The tension, however, was thicker than ever.
“Looks like they’re okay,” Reid said when he got back in the car, trying to put her at ease, or bring them back to the roommates-with-benefits they were before the kiss in the locker room.
“Yeah, they don’t need us.”
“So you can come out to the bar after all? Everyone should be at the Empty Net by now.”
She lifted her gaze to his, licked her lips. And then in a heartbeat, their mouths met and every fucking reason for not being this close all the time went out the window.
She tasted of fire and victory, of wild midnight wishes. Of all his hopes and dreams for the future.
But mostly she tasted like his.
“I thought, maybe, I got it wrong back there in the locker room,” he murmured against her lips. “Came on too strong.”
She looked conflicted, but after a beat, she said, “No, not at all. I—I loved it. Still want to go to the Empty Net?”
In her eyes he read her need and it matched his own. “No.” He kissed her again, savoring her taste because it would be at least ten minutes of driving during which he’d have to keep his eyes on the road.
Her hand moved to his leg, squeezing his thigh. “Maybe I can—”
“Non.” He placed her hand back on her side of the car. “Keep that weapon to yourself. I won’t last if I let you have your way. I want to make it good for you, better for you than before.”
“Not sure how that’s possible, but I’m all for you trying.” She squirmed in her seat. “Just drive.”
27
“Penny for ’em.”
Kennedy looked up to find Edie studying her closely above the straw of her raspberry razzmatazz smoothie.
“Oh, nothing.”
Edie snorted. “You’re thinking about Reid. Maybe that great shot he made in the final period of last night’s game.”
“Sure. That’s what’s on my mind. Hockey.”
Edie was half-right. The last week had been a whirlwind with Reid and Kennedy passing like ships in the kitchen. He had spent a couple of days away at a game in Nashville, then had to turn around and play a home game last night. She was a busy woman herself, though she’d stopped taking on more dog clients. As much as she adored the work, it didn’t seem fair to them if she was leaving in a few weeks.
Leaving. It was all happening so quickly.
She loved seeing the happy, smiling faces of her doggie clients. She loved contributing to the mental well-being of their humans. She loved having this chance to connect with Edie. And she loved the comfort she felt in Reid’s arms.
Possibly a little too much.
That passionate claiming—because she couldn’t think of any other way to describe it—in the Rebels locker room a few nights ago had taken her off guard. She had told Reid she loved it, and that was true. Who wouldn’t want to be focus of a man of such intensity? Yet she couldn’t help thinking about the Mount Everest question.
Why did you climb that mountain?
Because it’s there.
He was her boss, her landlord, and now her roomie-with-uhmazing-benefits. She had pretty much driven him to distraction during an intense period of his career. Not that she was irresistible, but she certainly pushed some sex-shaped buttons. They were connected by their love of a dog and a shared roof.
Why did Reid bang Kennedy?
Because she was there.
Was there more to it than scorching looks and hot sex? She wasn’t sure she should examine it, not when her plans were moving along. She had received an email from the Thai school where she would be teaching. Her visa had come through and her documentation was in order. The only thing to hold her here was Edie and her developing feelings for a certain surly Canadian and his dog.
“Edie, do you ever wish I was here more? In the States?”
“Of course I do. I love when you visit me here and I love our chats. Sure, I know you have a life that’s separate from me.”
“But …”
“Aren’t you tired, honey? Don’t you ever think of slowing down?”
Slowing down gave her time to think, a commodity she would rather have less of than more. Who wanted to be stuck in her head with all those memories? Better to act, move, live in the moment.
That had been her mantra for so long she wondered if they were only words on a page instead of affirmations in her heart.
Edie’s phone vibrated and she picked it up, squinting.
“Oh, good, Reid’s here.”
Kennedy started. “Reid? My Reid?”
“Yes, your Reid.” Elder smirk, which were the most annoying smirks of all. “He’s in reception. Go down and meet him, will you?”
Reid was here? “He’s texting you? Since when?”
“Just a few days. I send him gossip about the players so he can confirm or deny. He’s very indiscreet.”
What the hell was happening here? She shouldn’t be this excited, but her heart was in charge and zooming ahead of her body toward Reception.
Reid waved through the glass doors at seeing her, his lips turned up in a rare smile. Bucky sat at his feet but jumped forward upon seeing her.
“You’re here!”
“Yeah, Edie asked me over to play bingo.”
Of course she did, the wily minx. Kennedy turned to Janice at Reception, who was waiting to jump in with her rules and regs hat on.
“He can’t bring the dog into the dining room.”
“Oh, I know that! How about we put him in Edie’s room? Just for an hour or so.” She leaned on the counter. “He’s completely housetrained and as gentle as a lamb. And we already registered his shots record with the front desk a few weeks ago.”
She slid a glance at Reid. If ever there was a time for him to act like a hottie hockey hunk, it was now.
Her guy stepped up to the face-off circle. “Janice, I promise we will both be good boys.” That barely-there French lilt was slightly more pronounced.
Janice responded with a giddy giggle. “Well, you don’t have to be too good. Just your dog.”
Reid winked at her and Janice looked like she was about to collapse in an orgasmic puddle. She waved them on through.
“Where the hell have you been hiding Reid the Flirt?”
“The charm emerges only when necessary.”
It was so good to see him. She had left him an empty husk post-sex this morning but that was then. That was the physical connection they shared and this—this was something entirely different.
They arrived at the entrance to Edie’s room and stepped inside. “He should be okay here while we hang out.” She unhooked Bucky’s leash and hung it on a hook inside the door. Before she could say bingo, her back met the door and she was covered by a hard-bodied hockey god.
“Hi,” he murmured before capturing her mouth with his.
She moaned, loving the taste and feel and weight of him. The gravity that was Reid.
“Is this weird?” he asked after he let her up for air.
“Necking in the bedroom of a senior living facility? No, not at all.”
He rubbed his nose against hers. “I don’t want to interfere with your special time with Edie.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you’re here.”