Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
The stranger lifts his glass and takes another swig of his whiskey. He grins. “Whiskey, of course.”
“Wow, you’re either hardcore or just old.” I grimace, and he laughs, so I start to laugh. The bartender returns with my fresh drink, not whiskey, and I take a sip. “So, how about an agreement? No talking about what brought us here.”
He thinks for a moment, then nods. “That I can do. Anything else off-limits?”
“Sports.”
“Well, we already established you hate them all. Anything else?”
“Not unless you have something to hide,” I respond with a smirk.
“No mention of real life.”
“Real life? What does that mean? Doesn’t that fall under the previous off-limits number one?”
“Not really. Number one is more or less the catalyst to arriving here. I mean, no talking about work.”
I raise my glass, moving it closer to him in a cheer. “Now that I can agree with. No talking about work or anything serious. And no sports.” My glass collides with his before he pulls back and lifts his brow.
“Well then, what can we talk about?”
“We don’t even have to talk about anything if you don’t want. I’m more than happy to just keep you company. Drown my emotions, and then . . .”
“And then what?” he says with a note of challenge.
I shrug. “See if I can make you less grumpy.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “I like the way you think . . .” His eyes narrow. “I don’t know your name.”
“Isn’t that more fun?” I tease, not really caring either way.
He stares at me, and I feel like butterflies erupt in my stomach. The way he looks at me is unnerving. Like he’s undressing me with just the way he looks at me.
“Okay.” His one-word answer gives me pause for a minute, but then his lips spread, and damn. Lord, is this man handsome.
I tilt my head and take him in.
I shouldn’t do this.
But I want to.
Come tomorrow, my life will change. I’m not stupid. I’m well aware I won’t be able to hide in this hotel when the sun rises.
I’m surprised my mother hasn’t already called me. Actually . . . I reach into my purse and grab my cell, then touch the side until it powers off. No distractions. No mention of the real world.
The stranger narrows his gaze at my phone.
“I don’t want to speak to anyone tonight but you.”
For a second, he continues to watch me, then he removes his own phone from his pocket. Once he’s powered it down, he puts it away and lifts his glass to clink it to mine again.
“And what were those cheers to?” I ask before biting my lower lip.
“To an interesting night.”
“To an interesting night,” I agree before adding my own. “To putting aside the past and the future and enjoying this moment.” He meets my glass again with his.
Both of us drink.
I’m not sure what brought either of us here tonight, but it doesn’t matter. I’m excited for the first time in a long time, and that’s all that matters.
Tomorrow, I’ll deal with the consequences of my actions. I’ll take whatever my mom throws at me, and then I’ll go to my father’s, but for tonight, I’ll be free.
6
DANE
The one big plus of being a hockey player is that, more often than not, no one recognizes you.
Take this moment right now. The woman beside me has no clue who I am, so in turn, this is the most relaxed I’ve been in a long time.
She doesn’t want anything from me, and it’s nice. Different.
I can be myself because what will it hurt? By the time she figures out who I am—assuming she ever does, considering her loathing of hockey—I’ll be long gone. Could she sell the information I shared? Maybe. Doubtful, though, because I still choose the things I share carefully.
I take another swig of my drink and study her.
She’s gorgeous. A bit young, but again, I’m not exchanging numbers or trying to make this more than it is.
We’ve talked about everything and nothing. Our favorite seasons—hers is fall and mine, summer. Our favorite vacation spot—she enjoys exploring a new city, while I love to get out and experience nature. She loves to read Greek mythology. Me, not so much.
For the past ten minutes, we’ve sat in peaceful silence, each lost to our own thoughts, sipping away at what has to be our fourth or fifth drink each. Neither of us is feeling the effects as we’ve been smart enough to chase every drink with two glasses of water.
“I think that’s it for me,” she says as she places her drink on the bar. “If I want to walk out of here without making a fool of myself.”
Maybe I spoke too soon.
“Drunk?”
She shakes her head. “Nah, but I will be if I keep up this pace.”
Her gaze locks onto me, and I watch as her upper teeth bite down on her lower lip. The move instantly makes my dick hard.