2. Adler #3
“Oh, I am.” I love her playful energy. It’s infectious. “But don’t worry, Corbin’s one of the good guys. Besides, Nia strikes me as someone who can take good care of herself. As do you.”
“That’s true.” She extends her legs, gazing out over the lake at the setting sun, which reflects on the water's glassy surface in small ripples of shimmering, golden light. I’m too busy admiring her to fully appreciate the view.
“I heard you won the game.” Her comment has me forcing my eyes back to her face.
My chest puffs out. “Did you see it?”
I hope she did. The way I hit the puck into the net at the final second was the perfect game ending.
“I was too busy winning a game of my own.” Her white teeth flash from between her rosy lips. “Volleyball is the best.”
“Second best,” I correct her, earning me a sassy eye roll. “Hey!” I raise my hands. “If you saw our win earlier, you’d probably agree.”
“Oh, really?” I get a hint of cherries carrying over the breeze. That must be her. My mouth waters as it completely drowns out the smell of the campfires. “Would you have liked to see me cheering, skating around firing T-shirts into the crowd or whatever else your puck bunnies do?”
I can’t say the idea of her skating around in a skimpy outfit doesn’t sound appealing, but somehow, I can’t imagine her doing that. She seems to be strong-minded. I’ll bet if she ever cheered for someone, they’d have to earn it.
“I think a fox outfit would suit you,” I tease. “It’d match your hair.”
“Oh, I have a whole fox outfit.” She winks. “And it’s better than anything else I’ve seen around here tonight.”
Good lord. The thought of her dressed as a sexy fox makes me rearrange my shorts.
“Speaking of puck bunnies, it looks like you have several admirers.” She nods to where Cindy and her friends are glaring in our direction. “Maybe you should return to your fan club? They’ll probably be missing the famous Adler Ace.”
“I think I prefer it here.” I don’t miss a beat. “I have a great view.”
She laughs, leaning closer as her voice drops to a sultry whisper, giving me another hit of that cherry scent that makes me want to bury my face in the crook of her neck. “Do pickup lines like that usually work for you?”
“Most of the time,” I admit.
“At least you’re honest.” She throws back her head and laughs. “So, Ace… tell me something about you off the ice.”
“Off the ice?”
“Yeah, you know, something that doesn’t involve chasing a puck.”
“I’d prefer to hear about you,” I counter. “What are you studying?”
“Okay, I’ll bite.” She takes another sip of her drink.
“I’m majoring in engineering.” I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.
She instantly detects my surprise, which I must do a bad job of hiding.
“Yeah, everyone has that reaction. I’m the only omega in my program.
” She scoffs. “I’m used to alphas swinging their knots around trying to impress me, but I’m top of the class, and I love to remind them that I can out-squat most of them at the gym. ”
The more we talk, the more intrigued I am. And the more I want to know about her. Plus, I’m also counting down the seconds until she stands up because she’s practically asking for me to check out her ass. I bet it’ll be a sight to behold.
“Okay, so you’re hard to impress. Noted.” I chuckle. “What would impress you?”
“I guess you’ll have to work hard to find out.”
My heart hammers against my ribcage. Is she flirting with me? The way her teeth plunge into her bottom lip makes me think so.
“Trust me.” My voice deepens. “I will.”
“Let’s put that to the test.” She grins, putting down her glass and grabbing a volleyball laying close by. “Are you ready to have your ass handed to you?”
“What do I get if—no—when I win?”
“That cocky, huh?” She arches an eyebrow. “What would you like to win?”
“You coming to my next game to cheer me on.” The words come out before my brain catches up. “Wearing your fox outfit.”
She doesn’t seem deterred. Instead, she holds out her hand for me to shake. “Deal.” When her fingers close around mine, her touch sends a shockwave jolting through me. “And what do I get?” She doesn’t loosen her firm hold. “When I win?”
“What do you want?”
“You coming along to cheer for me at my next volleyball game.” Her eyes twinkle as she lets me go, leaving my palm tingling. “In whatever outfit I choose.”
“Game on.”
I’m already imagining how good she’s going to look in the stands, calling my name…
“Oh, it’s on.” She jumps up. “Let’s see what you’re made of, hockey star.”
When I stand, I tower over her at 6′5′′.
Usually, I feel like I own any space I’m standing in, but under her watchful gaze, I’m hyper aware of my every move.
She’s about a foot shorter than me, yet I stagger when she shoves the volleyball into my chest with surprising force, nearly winding me. “I’ll let you serve first.”
She stomps through the sand with purpose, head held high, and yep… her perky, round ass that looks like it’s trying to escape her tiny shorts was worth the wait to see.
I’ve gotta win this game.