Page 32 of In My Hockey Era (Must Love Hockey #1)

NO TURNING BACK

Bennett

I open the door for her, watching as she gracefully slides into my SUV, golden sequins catching the light, her perfume lingering in the air between us.

I shut the door behind her and exhale sharply before rounding the car, trying to get my damn head on straight.

Which is funny. Because I don’t think I’ve ever not been able to keep my cool around a woman before.

But Lucy?

She messes me up.

I slide into the driver’s seat, hit the ignition, and let the soft hum of the engine fill the thick, charged silence between us. The gala is behind us now, but the tension? It’s still here, filling the car like a third entity , pulsing, waiting.

I shift into drive, and steal a glance at her.

She’s staring out the window, lips slightly parted, fingers toying with the delicate bracelet on her wrist—the one she said she never wanted to take off.

My chest tightens.

I reach for the volume knob and turn on the stereo. A sultry, slow, intoxicating rhythm fills the space. It’s sensual. Dangerous.

And damn it , that does not help.

I grip the wheel a little tighter, knuckles flexing. A glance at the dash tells me it’s called “Friends” by Big Gigantic, featuring Ashe. And it’s undeniably sensual.

Talk. Say something. Be normal, Wilder.

“So,” I start, voice rougher than I expect. “You have fun tonight?”

She turns to look at me, her expression unreadable. But those eyes? They see me.

“I did,” she says softly. Then, after a pause, “Did you?”

I swallow, forcing a smirk. “I mean, I won a ridiculously overpriced jersey. Got to watch you make every man in that ballroom lose their minds.”

Her lips twitch, but she doesn’t respond right away. She just watches me, those dark eyes drifting over my face, like she’s trying to figure me out .

And normally? I’d have some cocky quip ready. A way to deflect.

But tonight?

I can’t.

Because I’ve never wanted someone more .

Not just to have her, but to keep her .

And that’s the part that terrifies me. My track record is spotty at best. Am I really ready for all this?

I clear my throat, gripping the wheel, forcing my attention back on the road.

Stay cool. Act normal.

But she shifts in her seat, the slit in her dress sliding higher over her thigh, and suddenly, my brain short-circuits. Even more than before.

The drive back to my place is the longest ten minutes of my life.

Not because there’s traffic, not because of some major delay—no, it’s because of the woman sitting three feet away from me in a dress made of pure sin .

And the worst part?

We’re both quiet.

Which never happens.

Lucy and I— we don’t do quiet . We do playful teasing, bickering, and banter.

But tonight? There’s nothing but thick, pulsing tension. The kind that makes my blood hot and my thoughts dangerous .

By the time I pull into my parking garage, my heart is hammering harder than it has any right to.

I kill the engine.

Neither of us moves.

I flex my hands on the steering wheel, stealing a glance at her.

She’s watching me, her expression unreadable, but her lips—her lips are slightly parted, like she’s just as unsteady as I am.

I clear my throat. “You coming up?”

A pause. A beat.

Then, a slow nod. “Yeah.”

I swallow hard and get out, moving to open her door before I even think twice about it.

She steps out, the hem of her gown catching the light, shimmering like gold dust. I don’t even realize I’m staring until she lifts a brow.

“What?” she murmurs.

I exhale sharply. “Nothing.”

The elevator ride up is quiet. The air between us buzzing like a live wire.

And then— we’re here.

The moment the door swings open, Lucy steps inside first, taking in the dim glow of the city lights spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I follow, shutting the door behind me.

I could be smooth right now. I could say something romantic, light a candle, pour us drinks—

But I don’t .

Because the second she turns to face me, still silhouetted by the glow of the skyline, her eyes dark and searching—

I lose it.

I close the space between us in two steps, cupping her face in my hands, and crash my mouth over hers.

Lucy gasps against me, but it turns into a whimper as I press her back against the door, my hands sliding down to her waist, gripping , pulling her closer.

She melts into me, her fingers curling into my jacket, nails digging in just enough to wreck me .

I kiss her deep, greedy, half-crazed with the need to taste her, to finally, finally have what I’ve been craving since the first moment she rolled her eyes at me.

She tugs at my jacket, dragging it off my shoulders. I shrug it off, reaching behind her, blindly flicking the lock on the door before I lose the ability to think straight.

“Chase is out for the night,” I manage between kisses.

Her hands go for my tie, yanking it loose.

I groan against her mouth, sliding my hands down her back to where the dress dips low and I touch her bare skin.

“Bennett,” she breathes, voice wrecked.

My forehead presses against hers, both of us catching our breath, the city lights washing over us.

“I need you,” I rasp.

Lucy swallows hard, her nails scraping lightly down my chest, and yeah , I might actually die.

“Then have me,” she whispers.