Page 34 of Daring the Hockey Player
"Do you have a thing for peach?" I tease, and he reaches for the light, pulling the chain and turning it off. The room is bathed in darkness, but the door is still perched open. I head out of the wine cellar and into the basement, glancing around the home gym.
"Do you guys ever work out together?" I ask.
"At every practice, but not here," Jasper says, pointing to the equipment. "If I want to work out, I use the gym at my apartment or during practice with the guys."
He lets me head up the stairs first, and I can't help but wonder if he's checking out my ass on the way upstairs. I bite down on my bottom lip, trying to keep the smile at bay as we make our way back to the kitchen.
"Did you two get lost down there?" Emerson jokes.
The pie is out of the oven and already sliced and dished out onto plates. Bristol tears into the kitchen, smelling peach pie. She gives a brief wave to Jasper and stares at me curiously.
"Hi," I say, offering a smile.
"You don't look like Emmie," Bristol says. "I thought sisters always look alike."
"I see the resemblance," Jasper says. He grabs the corkscrew from the drawer, familiar with his brother's home, and opens the bottle, pouring us each a glass.
She grabs her plate of pie and carries it into the dining room.
"How much does your little sister get?" Jasper asks Emerson, toying with me.
"A taste," Emerson says. "I could be giving her grape juice with Bristol. Kyler, help me carry the dishes and drinks to the dining room, would you?"
I stay in the kitchen with Jasper while he pours each of them a heavy glass of wine. He gives me a taste in my glass and then hands me the bottle, leaning toward me. "Don't tell your sister," Jasper says and gives me a wink.
"Don’t worry," I say. I turn my back and bring the bottle to my lips. If Emerson's going to give me shit about drinking alcohol and how much I can have in a glass, I'll just drink it straight from the bottle.
I dip my head back, letting the Peach Moscato slide down my throat, and damn, it's sweet and good. Jasper knows how to pick his wines or at least pair peach with peach. You can't really go wrong there.
"Don't make me carry you home," Jasper whispers, watching me with a smile. His brown eyes twinkle as he stares at me. That stare—the intensity of his gaze—brings the butterflies returning in full flight.
I bring the bottle back down and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
"Sexy," Jasper teases, and I shove the wine bottle at him just as Emerson hurries back into the kitchen.
"Do you need help carrying the rest into the dining room?" she asks, oblivious to the exchange between us. It's probably for the best because I'm not even sure what to make of it anymore.
One minute, he seems flirty. The next, we're clearly just friends. And then he's flirting again.
I could be reading into the flirting. It's not as though I have tons of experience with it. Jasper could be naturally a friendly guy who gets along well with women, and it comes across as flirting. Friendly doesn't equal flirting.
EIGHT
JASPER
Dessert goes wellwith Kyler and Emerson. I'm thrilled they're officially engaged, and my older brother is happy. I've never seen him quite so happy.
A small part of me is jealous because I want that feeling too. The happiness that the two of them share is genuine.
I drive Amber home after dessert and wine with my brother and his fiancée. Amber is quiet as we head to the car, and I open the passenger door for her.
She raises an eyebrow, surprised by my gesture, and opens her mouth to say something, and then shuts it. "Thanks," she finally admonishes before climbing into the front seat.
I hurry around to the driver's side. The air is chilly, and I should have used AutoStart to warm up the vehicle, but I didn't think it'd be that uncomfortable.
"That was fun," I say, buckling myself into the driver's side. I wait for Amber to do the same before putting the car in drive and pulling away from the house.
"It was nice," Amber says, glancing out the side window and then at me. "Thank you for driving me here and then home. I could have taken the subway."
