Page 17 of At First Smile
“You know if you take a few photos and tag?—”
“Absolutely not.” I cut Sasha off.
Greg tosses a warning glare.
“I know.” My expression softens. “Sorry, Sasha.”
“It’s totally fine.” She winks at her husband. “He does have it bad.”
The muffled click of a door shutting draws my attention. No doubt on the other side is Pen heading down the hall toward the lobby to meet me.
“I’ve got to go,” I announce, turning my gaze back to my agent and publicist’s smug grins. “I know you mean well. I know you want to help but leave my volunteer work and Pen out of it. I’ll do whatever you think is best—” I point at the screen “—within reason. But I won’t exploit what I care about for any rebranding bullshit. Sorry, Sasha.”
I may not like playing the publicity game, but I know it’s part of hockey. As much as I just want to play the game I love – the one my dad loved – I know I have to participate in this part, especially if I want to stay in L.A.
“Whatyou care about? Don’t you meanwhoyou care about?” she coos.
“I hate you both,” I grumble.
“He’s a goner. Sweetheart, you may need to draft that wedding announcement,” Greg taunts.
Flipping them both off this time, I disconnect. Eyes closed, I run my hands down my face.Does my son doth protest too much?My mam’s taunting words echo inside me. Releasing a harsh breath, I push away from the desk. After refilling my water bottle, I head down to meet Pen.
Pen stands beside a statue of a Sheltie reading a book with a yellow cover. Her back is to me, and I pause to allow my gaze to sweep down the curves of her body.
Fuck.I may die. Khaki shorts stop mid-thigh, accentuating long, toned legs. Hell, I want to bury myself fully between those legs, finding the Heaven I do not deserve, nor dare to dream about. The fabric stretches around a supple, apple-shaped ass,causing my hands to clench in battle against the urge to curl my fingers around that backside and pull her flush against me.
Greg and Sasha are right. I have it bad.
Pen spins. Her long auburn hair is tied in two long braids beneath my cap. The fitted black tank top, shorts, that hair, and her wearing my goddamn hat is too much. She’s the perfect blend of sexy sweetness.
She grins. “Rowan.”
“Pen.”
My cap.I almost growl the thought. It’s like she’s a present wrapped up just for me. A possessive voice grunts inside me to scoop her up, to take her back to my room and claim every fucking inch of her. My mouth. My tongue. My hands. My cock. All want to make their mark. To taste, feel, and imprint her on me and me on her.
“Ready?” she asks, biting that plump lower lip.
“Yes.” As much as my body pulses to claim her, I know in that instant I’m the one who’s been claimed.
CHAPTER FIVE
Falling
Pen
The sun’s hot breath kisses along my skin, heating it in the most delicious way as I step out of Rowan’s rental car. It only took about five minutes to reach Milford Falls. Two other vehicles are parked in the small gravel lot. An arbor, made with weathered branches, welcomes us to a dirt path. From what Lola explained before we left the inn, the trail twists through a small thicket of trees before it forks into two directions: A gentle hike along the riverbed to the pool at the bottom of the falls or a climb up a steep, rocky hill to its top.
“That’s perfect for a pic with Cane Austen and you before we start.” Rowan points at a worn wooden sign.
I shuffle closer, squinting to read the words painted in a rich green that mirrors the leafy canopy above us. Running my fingers over the sign’s uneven surface, I smile at the message:Milford Falls, Adventure Awaits.
“Perfect.” My grin can’t be contained.
“Absolutely,” he rasps, moving behind me.
Twisting my head, my gaze meets his and my breath stutters. Something in the way his affirmation rolls off his tongue makes me think he’s not talking about the sign. I’m having trouble reading him. People are like books to me; I generally unlock their secret passages quickly. I’ve always had the ability to figure them out. Well, minus Alex. Though I wonder how much of that was my deliberate blindness about who he was versus not seeing him from the start.
