Page 125 of Rush the Edge

“Kane!” her voice wavers with worry. “River is here.”

Is that supposed to keep me from touching her?

“And?”

She huffs, putting space between us. “He’s going to know.”

I tilt my head. “Be honest. Do you really think he’ll disapprove?”

I ask the question with full curiosity. It’s not really something I’ve considered until recently. The more we cross the line, the more the unease slips from my mind. Back when we were teens, River would have been repelled by the idea. If any guy showed interest in Daisy, he shooed them away or made up some excuse as to why they couldn’t hang out with us. But now we’re adults, and if anyone is protective over her, it’s me.

“I…” Daisy’s gaze darts around. “I think he’ll be concerned.”

My shoulders tense. What she means is that he wouldn’t approve of a guy like me with a girl like her. My reputation precedes me, and I have to admit, it isn't a good look, especially since he thinks I can’t handle my own finances as a grown man.

“I see the look on your face, and that’s not what I mean…” Daisy slowly skates away from me.

I ignore the fact that she just read my mind. “Then what do you mean?”

A flash of panic crosses her features, and she skates away. I want to follow her across the ice, snatch her around the waist, go back to our little hiding spot, and work whatever it is she’s thinking out of her mouth, but the buzzer goes off, and the lights turn down.

I catch up to her, and we both climb off the ice.

“Not going to tell me?” I whisper in her ear from behind.

She pauses but remains quiet.

Knowing I have to take the ice in a moment for the national anthem, I desperately attempt to make a deal with her. “If we win, you have to tell me…”—I pause—“while naked.”

I mean, let’s get real. I’ll work it out of her one way or another, but at least this way, I have more than just the playoffs to fight for.

Daisy turns, and my heart stalls from the flirty smile on her face. “Too easy. You have to get a goal too.”

I smile like a maniac with the challenge. “Done.”

She rolls her eyes, and I hear my name being called.

I quickly poke her side, causing her body to jerk to the side. I take advantage of the move and let my lips graze her ear.

“Thanks for the smoothie.” My chest grows tight from the thoughtfulness of her action. “Yours was better than my mom’s.”

I skate onto the ice with my usual, straight-laced face, but on the inside, I’m buzzing.

A goal, a win, and then Daisy underneath me?

I’ve never been more ready for a game.

Forty-Three

DAISY

He’s such a show-off.

I stand beside my brother with pursed lips and crossed arms as Kane scores a goal. My brother brought some of the residents from the hospital, most of whom have bags under their eyes from lack of sleep. He asked that I come hang out with them for the remainder of the period, and without having much reason not to, I agreed.

Once I slid my way into one of the empty seats, I realized pretty quickly that the only reason he wanted me to make an appearance was because none of his co-workers believed that his sister was the mascot.

“So, like, was that your dream job or…”

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