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CHAPTER 3

SCARLETT

I will not flirt with the hot goalie.

I will not flirt with the hot goalie.

I will NOT flirt with the hot goalie.

With our friends gone, I can’t stand the awkward silence. “So…”

“So,” Russ grumbles.

This is going well…

I blow out a long breath and take Rachel’s seat. “I didn’t have a chance to thank you for earlier.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for.” He takes another bite of his burger, effectively silencing me.

I thought he’d be friendlier than this, especially with how he was acting at the game. I swear he was flirting. Maybe he has a girlfriend? It isn’t as if I could seriously date someone like him, and there’s no way in hell he’d be interested in me. Guys like him have beautiful women chasing after them. He could have anyone he wants. Still, there’s no harm in a little friendly conversation between two burger-loving people.

I try again. “You played well today.” Did he play well? For all I know, he is a mediocre player on the verge of being traded.

He wipes his mouth with his napkin as he finishes chewing. “What was your name? Red? Sorry to disappoint you, but I only came out tonight for a burger and a beer. I’m not in any mood for small talk.”

“It’s Scarlett , and I was just trying to be nice,” I groan. “I didn’t want to be out either, but Rachel insisted and it’s her birthday. Oh, and in case you didn’t notice, she left me here and I’ll have to track her down in the morning.”

He rakes his hand through his hair and sighs, “I’m sorry. I’m on edge because you’re one of my coach’s sisters.”

“Why does that matter?”

Finally looking at me, he replies, “Because if you weren’t, I would…”

“You would what?”

“Nothing, it doesn’t matter.”

“Why don’t we start over? I’m Scarlett. I don’t watch hockey, and Iove blue cheese.”

A smirk tilts his lips, drawing my attention to his strong jaw. “I’m Russ. I play hockey, and I also love blue cheese.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” I lift my burger in a toast. “To friends who love cheese.”

He taps his burger to mine before taking a bite. “To cheesy friends.”

I sink my teeth into the greasy goodness and can’t help the moan that escapes me. This burger is better than sex—or at least sex by myself. I glance over at the hockey hero, who’s choking on his burger mid-bite. “Fuck! Are you okay?’ I manage through my mouthful.

After a few coughs and sipping his beer, he laughs, “Yeah. Just, uh, went down the wrong way.”

We continue eating in comfortable silence, but I’m ravenous, devouring my fries well before he does. This man—this beast of a human—gives me half of his without breaking away from watching the game highlights on the television above the bar. Certainly he needs the calories more than I do. As much as I will the butterflies in my stomach to calm the hell down, they refuse.

“So, Red, what’s the plan for the night, since your friend left you?” He smirks, and there’s no way he called me that by accident.

“It’s Scarlett , and I don’t know. I’ll finish this burger, then get a rideshare or taxi.”

“I can drive you to your hotel,” he offers. “If your boyfriend doesn’t mind.”

With my burger halfway to my mouth, I set it down. I don’t have a boyfriend, but I should let him believe I’m taken—less temptation for me to do something reckless. “How do you know I’m staying at a hotel?”

“The internet.”

“The internet?”

After taking a sip of his beer, he clarifies, “Yeah, I looked you up after the press conference.”

“Then you know my name is Scarlett.” He tries to mask his grin with the beer to his lips. “And what did you find in your internet deep dive?”

“You’re a physical therapist for a soccer team in Québec, so you don’t live here.”

“That’s all?”

“Yup,” he replies, popping the ‘p.’

“Good thing I had the nudes taken down,” I tease, then grimace at my stupid joke.

Russ lets out a full laugh and a dimple pops on his cheek. It’s fucking adorable, and I want to make him do it again. “So, how long are you here for?”

“Only for the night. I came for Rachel’s birthday and to visit my brother and his family.”

At the mention of my brother, he glances to the bustling bar behind us for a few moments. “It’s getting a little crowded. Are you okay if we leave once we’re done eating?”

“Oh, right. Big hockey star. Of course.”

Russ huffs a small laugh. “I’m more worried about you than me. I get recognised everywhere I go, but after the whole kiss cam thing…”

“Good call.” I quickly finish the last three bites of my burger and flag down the bartender for the check. Russ snatches it before I can. “Hey! You’re not paying for me. If anything, I should buy yours as a thank you. ”

“Not a chance, Red.” He pulls out his credit card and hands it to the bartender without looking at the check.

There’s no use in arguing. “Thank you.”

Guiding me out of the bar with a hand on the small of my back, my heart thumps loudly in my chest. The simple, sweet touch lights me up, loving the feel of his large palm against me. I shouldn’t read anything into it; he thinks I have a boyfriend. He’s likely this way with all of his friends.

He leads us to his car parked five blocks away. It’s a two-door sedan, modest but in good condition. I would’ve pegged him for a sports car or truck guy. He opens the passenger door for me, and the moment I take a seat I’m greeted by something crisp, like fresh sheets with a hint of pine. Once he’s next to me, the scent is stronger—maybe his cologne? Fuck, he smells delicious. I want to brush my nose against his neck and nuzzle him.

Shit, where did that thought come from?

“Which hotel are you staying at?”

“The Cherry Inn.”

Russ reaches behind me to the headrest and checks through the rear window to back out, despite his car having a backup camera. He doesn’t reverse, keeping the shifter in park. My gaze falls to his lips and words tumble from me before I can stop them, “You know, if this was a first date, this is where you’d get a goodnight kiss.”

Marde! Why did I say that?

A smirk briefly tugs at his lips as he mutters, “Fuck it,” and he grips the front of my throat, bringing my lips to his in a bruising kiss I feel all the way to my toes. We’re both practically sober, only having one beer; I have nothing to blame other than my own selfishness. I can’t help the whimper that escapes me, and the rumble from his chest sends a jolt right to my core. We shouldn’t do this, but fuck, I can’t stop kissing him. He pulls back suddenly, his dark brown eyes searching mine. “I’m so sorry, Red. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you were mine, I wouldn’t want another man kissing you.”

“Okay,” I say carefully as he sits back in his seat. “I must’ve misread this. Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No, but you have a boyfriend.”

“No, I don’t,” I laugh. “You think I’d kiss you back if I did?”

“Your friend said you have a boyfriend.”

I glance away in thought for a moment, then my eyes widen as a laugh bubbles out of me. “She was talking about you!”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. After the kiss cam moment, she joked that you were acting like my boyfriend. She even bought me this jersey to drive home the point.” I pluck the fabric away from my chest. “I don’t have a boyfriend, not married. Extremely single… And I’d like to kiss you again.”

He smirks, the little dimple from earlier appearing. “Is that so?

Closing the distance, I cautiously brush my lips to his and whisper, “Yes.”