God, she was gorgeous, and if you put Gabby and Garrett next to each other, no one would ever suspect they were siblings. His lighter hair and blue eyes were the exact opposite to Gabby’s chocolate brown hair, thick, piled on top of her head right now but there was so much of it, I couldn’t help but wonder how long and thick it’d be when it was down.
Holy shit. Where’d that come from? Not only had I never seen her that way before, but she was also my teammate’s little sister—my friend’s little sister.
“Thanks,” she said, and pushed off me, as she did, my fingers didn’t loosen on her shoulder and I didn’t let her go.
Not in time for her to almost brush her lips over my jaw as she tried to sit up.
And shit. Her eyes were golden, so bright and beautiful with flecks of coal that sparked from her irises and out.
“Joey,” she whispered, and I swore her hand hit my knee. Trailed to my thigh.
Shit. What was I doing? But I couldn’t pull away. For the first time in months, my heart was hot, my chest heaving, and where her hand was at my thigh, applying pressure, the heat from her touch was shooting higher, straight to my dick.
It was then I realized her hand wasn’t on my leg holding me to her but trying to push me away. I released her like I’d been burned and cleared my throat.
What in the hell was happening to me? “You good?”
“I’m okay.” Her dark brows, thick and perfectly shaped, furrowed. “Are you?”
“Yeah.” I wiped my hands down my thighs. “Of course I am.”
But I wasn’t. I was anything but.
I lusted after my teammate’s little sister. It might have only been for a few seconds, but those seconds were everything.
For the first time in months, I actually envisioned myself with someone other than Lenora.
Talk about shitty timing and the worst person to suddenly find myself attracted to.
I shook off the memory, the sensation that made my chest grow warm every time I saw her now.
The rest of the team had begun filtering into the waiting room then, allowing me to put space between us. Lots of space. Space I’d kept up since then.
Until now, because surrounding the table were my brothers, their wives, a handful of kids and babies in the mix, our parents… and the only empty seat at the table?
Right next to Gabrielle Dubiak. My teammate’s sister. My friend’s little sister.
And the woman who admittedly, since that night in the hospital, had been someone who’d been both unwelcome and welcome in my nightly dreams.
I’d also been right, with her hair down and curled, it was long. Thick. Luscious.
Hair I wanted in my fist and on my pillow.
Fuck.
2
Gabby
Hair spiked at the back of my neck and tingles created an unwanted, full body shiver as they danced down my spine. I didn’t have to turn to know who’d I find entering the private room.
Joey was here.
Joey who’d held my hand and looked at me like he wanted to kiss me months ago.
Joey, my brother’s teammate, and great friend and all-around sexy as hell but also incredible guy. The guy I couldn’t stop thinking about since that night he’d held me. Comforted me. Looked at me like he’d wanted to slip his hands into my hair and press his mouth to mine.
The guy who’d been able to make me think Kurt who? whenever Garrett or Lizzie asked about my ex-boyfriend and if I was still hiding out in Vegas so I didn’t have to deal with him.
Joey Taylor, the king of the ice who’d scored a hat trick in their final game tonight to help his team win the Stanley Cup.
Joey, who was saying hello to everyone but me because he’d barely looked at me since that hour we spent alone in the hospital months ago. Who was now pulling out the chair next to me, settling his hand at the back of mine and leaning in.
“Hey Gabby,” he said, and his lips moved so perfectly, slightly hidden behind his dark, thick scruff. His matching black hair was long, in desperate need of a cut. And God how I’d love to get my hands in his hair—in a way that had nothing to do with my chosen cosmetology profession.
Joey Taylor might have been the youngest Taylor brother, the youngest guy in this room, but he was hands down, the star of all my recent fantasies, so much so my mouth went dry at the sight of him, the fresh scent of his cologne he must have applied after his shower, the glimmer in his piercing dark eyes and the way his lips moved as he asked me something.
“Huh?” I asked, like a complete fool.
Oh God. How long had I been staring at him?
He blinked, gorgeous dark lashes fanned his lids and then those full, pink lips of his with the perfect bow at the center top, kicked up at the corner.
Amusement lit up his eyes. “I said hello. And how are you?”
“Oh. Good.” I reached for my water. The icy condensation on my glass chilled my palms and fingertips. Did nothing to squash the heat pulsing in other places. Places that pulsed with need whenever I thought of him. I took a sip then chugged half the glass and as I licked my lips, cursed myself.
“I’m good,” I repeated, because he’d stolen my brain cells. “Congratulations. You should be proud of yourself.”
He leaned back, away from me, but I could still smell him. Still feel the warmth from where his hand brushed against my shoulders. “Had a great team working with me.”
“You can’t be that modest. You played awesome.”
His hand reached up, ran beneath his bottom lip, tugging it to a corner like he was thinking, but then he was jostled from the other side and his hand fell.
“Thanks,” he murmured before turning to the interruption, his brother Jason, messing his hair at the top of his head.
“Damn good game, kid.”
He smirked and shook his head, clasped his brother’s hand in his, and yanked Jason down to slap him on the shoulder. “Not a kid.”
“Aw. Come on. You’ll always be our kid brother.”
His features twisted into an arrogant smirk. “What can I say? Mom and Dad had to keep trying until they reached perfection.” He shrugged his shoulders and tossed his hands up in a what can you do gesture that had Jason throwing his head back and laughing.
“Sure thing. You keep telling yourself that, runt.”
I forced myself to turn back to the table, to where Lizzie sat across from me, barely able to squeeze herself close to the table due to her rapidly growing belly. She and my brother got married only a few days ago, right before this final series started.
I couldn’t be happier for them.
I also couldn’t stop the tiny green-eyed monster who lived deep inside my gut when I caught the way they were smiling at each other. Googly-eyed barely described the way they looked at each other as Garrett rested his hand atop her belly, carrying their twin boys.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m good. Promise.”
He kissed her cheek. “We won’t stay long. I think it’s time we start planning that honeymoon.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and her smile widened. This was what I wanted. Thought I had with Kurt. Stupid me for thinking I’d find it with him, though. I’d fabulously ignored all the red flags he’d waved like a matador in my direction.