Page 5 of Love Me (Charlotte Monarchs Hockey #1)

Lust swirls in my belly. After being the object of his wicked appraisal, I’d let Luke butcher me with his tongue. Whatever the hell that means.

We hit two more bars after The French Quarter, both of which are located in the same courtyard.

After drinks at both places, I’m feeling a bit of a buzz.

As we stumble out of Hooligan’s, a small soccer bar, Mindy insists we head to Queen City Quarter, a large complex with restaurants and entertainment like a bowling alley.

I’m interested to check it out since I haven’t gotten to that part of the city yet.

When she invited me out, Mindy explained Charlotte’s massive St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

I thought being among thousands of people would be overwhelming.

Popping in and out of bars with a small group is a perfect way to enjoy the day.

It allows me to get a glimpse of multiple places in a short time and decide which ones I want to visit again.

The guys lead the way, cutting through Latta Arcade, the indoor shopping area reminiscent of arcades in England, to get to Tryon, the main street running through downtown Charlotte—or “Uptown” Charlotte—which is what locals call the downtown area.

As we walk, I scan the area, reading the names of buildings and taking in the vibe of the city. The streets are a sea of green ebbing and flowing with each traffic light. People who aren’t wearing the color are few and far between.

When I think about St. Patrick’s Day destination cities, Chicago, Boston, and Savannah come to mind. I never would have guessed this growing Southern city was a hotspot.

“Let’s do karaoke,” Kristen proposes.

“No!” Auden quickly vetoes.

“When do you ever not want to sing?” Aleksandr asks her.

“I never said I didn’t want to sing,” Auden explains. “But the bars are so packed, they probably don’t even have it today. If they do, we’ll never get called. We’d have to go to Lucky Lou’s to have a chance.”

Kristen leans toward Mindy and me and explains, “Auden was in a band.”

“So was I,” Aleksandr says.

“For one song,” Auden responds, lifting her index finger in the air.

“It was an important song.” He kisses her forehead, and Auden snuggles under his arm.

Their interaction is sweet, but I’m completely confused by the exchange.

Suddenly, I hear a deep scratchy voice in my ear. “They’re talking about Aleksandr’s grand gesture to win her over,” Luke explains.

Every time Luke speaks, a shiver ripples down my spine.

His voice is pure sex. And there’s no question the alcohol I’ve consumed is loosening my morals because I can’t think of anything except taking this dude I just met home, which is totally crazy.

A quick romp might help me heal from Arkady’s betrayal.

“It was back when we were in college,” Kristen explains.

“All of you went to college together?” I ask. It doesn’t seem likely, but who knows?

“Auden and I did. We met Aleks at a bar during a winter break,” Kristen tells me. “The hockey team in Detroit hired Auden to be his translator.”

“Oh! Okay.” I nod as I connect the dots. “Mindy told me Pavel was a hockey player. I didn’t realize Aleksandr played, too.”

“We’re all hockey players,” Pavel explains. “We play in Detroit and come to Charlotte.”

That tiny tidbit of information explains so much.

“So you met Kristen through Aleks?” I ask him.

Kristen bursts out laughing, which replaces my short-lived sense of understanding with more confusion. “How I met Pavel is a story for another time. We’ll get dinner soon, and I’ll tell you the entire thing.”

“Jesus,” Pavel hisses. “We need to find a place to go.”

“Good idea,” I agree, though I’m completely lost as to why he’s so annoyed with Kristen telling me the story of how they met.

Maybe he doesn’t like it when she talks about their relationship. Some people are super private about personal details.

“Is the other karaoke place around here?” I ask. I’ve never heard of it, but I’ve only been in town a few days.

“Lucky Lou’s?” Auden asks. “No, it’s on Park Road, close to all the Montford bars.”

Being in a group of people who know each other and the city definitely has its upside, but it also has the I-have-no-clue-what’s-going-on side, too. The confusion must show on my face because Kristen answers my question before I even ask.

“Montford is a neighborhood in Charlotte with bars and restaurants,” Kristen explains.

I appreciate that she takes the time to fill in the gaps. She’s very personable and easy to be around. Not that the others aren’t—everyone has made me feel welcome. There’s something special about people who take the extra step to make others feel included.

It’s the exact opposite of many of the hockey players’ girlfriends I knew in the Anaheim hockey world.

“There aren’t as many bars as Uptown, but it’s another fun spot to walk around and hit some cool places,” Luke adds.

Every time he chimes in, it feels like he’s my personal tour guide.

