Page 22 of Rebel Secrets (Devils Hockey #3)

“No, no, no, that’s not what happened. Bonesaw was the first one to take off his clothes and skate around the rink. Then of course, Rowdy had to follow.”

Rain shook her head and waved one of her hands in the air, her other around Brian’s neck as she sat in his lap and told everyone about the time one of the players had had to get stitches in his ass because they’d been skating naked at midnight. After a few drinks.

Rain and I had been on the dance floor for…

I honestly didn’t know how long. We’d danced with the guys and the girls and the kids.

I’d even gotten the Colonel to join me for a dance, and damn, the man still had moves.

I totally understood why Miss Raffi still looked at him like they’d just fallen in love.

My parents had never looked that way at each other. Come to think of it, neither did my sister and her husband. My brother didn’t have a wife, just a revolving set of interchangeable dates. And since I didn’t have anyone to look at…

Ugh. Sad. Didn’t want to be sad. Not now.

Instead, I looked around the table. All of the Devils, along with the Angels and the rest of the friends’ group who weren’t part of either team, had pulled chairs over to the bridal party table.

The band was taking a break before its final set, and only the piano player and the violinist were left on stage to provide music.

Several couples still floated around the dance floor, including the Colonel and Miss Raffi and Patricia and her husband, who’d swapped partners and were laughing and smiling. Which made me smile.

“And don’t forget the time we made the rookies climb the fire tower in their jocks,” Rebel added. “Fun times.”

It was the first time he’d added to the conversation, and of course, I turned to look at him. He was smiling at someone, that wicked little half-smile that made me want to lick it off his lips like frosting off the beaters.

Whoa.

I couldn’t remember exactly how many glasses of very good champagne I’d had, but I think it must have been a lot. I was contemplating licking Rebel.

Why was the man so damn handsome?

“Hey, I was one of those rookies,” somebody said. “I was pulling splinters out of my thighs for weeks.”

“That’s because you were so drunk you decided you were gonna slide up on your ass. On wooden steps.”

Rebel had to raise his voice slightly to be heard as all the other guys around the table added something to the story. He was still grinning when he caught my gaze across the table.

A weird fizzy feeling started in my head and continued down my body, making my skin bubble with goosebumps, and my stomach feel squishy and wobbly.

Why was Rebel looking at me like he wanted to lick me, too?

Okay, wow. I must have drank much more than I thought I had.

I totally must be reading him wrong. Except, I felt pleasantly buzzed, not outright sloppy drunk.

The few times I’d drunk way too much hadn’t felt like this.

Then I’d felt icky and gross and sick to my stomach.

Now, I felt giggly and light. Not icky at all.

“All right, everyone,” the band’s female singer announced from the stage, where the rest of the band was retaking their positions, “We’re gonna start this set slow. Let’s have those newlyweds back on the dance floor for another song.”

Every guy there began to whoop and bang the table, while the girls raised their glasses and tapped them with spoons or their nails. And we whooped, too.

Rowdy stood and bowed to the table then held out his hand to Tressy with the sweetest smile. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who sighed and wished I had someone who looked at me like that.

Shaking my head, my gaze somehow found Rebel again. Staring back at me.

It proved harder to pull my gaze away this time. That connection I’d felt all night now almost a physical tether pulling me closer to him. I wanted to stand, walk over to him and ask him to dance with me.

Wanted him to forget that he didn’t really like me. Wanted him to want to dance with me. Wanted him to hold me against that broad chest and put his heavy arms around me and make me feel safe and wanted. Maybe even desired.

Okay, a girl could fantasize. Especially about a guy she never had a chance with. But I also had to be realistic and know it wasn’t gonna happen.

I turned to say something to Rain, but Brian was lifting her off his lap and onto her feet then steering her toward the dance floor.

Kade, who’d been sitting next to me, held out his hand to Olivia, the Angel sitting next to him.

Everyone else had paired off, and I had a flashback to prep.

Senior formal, watching my so-called date dance with everyone else in the room except me.

He was the son of one of my dad’s business partners and was attending another school in the area. I’d thought he’d liked me. Instead, he’d used me to meet the other girls in my class.

I’d pleaded a headache and left as soon as I’d realized what was happening.

Which hadn’t been soon enough. The looks I’d gotten all week after the dance had been so humiliating, I’d considered lying to the nurse and pleading debilitating migraines to spend the week in the hospital.

Anything would’ve been better than the looks I was getting from the other students.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. This situation is nothing like that.

“Dance with me.”

The hand in front of my face was huge and scarred and attached to Rebel. I’d barely been able to hear him over the band, but I’d heard enough to know it wasn’t an invitation. It was a demand.

I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. He had that look on his face again. The one that made heat flash through my body.

I grabbed the champagne flute in front of me, downed the rest of it and took his hand.

His completely engulfed mine as he waited for me to get to my feet.

I’d kicked off my heels a while ago and exchanged them for the fluffy mules Tressy and Rowdy had gifted to their friends for the after party.

They’d also had recovery sandals to choose from, but most of the guys still wore their shoes.

Rebel had gone a different route. His feet were bare.

I found that sexy as hell.

As he led me out onto the dance floor, we got a few looks from people, especially one from Rain that I knew I’d have to answer later, but most everyone else was more interested in their own partners.

I’d had enough alcohol that I was over the line, but not enough to be sloppy. Maybe just enough to allow me to enjoy being held in Rebel’s arms. And maybe he’d had more than he usually drank because he looked happy for me to be there.

We didn’t say anything as we swayed to the music, staring at each other.

The music wrapped around us like a web, keeping us close, ensnaring us in its mellow melody.

I inched closer with every turn until we were pressed together from chest to thighs.

Heat tingled from my fingertips to my toes. And all places in between.

Oh my god, I’m hot for Rebel!

My face flushed, and I watched his gaze drop to my cheeks. And lower. My lips parted, my brain glitching and my lungs needing more air.

Did I want him to kiss me? Did he want to kiss me? If I lifted onto my toes, would he get the hint?

His eyes narrowed, and I wondered if he’d read my mind.

Would he?—

The song ended with a sweep of the drum, and silence held for a second before the singer said, “Now, let’s get those hearts pumping again. We’ve still got a lot of time to party!”

The male singer’s voice jarred me back to real life, and I took a step away from Rowdy. At first, I wasn’t sure he’d release me. His hand tightened around mine and the one on my hip squeezed just a little tighter. His jaw shifted, and his gaze narrowed, locking me in.

A second later, he released me, and I swayed.

His hands landed on my shoulders, steadying me.

I’d definitely had way too much to drink.

I wanted to snuggle up against that broad chest, lay my head above his heart and let his arms pull me in even closer.

And that, my friends, was the road to Crazytown.

“Uh… Yeah.”

I turned and headed for the other side of the room.