Page 34 of Wild Blades

Jesus Christ, Kali. He’s. Your. Client.

Although, that doesn’t stop the butterflies dancing in my stomach. When I’m around him, they don’t let up. If anything, they only ever gain momentum, making it feel like they are in my heart and throat. I can’t think straight when he’s this close, which is a lot these days.

He’s a welcomed, yet unwelcomed distraction.

Shifting my gaze from Wade to the four of them, I watch their interactions play out as Ellis and Joy, my two confident friends, grab Wade’s friends’ hands.

“What’s your name?” Ellis shouts over the music at Wade’s darker haired friend. “I’m Ellis.”

“Ezra.” Throwing her a killer white smile, he wraps his arms around her waist. “I’m a heart surgeon.”

“Smart prick.” Wade rolls his eyes at Ezra’s response.

“I’m Myles.” Wade’s blond surfer-looking friend—who would be a great Abercrombie & Fitch model—introduces himself to Joy.

“Joy.” She bats her eyelashes at him.

“Well, it’s a joy to meet you, Joy.”

I roll my eyes at the same time Wade does and watch them shaking their asses before they’ve even hit the dance floor, leaving us alone.

Wade plonks himself down next to me.

Except for the thumping music, silence stretches between us like an elastic band as I consider how to get him over to the crowd of fans that’s growing by the second and staring at him over the waist-high wall cordoning off the make shift VIP area to grab his attention. And no matter what the bouncers do, they just seem to keep reappearing.

“Fucking puck bunnies,” he grumbles as I wave to them and smile.

“C’mon,” I encourage him. “Let’s go say hi. It’s great publicity.” I know without a doubt those girls will post photos all over their social platforms as soon as they have it saved on their phones. I know I would if I met him when I was that age.

He doesn’t respond to my enthusiasm, so I try again. “Please, Wade? Don’t make me get down on my hands and knees for you.”

Although that image of me doing that feels oddly appealing… wow… stop it at once.

I clearly need sex. It’s been far too long since I got some, and being around Wade isn’t helping. He might be younger than me, but he smells all man and I’m certain he oozes highly toxic levels of testosterone. It’s poisoning my professional work values and brain.

That’s the only explanation for these stupid thoughts I am having.

Clearing my throat, I run an idea by him. “What if you do this for me and I will do something in return for you?”

“You are so annoying.” Another groan from him. “You don’t have to bribe me.” A heavy sigh leaves his broad chest. “Okay. Let’s do this.” He reluctantly gives in, running his hands down the fabric of his black jeans.

I tap his thigh twice, signaling for him to get up as I grab my phone and stand quickly before he changes his mind. “Remember to ask for their names. Make them feel special.”

Drawing in a long breath, I can tell he doesn’t like this part of being a hockey player.

“And remember to smile.” His brows snap together when I say that. “Oh no, not that face. Happy face on.” I draw an invisible semi-circle in front of my lips, and he growls.

He does that a lot around me and makes me chuckle every time. He’s so pig-headed.

But he’s also kind of sweet. Following our visit to the children’s hospital, he comforted me, holding me when I cried, then made sure I got to the office safely, where he insisted he made me a cup of sweet tea.

He has layers.

And he doesn’t have a black heart like I thought he did.

“Hey, girls.” I wave over to the crowd as I walk to the partition wall. “Holy cow, you all look gorgeous tonight.”

One of them shouts, “Kali?”

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