Page 33 of Rematch (Stingrays Hockey #3)

He had been…for the most part. While he hadn’t kissed her since that day on the couch, he’d still been seducing her with touches she couldn’t exactly chastise him for.

Because friendly hugs, a gentle hand on the small of her back as they walked, and holding her hand could all fall into the platonic range.

If they were done by anyone other than Preston.

“Maybe…” she started, as that impulsive side her mother kept bitching about emerged. “Maybe just for tonight, we could bend the rules. A little bit,” she stressed.

Preston’s smile was pure wickedness, and she was here for it.

“I’m very good at bending the rules,” he whispered in her ear.

Then he spent the rest of the night proving just how good he was, as he insisted she sit on his lap, even though there were plenty of chairs at the table.

Preston snuck countless kisses, some on her lips but just as many on her cheek, behind her ear, on the side of her neck.

One of his hands drifted beneath the jersey, stroking her back in a slow way that was maddeningly sensual.

And while those touches were enough to stoke her embers into a flame, his whispered words—half compliments/half list of all the ways he wanted to take her—added enough fuel that her body was a raging bonfire by the time the celebration ended.

Preston wrapped a firm arm around her waist as he walked her, Ethan, and Allyson to the car at the end of the night.

While her friends—both tipsy as hell—giggled and climbed into the car, Chelsea leaned against the driver’s-side door, facing Preston. Driving away from him tonight was going to be harder than walking away from him in that hotel last year had been.

There was no denying she wanted him.

Physically.

Sexually.

However, the part of her that hadn’t completely caught up to the others was the emotional bit. Because she was still trigger-shy, suffering from PTSD, and racked with indecision. Not to mention, she was letting her mother live in her head rent-free.

“I know we were only bending the rules tonight,” Preston said, as if he could see the direction her thoughts had drifted.

“I…” she started, feeling as if she owed him some sort of explanation for why she was still holding back when she’d made it very—VERY—clear her attraction to him was off the charts.

“All your reasons for holding back are still there, Joy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We’re taking this at your speed, I promise.”

And just like that, the pressure she’d been feeling simply melted. Like magic.

Preston tilted his head. “What?”

She’d whispered the magic part aloud. But she didn’t know how to explain how he seemed to have some mystical power that quieted all the chaos inside her, so instead, she just said, “Nothing. Never mind.”

“You still okay to come Christmas Day?” he asked. “I could always stop by your place with my parents for a little while, if that’s easier.”

Jesus. No part of that would be easier.

“Lennon and I will come to you,” she said.

Preston had met her mom and dad earlier in the week, stopping by for an hour.

Dad had been awesome, asking Preston a million and twelve questions about hockey, all of which he answered kindly.

Mom was also polite, if reserved. She offered drinks and snacks, then hovered a bit too nearby as Preston held Lennon.

It was a short visit, and one that would have been very awkward if not for Dad and Preston keeping the conversation rolling, while Chelsea sat on pins and needles.

She suspected future get-togethers would be easier, but not if she scheduled it on Christmas.

Even if it had upset her mother, Chelsea’s decision to split the holiday between her family and Preston’s had been a simple one to make. Mainly because it didn’t upset Mom enough to convince her to uninvite Rick and his parents, despite Chelsea telling her point-blank she didn’t want to see her ex.

Mom said it was too late to cancel on them.

To be honest, Chelsea was excited about spending part of the holiday with Preston, even though she was slightly nervous about meeting his parents.

“Great. I was hoping…” Preston lifted one of her hands, kissing the palm.

“My parents are spending the night in a hotel. They always do, even though I always offer them the guest room. I was hoping…” he started again.

“I’ve never been a part of Lennon’s bedtime routine, helping with the bath, putting him to bed, doing the midnight feeding. ”

“You want us to sleep over?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes. In the guest room,” he hastily added. “You could consider it my Christmas present.”

She laughed. “A sleepless night and changing shitty diapers is a questionable gift choice, but…yeah. We can stay with you that night.”

He picked her up, spinning her around as she laughed.

“Put me down, you lunatic!”

Preston placed her feet back on the ground, then leaned toward her. “I’m bending the rules one last time.” With that, he gave her the mother of all kisses, taking her lips with a hunger and passion that had her questioning whether she’d be “sober” enough to drive home.

They only stopped when her tipsy friends started cheering them on from inside the car.

When the two of them parted, she was breathless and flushed…and falling for him.

Hard.

So hard that the only thing her scarred, terrified heart could think was, if he left her the way Rick did…

This is going to hurt.