Page 32 of Puck Love

“I never would have guessed that aboutyou.”

“Whynot?”

“Because you’re twenty-seven and have never beenfucked.”

Stella’s smile vanishes, and her lips form a hard line as she narrows her gaze.Shit. I don’t mean for it to come out so harshly, but I can’t get her off my mind. Any of her. Her tits, her hair, her legs . . . Jesus, her legs. What I wouldn’t give to have them wrapped around mywaist.

“Sex isn’t everything, youknow?”

“Spoken like a true virgin.” I smile, but it isn’t reciprocated. “I could show you how good it could be, country. You wouldn’t even have to get up out of your seat. I’d put my mouth on you and make you come so fucking hard you’d wonder why the hell you hadn’t given it up the day wemet.”

Fuck.I hadn’t meant to say any of that. She’s staring with her mouth hanging open, and the furrow between her brows says she’s not happy. It’s clear I’ve taken it too far. With her cheeks flaming and her expression hard, Stella gets up from the table and rinses her bowl in thesink.

“I’m sorry. That was out ofline.”

“Little bit, yeah.” Her voice is tight, and she doesn’t turnaround.

“Fuck. I’m sorry . . . I’m anass.”

“Yeah, well most men are.” She sighs and turns to faceme.

Her comment surprises me, because she’s never mentioned another man to me before. I mean, I’m not idiot enough to think she’s never dated—she’s Stella fucking Hart. I’d give up my left nut to be buried balls deep inside her—any sane man would—but this is the first time I’ve heard her sound truly bitter aboutanything.

As if she’s afraid I’ll press her on it, she hastily changes the subject. “It’s your first day back on the ice,right?”

“Not exactly. The team’s playing an away game against Boston, but I still have to train after Emmett’s socialgroup.”

“I wish I couldcome.”

I want that, too. Call me a narcissistic dick, but I’d love to show her what I do. I’m not supposed to be on the ice at all, but what Coach doesn’t know won’t hurt him. “Maybe youcan.”

She gives a humorless laugh. “Not unless I want to befound.”

“Hold on. I might have just the thing.” I walk away and dash up the stairs, rummaging through my closet for a disguise. Once I locate the small leather case, I head downstairs and tug my Crushers cap from the coat rack. Stella eyes me dubiously as I set the items down on the table in front ofher.

“A ball cap and a pair of glasses?” She gives me a quizzical expression. “No offence, but I don’t think that’s going to stop people from recognizingme.”

“Works forme.”

She opens the case and puts the glasses on, and I have to take a deep breath and think about my teammates to keep from coming in my pants. I’ve always loved women in glasses. That naughty librarian porn just does me in. Stella adds the ballcap, and I swallow hard. “Perfect. Keep your face makeup free and no one will recognize you atall.”

She frowns. “Gee thanks, Ithink.”

“Come on, you’re beautiful either way. I just mean, no one’s used to seeing you without it, arethey?”

“Not really.” She shrugs. “I’m from the south. We come out of the womb screaming for lipstick and bighair.”

“Well, then it’sperfect.”

“I don’t know.” She pulls the cap down over her head and I can’t resist tweaking thevisor.

For a half-second, I think about just kissing her, but that’s a really bad idea. She made it clear just moments ago that that isn’t what she wants from me, and I know there’s no way I could stop at one kiss with this woman. Stella isn’t ready to fall into my bed, and I’m not about to drive her away with unwanted advances. If she were anyone else, I’d have had her naked five minutes after we met, and I certainly wouldn’t have felt any guilt over it, but she isn’t just anyone. So instead of trying to get into her pants, I touch her nose with the tip of my index finger and say, “You’reperfect.”

She scrunches up her face as if she doesn’t believe that, and I walk away before I do something stupid like convince her with my mouth and hands on herbody.