Actually, having him as my personal guide sounds like the best idea ever. The cloudier my head gets, the more I think about the first place I want to experience with him—the view from his bed.

“We will skip Queen Quarter,” Pavel suggests. “It will be shit-show.”

Mindy, who has had her head down and is texting furiously throughout the conversation, looks up. “I’m meeting someone at Mortimer’s.”

“Nolan?” Kristen asks.

Mindy’s cheeks flush when she answers. “Yes.” Her gaze immediately drops back to her phone.

Kristen puts her hand on my forearm and says, “That’s her hookup. He’s a drummer in a local metal band and a tattoo artist. I think he works at Common Market, too.”

“Oh, wow,” I say, impressed. I’ve always had a penchant for hardworking rock stars. “Get it, girl.”

“Do you want to head over there with me?” Mindy asks.

I hesitate before answering. I know she’s asking because she doesn’t want to ditch me after inviting me to go with her, but I don’t really want to be the third wheel while she hangs with Nolan.

“Why don’t you hang out with us?” Kristen suggests quickly.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Absolutely! We’re supposed to make random friends today. It’s a St. Patrick’s Day rule,” Kristen says, winking at me.

Less than a week ago, I packed two suitcases and moved to Charlotte for this assignment without ever having set foot in this city before. The whole reason was to meet new people and enjoy new places.

Plus, if the two couples in this group want to get cozy with each other, I’ll get to spend more time with Luke.

Score.

“Go on,” I tell Mindy with a wave. “Have fun with Nolan.”

“Thank you so much, girl!” She leans in, hugs me, and whispers, “Kristen and Auden are awesome. They won’t ditch you.”

As Mindy disappears into the crowd of people, Kristen hooks her arm through mine. “Come on, Bree. We’ll show you a good time.”

“The fun has just begun,” Auden adds, hooking her arm through my other one. “To ‘The Alley,’ boys!”

When we enter “The Alley” from Sixth Street, I’m expecting a typical alley—a dark, narrow walkway between buildings, maybe a few dumpsters—but that’s not what I find.

It’s as wide as a street. One side is the wall of a parking deck, and the other has the back entrances to three different bars. People spill out the doors, crowding the entire alley.

At two o’clock in the afternoon, it looks more like what I’d expect on a Friday or Saturday night.

We have a drink in each place before moving on.

I’ve adhered to Mindy’s advice, making sure to have water between some of the drinks, but I’m pounding back more than I have since college, and by the time we leave the alley, I’m feeling loopy.

“Where to next?” I ask. My mind is so cloudy that walking straight has become a chore. I never should have tried to keep up with the group.

Luke, who must sense my lack of coordination, wraps an arm around me, guiding me forward. His T-shirt smells like a mix of laundry detergent and a warm, woodsy scent that makes me want to kiss him. I lean forward, brushing my lips across the sleeve of his T-shirt.

“The Roxbury,” Kristen answers, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from Luke. “Time to dance off some of these drinks.”

I glance back, longing to be closer to him but helpless to Kristen’s pull. He lifts his head, raising an eyebrow in a silent question as if he’s asking me if I’m okay. I can’t believe something so small makes my heart flutter, but it does.

“You have the fun now, eh, Capper?” Pavel says, hitting Luke’s stomach with the back of his hand. Luke immediately responds by pushing his shoulder, which sends Pavel off-balance.

Biting my tongue to hold in a laugh, I turn around quickly to pay attention as we weave through bodies.

The Roxbury is a few blocks from The Alley bars. It’s not far from my apartment building, and although I’m having a great time, a part of me wants to slip away and take a nap. Of course, I wouldn’t do that. Not only would it be rude, but I also don’t want to give the impression that I can’t hang.

Besides, slipping away with Luke for a “snap”—the term I coined for sex then a nap—sounds like a much better idea than slipping away by myself.

Maybe I can corner Luke in this next bar and see if he’d be up for it? All these thoughts remind me of why I never really took to the party lifestyle. Once I have an idea in my head, I can’t let go. Mixing alcohol and hormones leads straight to trouble.

There’s a line to get into the Roxbury, but Kristen strides past it and stops in front of a tall, ripped Black man in a tight, blue T-shirt and dark blue jeans sitting on a bar stool.

“Hey, Kevin,” she greets him.

He stands up. “KK! Where you been?”

Kevin wraps his arms around her and hugs her, lifting her off the ground. When he sets her down, he notices the rest of us. “I see you got your girls with you, but where’s your boy?”

Kristen nods behind us. “He’s back there with Luke and Aleks. Can you please let them in when they catch up, please?”