Page 75 of Twisted Play

When she reached for my protein powder on a high shelf, I stepped close behind her to help. My hand settled on her waist to steady her, and for just a moment, she leaned back into me.

I didn’t say anything about how perfectly she fit against me, or how her breath caught when I touched her. I stayedclose as we shopped, finding excuses to guide her with a hand on the small of her back, to reach around her for items, to exist in her space.

“Think we’ve got everything, errand friend?” I asked, tugging her close to show her the list on my phone.

Eva didn’t answer right away, her gaze locked on my lips. Her tongue darted out to wet her own, and I took the invitation, whether she intended it or not.

She melted into me, and I suppressed my frustration at her refusal to admit she wanted this as badly as I did. When we pulled apart, her eyes were glazed with need. “The game starts soon,” she said, her voice raspy.

I smiled at the way she couldn’t quite meet my eyes. “Then we better hurry.”

I guidedEva through the front door of the hockey house, my hand on the small of her back, hyperaware of where my fingers grazed the fabric of her dress. Familiar chaos spilled through the open windows—the guys arguing about plays from last season, the laughter of puck bunnies, and Haruto yelling about his lucky spot on the couch.

Eva hesitated, and I bent close, relishing our proximity. “They don’t bite, kitten.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” she murmured but continued into the house without letting me interrogate what she mentioned.

The team sprawled across the living room in their usual spots, girls interspersed between them, but the energy shifted the moment Eva walked in. Rami, who lived there with us, sat up straighter, despite the puck bunny stroking her fingers through his hair, and Massi, who didn’t, raised asharp eyebrow. Haruto’s eyes darted between us before his lips curved into a knowing smile.

“Eva!” Cole called from the kitchen. “Perfect timing. Tell Haruto he’s full of shit about Toronto’s defensive line.”

She laughed, some of her tension falling away, but I caught how her steps faltered when Cole emerged, deliciously rumpled in grey sweats and a t-shirt that hugged his muscles.

One of the girls on the loveseat looked up from where she tangled her fingers in Rami’s hair and raised a blonde eyebrow. “Working your way through the team, I see.”

Eva stiffened immediately, stepping forward from the hand I still had on her back, confirming my suspicions. Cole had made his move. My heart plummeted, and for a moment, I was too distracted to address the real problem—Eva’s hurt and embarrassment.

While I was flailing, Cole slid to Eva’s other side, so we flanked her, and he dropped his arm over her shoulders, squeezing his hand over her bare deltoid. “Yeah, and?”

Guess he was serious about sharing. Was I?

When Eva took in a shaky breath but didn’t move, I made my decision. Didn’t matter whether I was ready—I wasn’t going to let her stand in my house, embarrassed because Cole and I were unhinged about going after what we wanted.

I stepped forward and wrapped my arm around her waist, nudging her with my hip so there was no space between any of us.

“Do you have something to say, Carly?” I asked, my voice surprisingly calm, considering the storm going on inside my head.

“No, she doesn’t,” Rami said, standing. “C’mon, let’s go help get the snacks ready.” He dragged the girl to thekitchen with him. She wouldn’t be back. Both the team and the WAGs were ruthless about getting rid of puck bunnies who didn’t get along with others.

“Move over,” Cole said to Haruto, who sprawled across an entire loveseat. “Our girl needs a seat.”

Something possessive flared in my chest at Cole’s use of “our.” Eva wasn’t ours—she wasn’t anyone’s—but god, I wanted to stake my claim.

Haruto rolled his eyes but stood, leaving the two-person couch open for us and breaking the tension. Before Eva could protest, I settled into one corner of the couch and tugged her down next to me so her thigh pressed warm against mine.

Cole dropped into the space on her other side, boxing her in. We barely fit. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t try to move away from either of us.

“You okay?” I murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. She nodded, but her fingers twisted in the hem of her dress. I caught them, and she let me move her hand to my thigh.

“Who’s hungry?” Rami called from the kitchen. “Pizza’s here.”

“I’ll get you a plate,” I told Eva, but Cole was already up.

“Got it,” he said with a sharp grin. “Don’t want you missing any of the game.”

Eva tensed slightly beside me, and I wrapped my arm along the back of the couch behind her, not quite touching but close enough so she could feel my warmth.

“First period’s starting,” Haruto announced, cranking up the volume.