Page 7 of Love Me (Charlotte Monarchs Hockey #1)

“Do you like Thai food?” Luke asks.

“Love it,” I answer honestly, though I’ll go along with whatever place the group picks.

Pavel holds the door to Basil open, ushering Kristen in first before the rest of us follow.

“It smells amazing in here,” I say.

The heavy scent of garlic permeates the air, so thick I can almost taste it. The promising possibility of good Thai food in Charlotte excites me.

Kristen cups her hand over her mouth and says, “I used to like the smell.” Her skin has a green undertone. She’s standing still, fingers covering a slight grimace, and I think she’s going to be sick.

I place my hand on her arm. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I—” Suddenly she lurches forward and runs toward the back of the restaurant where I assume the bathrooms are. Auden follows on her heels.

I’m about to go back with her to see if I can help when Aleksandr punches Pavel’s shoulder and says, “Nice work.”

“She say she craving this place. If I say no, she will yell at me.” Pavel shrugs. “There is no win.”

The word craving strikes me as odd. I glance at Luke, whose raised-eyebrow expression seems just as confused. We both look at Pavel.

“She is pregnant,” he confirms without being asked.

“What?” Luke exclaims. His eyes light up, transforming his confusion into happiness. “Really?”

Pavel nods and breaks into a huge smile.

“Congratulations, man!” Luke leans over, grabs Pavel’s hand, and pulls him in for a bro shoulder-bump hug.

“Congratulations,” I tell him, though I’m thinking of all we’ve had to drink today and how Kristen kept up, doing shots and all. It’s a bit unsettling.

“Thanks,” Pavel says. “We are happy. Really happy.”

“Is everything okay?” Luke asks. His voice has taken on a more serious tone.

“Is good so far. She really early, like ten weeks or something. But, uh, her doctors, they watch her close.”

“I have cystic fibrosis,” Kristen explains. Her voice startles me, and I turn around. “Everything’s good, just extra precautions.”

“Do you want to go somewhere else, KK?” Auden asks.

“I think we should head home. I thought the smell thing was getting better, but evidently, I still have an aversion to garlic.”

“At least you didn’t puke,” Auden offers.

“How were you doing shots?” I blurt out. There’s zero tact in my delivery, but I can’t help myself. My judgment may have just cost me my new friends, but I’m completely okay with that.

“My shots were water. Why do you think I made Pasha do all the ordering?” Kristen winks. Then she adds, “But thanks for calling me out. I appreciate a person who does that.”

A noticeable breath of relief escapes me. “Here.” I dig a piece of candy from my purse and hand it to Kristen.

“What’s this for?” she asks inspecting it.

“It’s lemon-flavored. It should help the nausea,” I tell her.

“Thanks.” Kristen unwraps the candy and pops it into her mouth.

“Congratulations,” I tell her. “Let me know if I can help or answer any questions.”

“Umm, okay,” she says slowly.

“I’m a pediatric nurse,” I explain quickly. I got so comfortable with the group that I completely forgot they don’t know anything about me. “I’m not some creepy lady that offers people candy and says I can answer questions about pregnancy.”

Kristen laughs. “I wasn’t sure where you were coming from with the questions thing, but I didn’t think you were creepy.”

“I did.” Pavel raises his hand.

“Of course, you did.” Kristen rolls her eyes and pushes him toward the door. “Let’s go. I can’t smell this place any longer.”

Once we’re back outside, Kristen takes a deep breath and sighs. “Sorry to do this, guys, but we’re going to bail. I’ve lost my appetite and I’m super tired.” She pulls Auden into her arms first, then proceeds to do the same to everyone.

“It was great meeting you both,” I say when Kristen stops in front of me.

“You, too.” She wraps her arms around me. “I’m sure we’ll see you again.”

When Kristen and Pavel are out of earshot, Luke asks. “You guys still want dinner?”

“I need food ASAP,” Aleksandr says. “We are headed for the street meat.”

“Amen,” Auden agrees.

“You hungry?” Luke asks me.

“Not for food,” I whisper. Eating can wait. I already have a mini beer gut. I don’t need to add a full food baby before getting naked with Luke.

He takes my hand in his and turns back to his friends. “This is where we leave you guys. I’m gonna walk Bree home.”

Auden and Aleksandr share a quick glance and smile because they know what’s up.

After the four of us exchange goodbye hugs and Auden and Aleksandr walk off, Luke shakes his hand from my grasp and places it on my ass, guiding me in the opposite direction.

He ushers me to the entrance of The Avenue condos, which is less than half a block from Basil. “You’re coming up, right?”

“Hell yes.”

I’m practically bouncing on my toes while he places a gray key fob in front of a pad mounted on the wall of the building. The lock clicks, and he opens one of the glass doors, holding it for me as I slide through.

“Hey, Truman!” Luke taps his knuckles on the concierge desk as we walk by, which causes a kid in a dark blue suit sitting behind it to look up. He smiles immediately.

“Hey, Luke! How was your day?”

“Awesome,” he responds but doesn’t stop to exchange any more pleasantries. Instead, he laces his fingers through mine and pulls me toward more glass doors that lead to a bright foyer with elevators.

“Do all of the buildings around here look the same?” I ask, scanning a tranquil stone waterfall wall we pass. The Avenue has the same stark, modern decor as my apartment building. It’s a clean, sleek style, but there’s no character, which is what I expected from a charming Southern city.

“The ones that were built around the same time do. Or maybe it’s the same architect? Same builder? I’m not sure.” Luke chuckles.

