Page 62 of Revenge Puck

“Yes.”

“What did he say? What did he want?”

“What do you think?” I mutter. “He wanted to come over.”

“That son of a bitch!” Preston exclaims. “Did he forget he hurt you and walked away? Or that I warned him to leave you alone? If I were still in town, I would whoop his ass.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Could you…will you tell me how you answered him?”

“I told him I didn’t want him to come over and not to text me again, either.”

I can hear the whoosh of Preston’s relieved exhale through the phone line. “Good. I’m glad you told him that.”

“Did you expect me to say yes after that kiss tonight?”

“God, I need to stop kissing you in public. If we’d been alone…the things I would do to you, Elle.”

Now it’s my breath that catches. “We were alone the other day,” I remind him. “In your hotel room.”

“I remember,” he grumbles, his voice lower than moments before.

“And you only kissed me.”

He sighs heavily. “You’re still not over him, Elle.”

“What?”

“Riley. You’re not over him. I hate it, but I’m pretty sure it’s true. So, until you are, I don’t want to be a rebound…puck.”

“A rebound puck?” I repeat, a smile on my face, even though I know he’s right.

“You know, when someone aims for the goal, but it bounces back off the goalie so someone else gets to take the shot while he’s distracted and score?”

“Right. I thought you meant a rebound as in the first person you date after a breakup just to try to bounce back.”

“I guess both of those would work. Or a revenge…puck. Either way, I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be the clear shot you make on purpose.”

“And if I could move appointments around to come to D.C. would there be a chance of a clear shot?”

“I don’t know, Elle. I want to say yes, but I think that has to be left up to you.”

“How good would the seat be in the D.C. arena?” I tease him.

“The seat? Oh, it would be so fucking great.”

“Then I guess I have to come and make another sign. Let me check with my clients and Audrey tomorrow to see if she can cover for me.”

“So, just one seat for you?”

“Yeah, just one seat this time.”

Going alone to a rival team’s city for a man I’ve only been fake dating for a few days but would love to real date sounds a little scary.

Still, I really want to give it a shot.

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