Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 25255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
“You would come to a game?” I ask, feeling like my chest is ballooning in size. I would love to see her face behind the glass.
“If you’ll have me,” she says with a shy smile.
I just stare at her, desperately wishing she was mine. I’d charge up to her and kiss her soft pink lips right now.
“He doesn’t mind,” Alina says with a laugh as she grabs Jane’s arm and pulls her downstairs. “We’ll see you tonight, Tucker!”
My whole body aches as she disappears from my sight.
And my obsession grows.
Chapter Five
Jane
I’m enjoying the hockey game way more than I thought I would!
It’s so exhilarating. The sound of the blades scratching the ice and the smack of the puck banging against the boards. I love the energy of the crowd with all of the collective ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as players are bodychecked into the boards so hard the glass trembles in front of me.
We’re in the very front row behind the goalie so we can hear all of the grunts from the players and the slapping of sticks.
I like that it’s cold in here too. I’ve always liked wearing jackets and it’s the first time since I arrived in Texas that I’ve gotten to wear one.
“I knew you’d like hockey if you gave it a chance,” Alina says, grinning as she watches me sitting on the edge of my seat.
“It’s not as bad as I thought,” I admit.
The Hyenas are playing The Oakland Lumberjacks and we’re down one point in the third period. It’s two-three for them with less than five minutes to go.
My pulse begins to race as the lines change and Tucker hops over the boards.
“Let’s go, babe!” Alina shouts while clapping her hands. Sebastian is out there now too.
She grabs my hand in a steel grip. When Sebastian steals the puck and makes a breakaway toward the net, I squeeze her hand back.
“Go!” we both shout at the top of our lungs. “Go, Sebastian! Go!”
He’s very talented with the puck. The two Lumberjacks are hacking at him with their sticks, but Sebastian makes it look easy as he maneuvers around them and flicks the puck at the net. It slides in beside the goalie’s ribs and the whole place explodes into cheers.
“Yes!” me and Alina scream as we cling onto each other, jumping up and down.
Sebastian blows her a kiss as he skates by and she blows him about a thousand kisses back.
My heart is still racing as I sit down and spot Tucker grabbing his water. His eyes fall on me and I feel my core warming up.
He’s been watching me all night.
I’m starting to have feelings for this man. There’s something about him I can’t seem to shake.
I feel drawn to him in a way I’ve never felt before. Ever since he opened up to me, I keep seeing past his grumpy exterior to the poor little boy inside who lost his mother at such a young age.
“Admit it,” Alina says when she sees where I’m looking. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I say with an unstoppable smile growing on my face. “He’s sweet.”
“He extracted the tooth of number twelve with his fist last period,” Alina says with a laugh. “Sweet is not how I’d describe him.”
“He’s just misunderstood,” I whisper as they start playing again.
He did get into a scuffle with a guy on the other team, but I didn’t want to look. When the refs separated them and sent him to the penalty box, Tucker was muttering something under his breath and shaking his head like he was disappointed in himself.
It wasn’t as bad as Alina said though. Number twelve still has all his teeth. Well, at least the teeth he entered the game with.
The tied game goes on and the crowd is on edge since the time is winding down.
With fifty-two seconds to go, the Hyenas get the puck in the other players’ zone. We leap to our feet as it gets passed back and forth between the players. Tucker is in the back, controlling the action.
“Come on, boys!” Alina yells at the top of her lungs as the time ticks on.
When the clock hits forty-three seconds, someone passes the puck to Tucker. He cocks his stick back and slams it onto the ice at the exact moment the puck arrives. His thunderous slapshot sends the puck flying into the net between the goalie’s legs.
“Yes!” I scream louder than anyone else. The crowd cheers and we jump up and down. It’s ear-piercingly loud in the arena as the Hyenas on the ice leap onto Tucker in celebration.
As soon as he gets up, he looks my way.
My adrenaline is pumping and I blow him a kiss without thinking.
Those sexy lips curl up into a smile. He’s still smiling as he skates back to his bench.