News headlines scroll on a TV screen built into the wall next to the elevator. No awkward conversations with neighbors waiting in this place. You can check out sports scores instead of interacting.

Once inside, Luke scans his key fob again and presses the button for the thirty-first floor.

“Wow. It’s maximum security in here.”

“There are a lot of safety features,” Luke agrees. “It’s a far cry from the place I rented when I played in Detroit. My apartment got broken into three times in one season.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope,” he says. “It got so bad I had to move all my stuff into my coach’s garage and sleep on Varenkov’s couch until I found a new place.”

“That’s crazy.”

I can’t say I’ve ever lived in a neighborhood like that, but I did work in a few hospitals in rough parts of town.

The elevator doors open, and we’re greeted by another built-in TV, this time on the wall across from the doors. I’ve only been in this building for a few minutes, and I’m already suffering from technology overload.

“It’s my own fault,” Luke continues, leading me down the hallway to our left.

“I should have moved in with one of my teammates, but I was stubborn.” He stops at a door with 3110 on a white plaque next to it.

“I’d never lived by myself before, so I was more excited about being able to afford a place than I was about figuring out what area would be safest. I wasn’t bothered by the neighborhood so much.

I’d forgotten how quickly the wrong kind of people would figure out how much I traveled. ”

“I’ve always lived in pretty safe neighborhoods,” I say as Luke unlocks the door with a regular old key. “With gates and stuff.”

I make it a point to add the “and stuff” so it sounds like the gate might be a feature of the neighborhood rather than something specific to our massive sprawling house in suburban Los Angeles with entry gates at the bottom of our driveway. It probably still sounds pretentious.

Yeah, I grew up in that kind of place. Like I said, being the child of people who started the Healthy Chix health-food empire has its advantages—and disadvantages.

“Gates and stuff?” he asks, extending his arm and allowing me to scoot past him into his place. “Welcome.”

The condo is sleek and modern with light gray walls, concrete ceilings, and stainless-steel appliances.

Straight across from the entrance are amazing windows that span the entire back wall.

I have the same type in my apartment and love them.

Seeing Charlotte lit up at night reminds me that I’m in a real city even if it is so much smaller than what I’m used to.

“This is gorgeous.”

I take another step in, sliding a hand along the gorgeous black granite of the raised countertop to my left which acts as a divider between the walkway into the condo and the kitchen area.

My first thought is that he’s completely OCD because every surface is clean.

No stacks of mail on the counter or dirty laundry strewn about.

No fingerprints on the fridge. Maybe he has a maid service.

“Thanks.” Luke stands a little taller, and the skin wrinkles around his eyes. That’s when I realize there’s no cleaning lady. He takes great pride in his home. “I bought it from Gribov about a year ago. He and Kristen wanted a house. I wanted a condo. It worked out perfectly.”

He hangs his keys on a hook above a light switch in the kitchen. “Make yourself at home. You want a water?” he asks, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle.

“Please.”

A cherry-red couch sticks out in the midst of the neutral grays.

I spread my arms and let myself fall backward onto it.

Closing my eyes, I rub my cheek against a pillow and sink into the plush, suede-like cushions, letting them envelop me.

It feels great to be off my feet after walking, dancing, and drinking all day.

But when my head spins, I realize just how drunk I am.

“This is the most comfortable piece of furniture I have ever touched.”

“Everyone loves Big Red. I’m gonna write a book about it someday. Seduced by a Couch .”

Opening my eyes to look at him while I answer isn’t even an option. Big Red got me, hook, line, and sinker, within two seconds. “Count me in for a chapter,” I murmur.

“Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re writing that one tonight,” Luke says with complete confidence. His deep, sexy voice makes me open my eyes though my lids feel heavy. Big Red is comfy, but getting on top of Luke sounds more appealing.

He stops to pry his shoes off with his toes before lowering himself onto the couch and curling up beside me. I didn’t think there was any way this couch could be any more comfortable, but I’m wrong. When Luke slides one arm under me and the other around my waist, I feel safe and warm.

He puts his hand on my hip, rests his forehead on mine, and kisses me softly.

All I can think of is getting closer to Luke.

My hand moves to the back of his head, and I curl my fingers in his long locks.

His nose brushes mine when he tilts his head to kiss me again.

This time, I don’t let it end quickly. I hold his face to mine with my grip on his hair.

His chest rises and falls faster than before, and I know he’s getting as ramped up as I am.

He moves his hand from my waist to the space between us and reaches for the button on my jeans. But we’re mashed up against each other, and he can’t get his hand where it needs to be.

My back is pressed against the couch, and I don’t have anywhere to go, so Luke tilts his hips, creating a small gap between our bodies.

It’s just enough for him to pop open the button and crank my zipper down one-handed.

I’m pretty impressed with his skills, especially after all the drinks we’ve had today.

“We shouldn’t do this,” he whispers, stopping his pursuit. “You seem really drunk.”

“What?” I ask. “I’m fine.”

“Bree, you can barely keep your eyes open.”

“Please,” I plead against his ear.

I grab his hand and push it into my jeans, sending his fingers closer to finding out how much I want him to continue. I bite my lower lip and hold it with my teeth. My heart throbs, and my breath gets heavier as Luke slides his fingers lower into my jeans.

“Luke,” I moan when he finally reaches the sweet, wet spot between my legs.

“Fuck, Bree.” The words come out in a hiss of air. He pulls his hand out, but I arch toward him. “You’re drunk. I’m drunk.”

“I’m not that drunk,” I say. It’s a half-truth. I’m inebriated enough to let loose but not so much that I don’t know what I’m doing. I know that I’m about to have this man inside me.