Page 81 of Grumpy Darling

Chapter 20

Grayson

All day, I was sweetly tortured by the memory of Paige sleeping in my arms. The sensation of holding her was branded on my skin. She had slept peacefully once the storm subsided, but all I’d been able to see when I closed my eyes was the soft smile that graced her lips as she rested against my chest.

I was almost relieved when, at breakfast, Paige had said she was going to drive herself to school, because I was losing the grip on my self-restraint. I was getting confused by what was just for practice and what was real between us. Still, I didn’t dare to hope that my efforts with her might be starting to work.

We hadn’t made any coaching plans for today, and now that we’d finished the makeover, I didn’t really know what came next. Perhaps it was best if we took a breather. I was nearing breaking point. And the more I continued to hint at my feelings for Paige, the more I struggled not to blurt out everything that had been locked in my heart for so long. It still felt too soon and too risky, like it could potentially ruin everything.

By some miracle, I scarcely saw her during the day. She went to help Bonnie out at the school newsroom over lunch, so I dodged a small, Paige-shaped bullet in the cafeteria. Then she had a dentist appointment in the afternoon, so she was already gone when the bell rang at the end of the school day. I missed her, but I was grateful for some alone time so I could at least attempt to pull myself together.

“What’s Paige doing here?” Parker asked as we started our warm-up for training late in the afternoon. I glanced over and nearly fell flat on my face when I realized she was standing near the bench with Coach Ray. She’d changed her outfit since school and was wearing the skintight jeans and the low-cut star-covered top she’d bought yesterday. All the other guys on the ice seemed to have stopped to admire her, and I had to remind myself I wasn’t allowed to fight my teammates. Hockey was my life, and I needed these players whole and healthy if I wanted us to keep winning games.

Just watching Paige talk, it was easy to see why almost every guy here had paused to look her way. She was beautiful, yes, and looked stunning in her outfit, but there was something about the way her face sparkled when she spoke that was captivating. Even chatting with someone as serious as Coach Ray, Paige’s infectious laugh managed to pull a smile from him.

Perhaps that’s why I was so in love with her. I was like one of those stone gargoyles perched on the walls of old churches. An impenetrable statue glaring down at the world. But the second Paige shone her light on me, I shed my stony exterior and came to life.

“Gray?” I dragged my gaze away from Paige to look at Parker, and was greeted by his annoying smirk. “What’s she doing here?”

“How the hell should I know?”

“Uh, because you have her schedule in your diary.”

“I don’t have a diary.”

“Mental diary,” he said with a grin. “And you keep all of Paige’s appointments highlighted in pink with hearts around them.”

Now that I thought about it, maybe our team would still be able to win if I disposed of justoneplayer.

Parker’s smile widened, like he could tell just how much he was getting to me, and I skated away before I was further tempted to wipe it from his face. Parker didn’t take well to being ignored though, and immediately followed. “How’s the coaching going anyway?”

“Would you keep your voice down?” I hissed.

“Sorry. How’s the coaching going?” He’d lowered his voice, but only a fraction.

I considered ignoring the question, but with Paige close by I couldn’t risk the very real possibility that Parker would shout about it until he got a response.

The truth was, I didn’t know how my coaching was going. As far as I could tell, Paige still wanted to kiss Damien Stone; that’s presumably why she was at our practice dressed in her brand-new outfit. But then she had been in my bed last night. While I couldn’t be sure what effect this was all having on Paige, I was certain it was only causing me to fall harder for her than ever before.

“Fine,” I said, keeping my thoughts to myself. “It’s going just fine.”

“Ah, so not well then?” Parker replied. “Do you need me to make a PowerPoint presentation on how to appeal to a girl?”

“No.”

“What about a presentation on how not to scare a girl off?”

“I don’t need a PowerPoint presentation.”

“So, you don’t want my advice?”

“It hasn’t helped me so far.”

“That’s probably because you haven’t let me teach you my best moves yet.”

“If I need your moves to win her over, then she isn’t the girl for me.”

Coach’s whistle blared, echoing off the walls of the rink. Perfect timing. I was only too happy to escape my brother, and I followed the rest of the team over to the bench. Paige was still standing beside Coach Ray, a nervous smile on her lips as she clutched a notebook to her chest.

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