Page 43 of Facing the Line

Like now.

I’m probably sex-starved. That’s gotta be my problem. I need to go out, find a guy, and scratch this itch. Then I won’t notice Jonas so much.

The thing is, the pickings are slim in the summer. I haven’t met anyone lately who I wanted to go home with. So here I am, turned on and tongue-tied in my kitchen with no decent options.

“What time is your first class?” Jonas asks, pouring me a cup of coffee and putting it into my waiting hands.

Blowing on the hot beverage, I shuffle to the fridge and find the creamer. I like coffee, but my true love is coffee creamer. After tipping in a heavy pour so it’s almost milk white, I clear my throat and answer.

“Um, nine. I have three classes in a row, though, and I’m done by early afternoon.”

He smiles again, sending my stomach somersaulting. Maybe caffeine will help combat this irrational response. I take a sip and burn my mouth.

Walking around, Jonas settles on a stool at the counter and nudges one with his foot, a clear invitation. “Not a terrible schedule.”

I sit next to him, trying not to stare at the bare skin on display. Is he going to walk around shirtless every morning? Would that be torture or the best reason to wake up?

“What about you?” I manage some words. “What are you doing with yourself this summer?”

“I got permission to start one of my clinical rotations. It will lighten my load during hockey season.”

“What does that mean?”

He gives me a rueful grin. “Sorry, I forget to explain the jargon sometimes. Clinicals are basically like an internship, where I observe various types of medicine and serve in different parts of the hospital to get experience in every area.”

“Oh, that makes sense. What areas are you working on this summer?” Why can’t I take my eyes off his long fingers, caressing his coffee cup?

“Pediatric nursing. So I’ll have three twelve-hour shifts a week in the peds unit at the hospital, and I need to keep studying for my nursing exam.”

“Kinda intense.”

“Better than every day during the season. This gives me a little more breathing room next year.”

I sip my coffee and try to make normal conversation. I’m not at all still distracted by his bare chest. “What about your family? Don’t they miss you?”

Jonas drinks his coffee and nods his head. “Yeah, for sure. I’ll definitely go visit them a few times. I adore my family.” He huffs a laugh. “But they are the opposite of quiet. I have four sisters, three who are older and married, and eight nieces. They make the hockey team seem chill.”

He stands, drains his cup, and sets it on the counter. “Speaking of hockey, I’m also conditioning. I think I’m gonna go for a run. It was nice to chat, though. Good luck with your classes today.”

He smiles that entirely too cute grin of his again and ruffles my hair. He moves towards his bedroom, but I want to lean into his touch, stand and wrap my arms around him, press my body to his. But Hunter?—

Wait a minute. Hunter isn’t here. They aren’t teammates anymore. I swallow.

“Jonas,” I whisper his name, and it comes out husky and desperate.

His eyes widen, and he turns back from the hallway to me, still planted on the stool. “Hads? You okay?”

I wet my lips. This attraction isn’t going away. I don’t want anything serious, but what would be the harm in giving in? Just for the summer?

He comes closer, assessing me. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. But here’s the thing. I pushed you away for an entire year because you’re a jock. I was worried you’d be like my dad or my ex. But now that I know you…” I laugh, and it has an almost hysterical edge to it. “You’re nothing like them.”

“Um.” He grabs my hands, still staring at me with his clinical gaze. Probably trying to make sure I’m not having a seizure or something. “Thank you?”

“So what if we… I mean, how would you feel if we were to…” Oh god. I’m terrible at propositioning hookups, it turns out. I clear my throat and try again. “What if we were… together? For the summer?”

“Together?” He echoes, and now it must be his turn to have a medical emergency. “Together, together?”

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