Page 23 of Three Pucks and a Baby

Theo took his beer back. “Right.”

“Fine. For now, I will.” I then grabbed my banjo from Grayson. “I wish I could stay and chat, but my adorin’ fans are waitin’ on me.”

As she extended her hand to me, Vivian said, “It was nice meeting you, Bennett.”

“It sure was nice meetin’ you too, pretty woman,” I drawled before kissing her hand.

Vivian rewarded me with a breathtaking smile–one that dinged me right in the chest. Just as I turned to go, Vivian stopped me dead. “I hope to see you again.”

Don’t do it, B. Don’t be a fucking glutton for punishment with her the same way you are with Theo.Just pretend you didn’t hear her and walk away.

Despite my better judgment, I turned back to Vivian. And with Theo’s possessive stare boring into me, I replied, “So do I.”

And then I finally walked away.

CHAPTER SIX: GRAYSON

For the second time tonight, Vivian’s luscious curves pressed against me as we swayed to the music. Unlike earlier with the canned music, this time it was Bennett’s baritone voice filling the air. Although he always had a voice as smooth as whiskey, it always sounded better when I had a beautiful girl in my arms under the twinkling lights.

In tonight’s case, it was a beautiful woman.

In just a few short hours, Vivian had managed to keep me on my toes and knock me on my ass. When she had stormed out of here earlier, I thought Theo and I were thoroughly fucked. But deep down I knew it was about more than just our hockey superstition.

I really liked Vivian.

And not just in wanting me and Theo to tag team her in multiple positions.

I liked her in a romantic way.

Even though it sounded like a fucking cliche, I hadn’t met another woman or girl like her before. She was the quirkiest person I’d ever met. I mean, she told me about the process behind knitting sweaters for her cats. Do you know how fuckingrare it is to get that level of honesty in a relationship, least of all on a first date? There were skeletons in my closet that no woman had ever gotten a peek at or ever would.

But I had the feeling that if things continued with Vivian, she’d blow the doors right off that closet. And that fact scared the hell out of me.

At the same time, my heart had stopped and restarted when she’d showed back up to our booth. Right then and there, I knew I wouldn’t do anything to risk fucking things up with her. I was going to be on my A-game when it came to Vivian.

As her fingers absently played with the ends of my hair, a shudder rippled through me. I don’t know what it was, but a woman’s fingers in my hair got me up and running. I loved nothing better than to have their nails scour my scalp or tug the strands when I was going down on them. But there was also something to be said for softer moments like this.

As she glanced over my shoulder at our booth, Vivian asked, “Doesn’t Theo dance?”

“Nah, he’s too serious.”

A laugh tumbled from her rosy red lips. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not. For all the times we’ve been coming to hear B sing, Theo’s never danced with a girl.”

“What happens when a woman asks him?”

For a moment, I hesitated. I had the feeling–no, Iknew–Vivian wasn’t going to like hearing what I was about to say. And in turn, it would make her angry with Theo.

“Spit it out, Grayson.”

“Fine. He tells them they can dance on his cock instead.”

As her eyes widened, she sputtered in outrage. “That’s such a sexist, egotistical, jackass thing to say.”

I snorted. “Please tell him that.”

“I will,” she huffed before staring daggers at Theo.

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