Page 8 of Mr. Swoony

Dipshit, open the door and get the fuck outta Dodge.

“Good thing I excel at what I do.”

She nods. “And there’s that cocky hockey guy.”

“Excuse me?”

“Jade used to drag me to Henry’s games, and afterward, we’d wait for him. So many of his teammates wouldn’t even bother with a good pickup line. They’d just assume I’d be into them because they play hockey. Your egos are huge.”

I widen my stance and cross my arms. I don’t miss the way her gaze lands on my biceps for a second before popping back up to my eyes. “Because we play the toughest sport.”

“Bodies are flying all over the place in football.”

“Are you kidding me? We have to skate while hitting a small puck with a stick while checking players into the boards.”

“Not you though. You stand in front of a net.” She smiles.

I raise my eyebrows at her. “You calling me out?”

Her smile fades. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She holds her hands in the air. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I shrug.

Her gaze goes to the door again. “Well, good luck stopping all those goals this season. I’m sure you’re a great blocker.”

“The best,” I say, grabbing the cool metal doorknob. “Good luck with the marriage thing. I’m sure you’re a great…” I stop, and we both laugh, our minds going somewhere dirty. “Wife. I’m sure you’ll be a great wife.”

“Thank you.”

I twist the doorknob and open the door. Three girls are waiting, all poised with phones, ready to capture another photo. I slam the door shut.

“Seriously?” she says, pushing me out of the way to look out the peephole.

“Ugh, mine is all blurry,” one says.

“Damn it, mine was on panoramic,” another one comments.

“We’re going to camp out here until he comes out,” the third one says.

Eloise falls down onto her heels. “They’re sitting along the wall waiting for you.”

“Who do you think she is?” one asks the other.

Eloise cringes and rises to her tiptoes to get another look at them. I’m not sure they understand how loud they’re talking.

“You sure you don’t want my chocolate? Because you’re staying until they’re gone.” She points at the door.

“In that case, let’s raid the mini bar.” I step toward the small snack area, knowing this is a very bad idea, but I can’t find the willpower to stop myself.

Sure, I could call security and ask them to remove the girls, but I’m enjoying myself more than I have since I got traded to Chicago last year, so I’m going to stick around. Not because I’m trying to get Eloise in bed, but because I enjoy her company. No harm, no foul.

Four

Eloise

I cannot believe I’m holed up in a hotel suite with a professional hockey player. If Tristan catches word of this, he’ll go ballistic.

Conor walks over to the mini bar and takes out a candy bar. He wasn’t joking about his sweet tooth. The way he ate that chocolate earlier, the little moan that slipped out right after he swallowed, damn, I definitely wasn’t thinking about my fiancé.

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