Chapter 1 #2
Quinn was picking up on something so thick and ripe a swipe of a knife could slice it open, though he had no clue what it was. Nelson hadn’t mentioned his sister moving to Denver, not that he’d been obliged to, but still … “When we talked last year, I thought Seattle was your dream job.”
“Things change.” Sarah held up her empty glass and waved it at the waitress.
Okaaaaaay.
“Quinn Hadley?”
Quinn swiveled his head toward the feminine voice.
A sexy blond wearing bright red lipstick and a tight dress—God, Quinn loved blonds in tight dresses—gave him a dirty smile and pointed toward one of the booths.
Did he know her? No, but he could change that.
She blew him a kiss, and he blew one back without thinking.
Automaton. In the process of turning back to Nelson, he caught the sister’s eye-roll.
“I’ve always suspected puck bunnies are internally prewired with a GPS device in their panties,” she said. “Must be how they find you guys so easily.”
Nelson busted out with a laugh, but Quinn wasn’t amused. Heat rose up the back of his neck, though he couldn’t say exactly why. The uncomfortable feeling reminded him of being a kid caught red-handed by his mom.
His irritation must have been obvious because Sarah Sunshine finally gave him a pittance of a smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Not possible, sweetheart,” he blurted.
She flinched, then folded her arms over her chest and in an icy tone said, “I prefer ‘Sarah’ over ‘sweetheart’ or ‘little sis.’ And for the record, it would be ‘big sis’ to you.”
Ouch! Okay, Big Sis. You just go right ahead and put me in my place.
Nelson seemed to wince. He cleared his throat. “Uh, Sarah, maybe we should step outside and see if Lily’s waiting?”
“It’s fucking freezing out there, Little Bro,” said Miss Sunshine. “I’m sure Lily will let you know when she’s here.”
Quinn couldn’t recall seeing this prickly side the last time he’d talked to Sarah.
She’d been downright pleasant, smiling and laughing easily, and they’d had a great time talking.
Unsure what the hell her problem was, he decided to pull the plug on the conversation and save his charm for a more appreciative audience—like the friendly blond.
The waitress brought him his drink, and he downed it in nearly one gulp.
Soon he and his teammates were surrounded by giggling women who smelled like the perfume counter at a department store, which, along with an excellent two-to-one ratio, gave Quinn an adjusted attitude.
And it improved even more when he spotted the hot blond patting the seat next to her in one of the booths.
He took his time ambling toward her, keeping it cool and casual. The waitress brought him another drink as he claimed the seat beside the blond, and he instructed her to keep them coming.
Hunter caught her as she walked by, which was when Quinn noticed he had cornered Sarah Sunshine, whose take-no-prisoners gaze was trained dead-center on Hunter’s forehead. Ha! She’s going to hand him his balls. The thought brought Quinn a dose of perverse pleasure.
“I’m Dory,” the blond beside him said, yanking him back to the present. She was giving him a heated once-over. “I love your long hair.”
He let her rake her red talons through it. It seemed to do more for her than it did for him. “I’m Quinn, by the way. Do you watch hockey?”
Her expression grew overly animated. “I know who you are, and of course I watch hockey! I love it!”
“Yeah? What’s your favorite part?”
She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, and her eyes took a trip around the room as though she were searching for the right answer. “The part I like most is in the last seconds of the fourth quarter, when the goalie leaves the net.”
He stifled a guffaw. Fourth quarter? Yeah, this chick might watch the game, but her hockey IQ matched her age.
While it wasn’t a mark against her for what his libido had in mind, the fact she hadn’t even bothered to pick up the basics bugged him.
If you’re gonna hang with the boys, at least have a clue about the game they play.
Christ, he was still annoyed. Apparently, he hadn’t had enough alcohol yet. He waved the waitress over.
She walked over with an arched eyebrow. “Spill the last one?”
“Nope. But I’d love it if you’d speed them up. And make them doubles.” He slipped her another Benjamin, and her smile told him she would.
Around him, players and girls were engaging in figurative foreplay. Dory’s leg grazed his, and he draped his arm around her shoulders. Still chasing that elusive feel-good vibe, he shifted all his attention to the blond.
“Dory.” He dragged out her name as if test-driving it.
“Like the fish in Finding Nemo,” she explained.
“Uh, you’re named after a fish?”
“More like the fish was named after me,” she tee-heed.
“Oh, right. Because it’s so”—don’t say ditzy—“so cheerful. Like you.”
This earned him a series of eyelash bats.
Soon she was shimmying against him, and she dropped her hand on his thigh, draining some of his brainpower.
Playing in his own backyard was a danger he tried to avoid, but he liked his odds tonight.
This girl seemed to have lots in common with his “regulars,” the women he routinely hooked up with: enjoyed sex as much as he did, weren’t clingy, and didn’t care if he slept around.
Love ’em, leave ’em, return occasionally to love ’em again, but never let things get serious.
That shit was okay for guys like Nelson and his other favorite teammate, T.J.
Shanstrom. Those dudes were totally committed and happy about it. Good for them, but it wasn’t for him.
As Dory glued herself to him and he pretended to listen to her chatter, an annoying inner voice sounded off: Where’s the challenge?
“Hads!”
Quinn looked up, and Nelson gave him a wave from across the booth. “We’re heading out. Catch ya later.”
When Nelson turned to leave, Sarah placed her hand on Quinn’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Looks like someone’s getting lucky tonight. Enjoy your lube and tune, Sparky.”
Da fuck? Did she just say what I think she said?
A beat passed before his brain pulled itself together. Unfortunately, the best he could muster was, “Oh, you bet your sweet ass I will.”
She gave him a wink and walked away. He didn’t have time to give it much thought because his phone vibrated. When he glanced down at the screen, panic bloomed in his chest. He mumbled an apology in Dory’s direction and lurched out of the booth.
“Mom? What’s wrong?”