Page 109 of Daring the Hockey Player

She scrunches her nose. "If you're talking about their sex life, gross."

I chuckle, relieved she's at least taking the time to listen to me. "I've always wanted you, Amber. Long before you moved in with me. I didn't think it was a good idea because I had a crush on you, and my teammates all kept insisting that if I acted on it, I'd be breakingbro codeand possibly messing up the team dynamics."

"That's an excuse," Amber says. "Your brother offered you money, and you took it."

"I never took it," I say, stepping closer, my hand reaching for hers. "I never wanted to take it. That wasn't why I invited you as a roommate. He may have suggested it to me, but I never would have asked without his suggestion."

"Wonderful," she mutters and yanks away from my touch.

"No, listen," I say, trying to explain. "I didn't want to hurt my brother. And while it doesn't always seem like you're close with Emerson, I know you wouldn't want to hide from her that you live with me."

She sighs. "Yeah, you're right. That's not something I can hide when she wants to send me a holiday card and asks for my address."

I chuckle and pull her tighter. "I love you."

"I'm still mad at you," Amber says, but the anger seems to dissipate from her body. "You should have been honest. You should have told me that moving in was Kyler's idea."

"And risk your sister finding out that he was kicking you out? At the time, I didn't know you that well. Emerson, well, let's say she's kicked my ass once before."

"What? Seriously? When?" Amber asks, her eyes lighting up, wanting to hear the story. Her shoulders sink, and the tension disappears.

"When we first met, and it was rightfully deserved, since I tricked her."

"Tricked her, how?" Amber asks. She unlatches my hand and takes a step backward but moves to sit at the edge of the bed, staring up at me. She's not going anywhere, at least not right now.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Did you ever hear the story of how Kyler hired your sister as a bodyguard to protect his daughter, Bristol?"

Her eyes light up. "No!" she gasps with a laugh and tugs on my shirt, pulling me closer.

I want to kiss her, taste her, relish her, and show her how much she means to me, but instead, I stare deep into her blue eyes, watching her, memorizing every detail, every speckle of color in her irises because I almost lost her.

My hands press against the mattress, trapping her, towering over her.

She leans back on her elbows, waiting, staring up at me, her breath coming out in soft gasps as the moment drags on.

"Are you going to kiss me already?" Amber asks, but she doesn't budge. She doesn't make the first move.

Is she hesitating because she's nervous and the bedroom door is wide open? Her friend is in the living room, waiting for her.

"That depends," I say, slowly closing the gap between us.

Her breathing hitches, and her cherry lips part. "On?"

"Are you planning on unpacking that bag?"

TWENTY-SEVEN

AMBER

I swearthe man is a tease. His lips hover above mine. His body is not quite touching me as he traps me against the mattress, and it's quite honestly the perfect place to be.

He wants to know what happens next, and I wish I could easily tell him that I forgive him.

Wouldn't that be the easiest thing to do?

"Are you planning on unpacking that bag, or do I have to do it for you?" This time, he cocks a grin, and I swear my panties melt right there on the spot.

I tug my bottom lip between my teeth. This dance we've been playing for months hasn't ceased since the moment that we kissed. The bond between us has only grown more intense.