she backed away in a moonwalk, making finger guns and a pew pew sound that made me snort out a laugh through my nose.
I was pretty sure I’d just taken a wrong turn and steered myself right toward Disasterville.
But I couldn’t find it in me to change course.
Don’t You Fuckers Even Think About It
Two Weeks Earlier
Grace
I was used to cheering for my brother from the sidelines.
I’d been doing it my entire life.
From the time I was a baby strapped to my mom’s chest and watching him learn how to hold a stick, my eyes had been cast up to my older brother. I’d watched him learn to play hockey as an awkward kid, watched him get a little better as a hormonal teenager, and watched him absolutely dominate as he transitioned from a boy to a man.
I looked up to him.
Perhaps because I never had a choice in the matter.
So, when I got to be there to see him accept the Calder Memorial Trophy at the NHL awards, essentially declaring him the rookie of the year — I wasn’t the least bit surprised. I stood and clapped and screamed so loud the tables of athletes and their families around us stared at me like I was a wild child. I think even my parents — who were also screaming — were a little embarrassed by me.
Of course, I was used to that, too.
But regardless of living in Vince’s shadow, I was still bursting with pride for him. That was my brother. He was a leader, a damn good hockey player, and an even better man.
I was honored to be his little sister.
The award ceremony was in Austin, Texas, this year, and I’d flown down from Michigan alongside my parents without a second thought. There was no way they’d miss anything when it came to Vince.
It was already unbearably hot in the city, something most of the attendees were complaining about. Me, on the other hand? I loved the heat. I’d take a simmering day in the city over a winter day in Michigan anytime.
Mom and Dad bowed out once the award ceremony wrapped up, knowing the debauchery that would take place soon after wasn’t something they wanted to take part in. They doted on Vince for a half hour before finally hugging him goodnight, and then me by proxy.
I breathed easier once they were gone.
“Are you ready for this?” Maven asked me, threading her arm through mine as we followed the rest of the Tampa Bay Ospreys team toward the party bus waiting to take us out on the town. Maven was my brother’s new girlfriend — which had shocked us all, considering he’d never been the relationship type. Maven was a catch, though — smart as hell, quick-witted, and absolutely gorgeous. She was watching me with her warm honey eyes now, her smile wide and bright.