Page 168 of Secrets and Lies
“Do you think that will work?” he asks knowingly.
“No, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Damon turns his attention back to the game, and I try to keep my attention on the screen and not on the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions rolling around inside me.
I watch the twins and Anthony fly down the ice as they pass the puck between them, literally skating circles around their competition as they do.
Connor passes it to Hazen, who passes it to Ant. He does an insane spin around one of the Kings who’s trying to get the puck from him, then flips the puck over to Connor.
Connor takes off toward the goal and winds up for what looks like a slapshot, but at the last second, he tips the puck to Anthony, who catches it on the blade of his stick, then flips it onto the ice in front of him and shoots it right over the goalie’s shoulder.
The red light on the goal lights up as the siren goes off, and instead of doing his usual victory lap, Anthony looks right at the camera and gives it a smirky smile that’s full of heat and promise and just for me.
Fuck. I’m totally in love with him—and completely screwed.
29
ANTHONY
“Hey,”I greet as I pull my door open.
“Hey.” West’s smile is sweet and a little shy as he steps into my room.
I give him a long, lingering kiss as I close the door, then wrap my arms around him and deepen the kiss just because I can.
He melts against me and matches me kiss for kiss, and we’re both a little breathless when I finally pull away.
“Now that’s what I call a hello,” he says with a goofy little grin.
“What can I say? I like to make an entrance.”
“Does that work since I’m the one who entered?” He shakes his head. “Never mind. You scrambled my brain with that kiss,” he says accusingly.
“Sorry, not sorry.” I take his hand and lead him over to my couch.
“You said there was something you wanted to do tonight?” he mentions as he sits on the far end of the couch.
I drop onto the cushion next to him. “Bridges House is doing their annualJawslake party. Have you ever gone?”
He shakes his head. “Thalassophobia, remember?”
“The lake isn’t deep or open water,” I point out. “It’s barely even a lake. It’s more of a man-made pond we call a lake.”
“All of that is true,” he concedes. “But I’m not so sure that floating around on an inner tube in a lake while watchingJawson a giant screen is the best idea for someone who’s pathologically afraid of the ocean.”
“What if we share a tube and I keep you safe?”
He gives me a weird look. “I know it’s dark on the water, but people will notice if we’re sharing a floaty.”
“Probably,” I agree.
“And they’ll definitely notice if I’m basically in your lap and using you as my emotional support person.”
“I imagine they would.”
“You don’t care?”
“Why would I care?”
