Chapter 6
I’m not sure what has gotten into me but I’m loving how brave I am right now. Did I just proposition my brother’s slightly older, sexy best friend?
Why yes, yes I did.
When he doesn’t immediately tell me I’m crazy, the sliver of hope I had when I gave him my one condition starts growing.
Is he really going to agree to this?
He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he turns around to look at his teammates, who I might add, failed miserably at trying to make it look like they weren’t eaves dropping in on our conversation.
His teammate Wyatt is not only a flirt, but he’s a troublemaker. The moment he told Luke there was one bed, I knew he was up to no good. But I gotta say, he might be the best wingman I’ve ever had.
“What size is the bed?”
Holy shit. He’s actually considering sharing a bed with me. My wildest dreams could all be coming true here in Sweden. I might win a gold medal at the Olympics and I might get to sleep with the guy I’ve been crushing on for years.
I’m sure sleeping is all that we’ll be doing, but still. It’s closer than anything I ever imagined.
Luke’s teammate Brendan is the one who answers. “Pretty sure it’s a king. Plenty of room for two people to share and not touch.”
I don’t like what he’s implying, but I keep quiet. Wyatt on the other hand, does not. I’ve learned in the short amount of time that I’ve spent with him, that he doesn’t really know how to keep his mouth shut.
“I volunteer as tribute.”
Brendan rolls his eyes. Zack snickers quietly to himself. A man I don’t know, who I’m assuming is the alternate on their team, shakes his head. And Luke…he’s grinding his teeth so hard I swear I hear one crack.
“Wy, I suggest you shut your mouth before I do it for you.”
If looks could kill, Wyatt would be a dead man. Feisty Luke is not one I’ve ever seen before and it’s suddenly stifling hot in here.
Wyatt raises his hands, doing his best to look innocent. “I’m just saying. I’ll gladly be the one to keep Char warm at night.”
Luke takes a step toward him and I realize what’s about to happen. Without thinking, I step in between the two men and place my hands on Luke’s chest.
“Easy big guy. I can handle this one.”
He refuses to look away from Wyatt but I can feel his heartbeat pounding beneath my palm.
Slowly, I turn back toward his teammate. I know Wyatt is just trying to rile his skip up, but I don’t take kindly to being talked about by men as if I’m not standing right there next to them.
“Sorry, Wy. But I don’t make a habit out of sharing beds with strangers. Besides, I’m sure Finland’s goalie could use some consoling after her loss tonight. That seems more up your alley, don’t you think?”
The mystery man who still hasn’t been introduced to me throws his head back and laughs.
He yanks Wyatt by his jacket, moving him out of the way, and sticks his hand out to introduce himself.
“I’m Jimmy. I’m these idiots’ alternate.
I do my best to keep them in line but sometimes this one is out of my control.
” He throws his thumb over his shoulder at Wyatt, who looks sheepish for the first time since I met him.
“Although, now that I’m thinking about it, maybe I should let him loose and maybe I can take his spot.”
I grab his hand and grip it hard, just like my brother taught me. “I’m Charlotte. It’s nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine. I’m a big fan of anyone who can put Wyatt in their place like that. Let me guess, hockey player?”
I tilt my head at Jimmy. “How’d you know?”
He finally releases my hand and grabs his phone from his back pocket. When he lifts it toward me a picture of him and a beautiful redhead in hockey gear is on his lock screen.
“My sister. She’s sixteen and already has full-ride offers to six schools. Hockey girls are a force to be reckoned with.”
I smile at Jimmy. Just as I’m about to respond, I feel a warm hand land on the area of exposed skin between my shoulder and neck. The touch immediately makes my skin tingle and the warmth of Luke’s body begins to heat my back.
“Jimmy is always bragging about his sister.”
Luke’s voice is warm and teasing, and Jimmy doesn’t miss a beat before chirping back at the skip of his team.
“You’re one to talk Morgan. You brag about your best friend’s sister as much as I brag about mine. Isn’t she here in Sweden?”
I swear to god the world stops. Luke’s other teammates all stand silent, smirks on their faces as they watch this all unfold.
Luke’s hand, which is still for some unknown reason resting on my neck, gives a little squeeze causing a very unflattering yelp to escape my mouth.
