Page 9 of Desperate Pucker
The drunken haze in his eyes clears up as gazes at her. “Hey, gorgeous.”
She beams. “Hey.”
He presses his mouth to hers, and I silently hope that they don’t start making out. I can’t take much more PDA. Thankfully their kiss is just a couple of seconds long.
Sophie brushes a chunk of her strawberry blonde hair out of her face and smiles at me. “Hey, Ryker. Having fun?”
“A blast,” I mutter.
She chuckles at my unenthusiastic tone. “How are your knee and ankle feeling?”
“Fine.” I’m actually telling the truth. Even though I almost always downplay how I’m feeling when I’m injured, I wouldn’t lie to Sophie. She’s so kind-hearted and cares about all of us on the team. Not to mention, she’s an actual genius. She went to medical school when she was a teenager and is the youngest team doctor in NHL history at twenty-six. She’s smart enough to tell if I’m lying.
“As much as I hate to admit it, missing the last couple weeks’ worth of games has helped a lot,” I say.
She nods once and smiles. “Quality, uninterrupted rest will do that. Along with consistent physical therapy, enough sleep, and a good diet.”
I hold up my glass of water. “Cheers to that.” I check the time. “Speaking of sleep, I’d better take off and head to bed.”
I nod at Xander so I can slip out. He slides himself and Sophie out of the booth, and I start to walk off.
“Dude! Wait!” Xander grabs my arm. “Who are you gonna kiss at midnight?” A worried look mars his sleepy-drunk expression. Sophie smiles and rolls her eyes.
“No one. Happy New Year, you two.”
“Happy New Year, Ryker,” Sophie says.
I weave my way through the crowded space toward the entrance.
“I just can’t believe what a jerk Ryker was.”
A familiar voice stops me in my tracks. I turn around and see Maddy standing at the bar, talking to Ingrid. From where I am, they can’t see me.
“It was so obvious how little he thought of me,” Maddy says. “I’d bet anything it’s because I’m a woman. He definitely doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who likes to be told what to do by someone with a vagina.”
There’s a slight slur in her speech, and her cheeks are pink. She’s drunk.
“That’s weird he was so rude to you,” Ingrid says. “I mean, he’s a serious and gruff guy for sure, but I’ve never thought of him as rude.”
“Thanks, Ingrid,” I say.
They both turn to look at me. Ingrid smiles like she’s flustered; Maddy glares at me.
For a second, I’m thrown off by how beautiful she looks. Her long hair is styled in soft waves, and she’s wearing this bold red lip color. It’s the same color as the low-cut top she’s wearing. I let my gaze run along the length of her body. That tight pair of dark jeans makes her ass look amazing.
I stare at her high-heeled boots, which make her as tall as Ingrid. Still nowhere near as tall as me.
Heat flickers across my skin at how sexy she is.
If tonight had been my first time seeing Maddy, I’d check her out from across the bar while taking a shot to work up the nerve to talk to her. She’s exactly my physical type: tall and fit with cute boobs and a nice, plump ass. And that red hair. I’ve always had a thing for redheads.
I wonder what she’d think if she knew how attractive I found her in this moment. I bet she’d slap me.
My skin burns even hotter. Why do I like the idea of her slapping me so much?
Because it’s been a year since you’ve had sex. And she’s hot. And you have a thing for women who are feisty.
I shove away the thought.
