Page 18 of The Pucking Arrangement

Oh, I am so completely, utterly screwed.

“Hey, trouble.” Liam’s voice pulls me back to earth as he wraps me in a tight hug. His sharp eyes don’t miss a thing—they never do. “Sparkling water? We’ve got that fancy Italian stuff you like.”

“Perfect.” My voice comes out steadier than I feel, which is a minor miracle considering Dmitri’s presence fills the room like a gravitational field. I can feel his gaze on me as I grab the offered glass, my fingers only slightly shaking.

“Dmitri?” Liam offers another drink, holding up the options. “A non-alcoholic beer?”

“Pellegrino is fine. Thank you.” His accent wraps around the words like pure sin, and my body temperature spikes about ten degrees.

We migrate to the living room, and I pick the far end of the sofa, thinking it would be a safe distance. Except nothing feels safe when Dmitri chooses to sit in the armchair next to me, his dark eyes tracking every movement as I tuck my legs beneath me.

He radiates heat and power, and my brain helpfully supplies a highlight reel of exactly how that control might feel if he decided to put that delicious body on top of mine. Liquid heat pools between my thighs as I feel his dark eyes burning into me. We might as well be alone in the room. Everyone else ceases to exist. All I can think about is his proximity, and how I would like him to be even closer.

But I am mature, and I am definitely not imagining climbing him like a tree.

“So,” Liam starts, then stops. His gaze bounces between us, and something clicks in his expression—recognition, followed by mild concern. “Erin, about the, uh, situation...”

But I’m barely listening. Dmitri leans forward, and the motion pulls his shirt tight across his shoulders—the same shoulders I spent hours editing out of my video last night. The same shoulders I’ll be seeing daily for three weeks.

“…think it would work?” Liam’s voice breaks through the haze.

“What?”

Real smooth, Erin.

Dmitri’s lips twitch, just enough to make my cheeks heat.

“The schedule,” Liam repeats, his captain face firmly in place now. “For watching Ris. Until Galina gets here.”

“Right. The schedule.” I drag my focus back to reality. “I’ve got a few performances lined up—Le Poisson Rouge next weekend and a graduation showcase in May. My Marymount students are on Wednesdays from three to six, and I’ve got some private lessons, but those are flexible.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, hyper-aware of Dmitri’s unwavering attention. “The summer festival wouldn’t start until July anyway. If I get in. Still waiting to hear back from Tanglewood.”

“Tanglewood?” Dmitri’s voice rumbles through me, low and rich. “Very prestigious. You auditioned?”

I nod, not trusting my voice. The way he’s looking at me—intense, thoughtful, like he’s seeing something new—makes my heart race. His jaw tightens, his hands flex on the armrests like he’s holding something back.

“Yeah, well,” I say, aiming for casual. “It’s a long shot. But until then, my schedule’s pretty open.”

Too open. Open enough to spend way too much time noticing the way his hands curl around his water glass, or how his accent gets thicker when he’s thinking, or?—

“Your playing.” His words cut through my spiraling thoughts. “It is very technical. Precise.”

I blink. “You’ve heard me play?”

The corner of his mouth twitches. “YouTube is very...educational.”

Oh God. He’s googled me.

Liam clears his throat loudly, drawing both our gazes. “Maybe we should discuss logistics.”

But logistics are the last thing on my mind because Dmitri just shifted closer, his knee brushing mine, and the air between us feels electric enough to power Manhattan.

“I’ll get Sophie,” Liam mutters, backing toward the door like he’s escaping an incoming disaster. “And maybe some wine. This situation could use alcohol.”

“What situation?” I ask innocently, though my fingers are twisting the hem of my shirt, and Dmitri’s gaze hasn’t left me once.

“This.” Liam waves between us, exasperated. “This wholethinghappening here. You know what? I’m getting Sophieanda drink. Probably several.”

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