That was embarrassing.
He finally releases his hold on me and I take a deep breath trying to wrap my head around the bomb his teammate just dropped without even knowing he was doing it.
Luke brags about me?
No one has said a word and Jimmy looks confused as hell at the silence that has converged on the group. He looks back at the rest of the team and then finally looks between me and Luke.
“Oh shit. Did I just stick my foot in my mouth?”
Wyatt steps up to Jimmy and slings his arm over his shoulder. “You sure did. And I am loving every second of it.”
Jimmy shoves Wyatt’s arm off of him and then pushes him back toward Brendan and Zack. “Why don’t we give these two a moment. We’re going to head up to our room.”
I’m afraid to look at Luke, my eyes trained at a spot on the wall near where the men just vacated.
My entire life I’ve been pining after a man who is completely off-limits.
A million times I’ve told myself I was crazy for harboring these feelings for someone who may never reciprocate them.
But so much has happened in the past twelve hours that I’m beginning to wonder if I've been wrong this whole time.
Maybe I’m jumping the gun here, but for the first time I’m feeling like Luke isn’t completely out of reach.
Slowly, I turn to find him staring at me. His arms are resting across his chest and he has a look on his face I can’t quite read.
Unsure of how to approach all of this, I just blurt it out. “You brag about me, huh?”
I sound way more confident than I feel but I keep my chin lifted and steel my spine. Maybe I can fool him and he won’t actually notice my hands shaking inside the pockets of my coat.
Luke grabs at the back of his neck and focuses on his feet. Is this man nervous right now? With me?
I’ll be damned.
After what feels like a lifetime, Luke finally looks up. His eyes don’t leave mine as he says, “You make it easy, Charlie. You’re amazing. Everything you do is amazing.”
His admission combined with the look on his face has my heart in my throat. He looks almost exposed, as if the truth of what he said surprised not only me, but himself. But just as he seems to realize he crossed a line, his expression changes to something earnest, like he meant every word anyway.
His eyes search mine briefly, and then they lock into place. We both stand suspended in this moment, unmoving.
A sound next to us has us both jolting out of our haze. I look over to the hotel check-in table to see a young woman flustered, attempting to pick up all of her belongings from her suitcase that appears to have popped open unexpectedly.
Luke doesn’t even hesitate. He turns and makes his way to the woman, helping her gather her things. He’s always been so kind to me, but seeing him help a stranger like this only amplifies what I’m already feeling.
I crouch down next to Luke and the woman, who is speaking so fast in Spanish, I can hardly catch any words. Two years of high school Spanish has clearly failed me. She’s frazzled and if I had to guess, apologizing or thanking us for helping.
We’ve almost finished gathering her belongings when Luke’s hand lands on top of mine as I reach out to grab a pair of socks that rolled away. We both freeze. Instead of pulling away like I normally would, I keep my hand in place. When I look up at him, he’s wearing a flirtatious smile.
A smartass comment sits at the tip of my tongue, and I try to fight against it, but it slips past my lips. “You gonna move your hand so I can give this lady her socks? Or would you like to do the honors?”
“You’re cute when you’re snarky.”
I roll my eyes and hear Luke chuckle as he removes his hand and stands. Handing the woman her socks, she nods at me, “gracias.”
I’m grateful I at least know that means “thank you,” so as we both stand, I nod back at her and respond with “de nada.”
She turns to the check-in table and when I turn to grab my own bag, I run straight into a wall of muscle. My forehead bounces off of Luke’s chest and his hand grasps my upper arm to steady me.
“Whoa, easy there. You okay?”
No. Yes. I don’t freaking know.
I take a step away from him and rub my forehead. Good lord, who knew curlers had so much muscle anyway?
“I’m fine. You ready to go to our room? I’m suddenly exhausted.”
It’s only a little bit of a lie. I am tired after my game but my adrenaline is pumping at the thought of having this man in the same bed as me.
“Yep. I got your bag. Elevators are this way.” He motions to our left and signals for me to go first.
I make it two steps before I feel his hand on my lower back. Such a simple gesture and yet I’m nearly a puddle on the floor because of it.
Sharing a bed with Luke and not being able to touch him is going to be pure agony.
What the hell was I thinking?