Page 7 of Pucking Your Best Friend

She looked at him in disbelief. “Normally what?”

He lowered his voice. “Normally, women who look at me like you did want to sleep with me.”

Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

“Well, yeah. We have a vibe, don’t we?” He looked at her, suddenly uncertain.

She swallowed. Yes, she found him attractive and funny, and actually nice, but she…didn’tvibewith men who were only searching forthe next fuckas he so eloquently put it. But, Matt was a real temptation! If things had been different, she’d be open to something casual…but that wasn’t her.

“I just wanted help with the bench,” she insisted, her cheeks blushing. “So, for real, no woman has ever invited you to her place without immediately jumping you?”

“Nope,” he replied impassively. “Never.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Never, Maddie,” he repeated, smiling broadly. “You’d be the first. Unless…” He raised his eyebrows — but she could see in his eyes that he wasn’t serious.

She snorted in amusement. “Matt, I want to get married and have kids.”

The smile vanished abruptly from his face and he stumbled backward.

“Not with you!” she said, laughing. “That’s my plan for the next few years, to find the love of my life.”

“Oh shit,” he exclaimed.

Her laughter grew louder. “Yeah, I thought so. Still, I’m truly flattered that you wanted to get me into bed.”Really, reallyflattered! Never had such a hot guy even tried with her. “But I guess it’s better if we just stay friends.”

“Friends?” he echoed, uncomprehending.

He looked at her as if he hadn’t realized until now that it was possible to spend time with women outside the bedroom.

She snorted in amusement. “Yeah. Hey, I could be your wing-woman for tonight! Find someone who’s just looking for a one-night stand. I wasn’t lying; I have an eye for that sort of thing.”

He blinked at her, still overwhelmed.

She laughed again and shook her head. “One thing at a time. First, help me carry the bench. And hey, you can tell me where in my apartment it looks the best. I don’t have much of a sense for interior decorating.”

“Okay,” he said, bewildered, probably because he still didn’t quite comprehend what was happening.

“Great,” she replied happily, linking her arm with his to lead him to the bench. “Let’s just forget that you tried to kiss me. I won’t hold it against you.” On the contrary – her confidence had just soared considerably. She still felt butterflies deep in her stomach.

Matt chuckled softly. “You won’t hold it against me. Please, don’t ever tell my teammates! If word gets around that pretty women ‘won’t hold it against me’ when I flirt with them, my reputation will suffer.”

She grinned up at him. “Okay, I won’t say another word about it. So, now…”

“The bench, yeah,” he said, snorting. His sparkling gaze met hers…and warmth filled her chest.

Yes, she had gotten the wrong impression of Matt. He was not a typical hockey player. He was smart, nice, and easy to laugh with – and to make up with. Those were good qualities.

He was probably not as big of a womanizer as the media or his reputation made him out to be. Maybe he wasn’t marriage material yet, but in a few years, he would definitely be a good candidate for Match Me!

Chapter 1

One year later…

The bass thumped in Matt’s ears as he carried two glasses above his head, winding through the bar and parting the crowd in front of him like Moses parting the sea. Being six feet tall and a famous hockey player had its advantages. People didn’t want to get in his way, especially not in the Ice Lounge, which was known as the Hawks’ regular bar. And, if someone blocked his way, it was usually just…

“Hey, Matt, I’m Carrie.” A tall, dark-haired woman stepped into his field of vision and looked up at him from under long eyelashes. “You played incredibly well today. Really.” She took in a long breath and her cleavage rose toward him. He couldn’t miss it, even in the hazy light. “I always thought hockey was brutal, but with you…it’s just manly!”

---