Page 16 of Icing the Cougar
"Can’t just what?" He’s got that infuriating grin, the one that makes me want to grab him and shove him away and then pull him back even closer.
"Expect me to sit alone at your game," I say. My voice is more breathless than I’d like it to be.
"So, don’t," he says. Like it’s that simple. Like everything with him isn’t an unpredictable, chaotic mess.
His fingers brush against mine, and I feel the electricity in the pit of my stomach. God, what am I getting myself into? Before I can finish a single rational thought, I hear myself say yes.
Jasper gives me a look that says he thinks he’s won, but I know this game is just getting started.
"I knew you wouldn’t deny me." He flashes that grin that could make any sane woman lose her mind.
Then he kisses me, hard and quick, his lips capturing more than my breath. It’s a preview and a promise and a dare, all in one. By the time I open my eyes, he’s already at the door, looking back at me with a confidence that sets every nerve ending on fire. He’s leaving me standing here, the jersey limp in my hands, every part of me tangled up and pulsing.
“What’s going on, babe?” Nova asks as she walks into my studio room.
"What am I doing?" I say. Nova rolls her eyes, the kind of look that only comes from a decade of friendship.
"Trinity," she says, her voice an exasperated hug, "the only thing you're doing is living." Her words hang there, competing with the noise and my doubt.
"So, will you come with me?" I ask. "Moral support?"
Nova gives me a sly grin. "Can't leave you all alone, especially when there will be hot as fuck hockey boys to ogle over."
"I'm counting on you," I tell her.
"Can't wait to see this Jazz in action," Nova says. "I bet he’s worth the price of admission."
"He's definitely something," I say, feeling my cheeks heat up at just the thought of him and his relentless pursuit.
"So, do I get a jersey too?" Nova asks, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"Probably not," I say, rolling my eyes but unable to hide my smile. "However, I do need you there. I'm liable to freak out and bail."
"Not a chance," Nova says. "I’ll keep you in your seat, even if I have to glue you there."
I laugh, but it’s a nervous sound that doesn't quite match Nova's confidence.
"Maybe you're right," I say, even though I have no idea what I mean by that. Although Nova seems to understand anyway.
"You don't have to figure it all out," she says, shrugging. "Just enjoy it. It’s going to be fun. I promise."
***
I'm here in the jersey. Nova is by my side. Thank God because this is my first ever hockey game, and I’m lost as to what to do. I don’t even have time to freak out because the stadium goes dark, and my pulse is suddenly in my throat. The place shakes like it's about to fall apart, and I think I am too. Nova is shouting something I can’t hear. I'm glad Jasper didn't sign me up to do this alone and provided an extra ticket for her. We find our seats with pretzels in hand and enough canned wine to survive.
The lights flash, and my name is up there for everyone to see, in soft, white fabric. Or at least it feels that way. Nova is grinning at me like I'm the main attraction, not the guys skating onto the ice.
"This is insane!" she yells over the music. "I love this!"
"The game hasn't even started," I tell her, but I'm catching her excitement anyway. It’s contagious, almost like being with him.
"I mean this whole thing!" She waves a hand at the rink and crowd.
The first puck drops, and we grab our drinks. Then I try to slow down my drinking as we’re rapidly two minutes in and I can hardly breathe. Nova's already on her second wine, and she makes a face like I should be chugging mine if I'm going to keep up.
"There he is," Nova shouts, pointing at Jasper.
He looks impossibly fast, even among the blur of bodies on the ice. Nova has the app on her phone pulled up with the Chicago Blades roster checking off numbers and stats. "He's insane out there. How do you keep up?"
