Page 55 of What if It's Us

Even amongst the chill of the ice, my cheeks warm. There’s no denying what I’m really doing up here but I haven’t really said the words out loud yet.

“There’s something clearly mesmerizing about the way physically fit men move around on ice, isn’t there?” Ella says, peering over my shoulder toward the ice saving me from having to answer Blakely.

“Mhmm,” Layken answers with a nod as she nibbles on the end of her fingernail. “Watching them can be an overwhelming mix of admiration, curiosity, and?—”

“And just plain kinky fantasy,” Ella finishes her sentence. “Don’t you think, Mar?”

Kinky fantasy.

Yep.

One hundred percent agree.

“Uh, sure?”

“But then it’s not just about their looks, am I right?” Blakely asks as her eyes narrow on the guys below. “It’s their presence as a whole. How their confidence radiates off of them from the way they hold their sticks in their hands to the thrust of their slapshot.”

“Oh yes!” Layken nods slowly as she nearly drools over the men below. “Their thrust for sure. Or the intensity in their eyes when they’re focused solely on the?—”

“Puck?” Corrigan asks, interrupting. “Focusing on the puck?”

“Yeah.” Layken shrugs with a smirk. “I was totally going to say puck.”

I roll my eyes. “Uh huh. You ladies are a bunch of horny bitches.”

Blakely bumps my hip again. “Says the woman who’s clearly standing here watching the team in hopes of getting a glimpse of one man and one man only.”

“You guys.” I scoff lightly. “I really just stopped to see how their practice was going. I have to meet with the team after this to go over their promo schedules.”

“Mmkay,” Ella says with a nod. She steps forward and hangs her arm over my shoulder. “But just for a second let’s imagine ourselves up close with Ledger Dayne, shall we? Like, close enough to experience the sharp scented mixture of sweat and ice as he skates by.”

Why does the idea of experiencing Ledger in all his hockey rawness excite me?

Layken leans forward and murmurs, “Or the way his hand might wrap around yours if you were next to him. Strong but careful because obviously he’d be gentle with you, but he’d sure as hell do all he can to keep you safe.”

He does make me feel safe.

“Right?” Blakely sighs. “He’d probably look at you the way he looks at the game. With this innate focused hunger…like nothing else matters.”

“Yep.” Ella smiles. “And something in the way he would look at you would make your breath catch and he’d do that sexy smirk thing that only Ledger Dayne does. You know that smolder-ish look he gives.”

Nodding, I can’t hide my smile when I say, “I have to admit I know exactly the look you’re talking about.”

Just as those words pour from my mouth, Ledger turns his head as if he hears us talking and his eyes find mine.

“Holy shit,” Corrigan exclaims without moving her lips too much so Ledger doesn’t notice. “Do you guys see that? The way he just looked at our girl?”

“Mhmm.” Blakely giggles softly. “Like he wants to back her up against a wall and have his way with her.”

Fuck me.

For just a second I allow myself to envision what a moment with Ledger would be like if I was his.

Would he slowly peel his gloves off while he watches me?

Would his hands be soft and gentle as he touches me or would they be rough and chilled from the ice?

“Do you think he would kiss her with this tender slowness that makes her weak in the knees?” Layken sighs.

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