Page 62 of Securing the Pucking Rebound

“Thanks,” I mumble before taking off toward the door. “Are you coming or what?”

He quickly gathers up the leftover food and empty containers and follows me out.

“I’m assuming you want a ride home?” I ask once I’ve locked up and we’re both standing on the sidewalk in the rain.

“Uh,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. The move makes him look entirely too cute. “If you don’t mind. We are going to the same place, after all.”

“Come on,” I say, rolling my eyes as I lead him to my Mini.

After putting my purse in the back seat, I drop into the driver’s side and discover that it isn’t only the couch in the salon that Calvin makes feel small.

Thank fuck I don’t drive a stick, or I’d be grazing his thigh with every gear shift.

“This car suits you. It’s little and fun.”

“Um…thanks.”

“The go-faster stripes make it pretty sexy, too.”

“That is why I got them. Can’t have an unsexy car,” I deadpan.

“So…can we still stop for dessert?” he hedges.

“Don’t tell me you’re still hungry?” I balk.

“I’m a hockey player. I’m always hungry,” he reasons.

“Did you have anywhere in mind?”

“Of course,” he says, pulling his cell from his pocket and gesturing to my car screen. “You mind if I sync up?”

“Be my guest,” I say as I pull out of the space. I take a left, but obviously, when the GPS comes on, it was the wrong choice, and I end up turning around to head in the opposite direction.

I wasn’t going to order dessert, even after tallying my almost non-existent calories for the day into my tracking app. But as we pulled up to the window, the words just fell out of my mouth without instruction from my brain. And that is how I end up standing at my front door forty minutes later with a huge slice of salted caramel cheesecake in my hand.

“Are you going to unlock the door so we can eat these?” Calvin rasps. I swear his voice is rougher, deeper than it was in the car.

“Um…” Unwanted images of all the things that could happen if I were to let him into my apartment tonight play out in my head.

I might be a grown-ass woman who is capable of showing self-control. But also, I’m a red-blooded one who has needs. It’s not my fault if my body thinks those needs could possibly be delivered by Calvin tonight.

“I think I’m gonna go straight in the bath. I might even save this for tomorrow,” I lie. There’s no way I’m not devouring this the second I get inside. What I don’t also need to devour tonight is the man standing beside me.

“Oh, okay. Yeah, sure.”

Pulling my key from my purse, I push it into the lock. I turn it, and I’m about to push the door open when a giant hand lands on my waist, spinning me around with ease and pushing me up against the wall.

“Calvin,” I gasp as he shuffles so close his body heat sears down my front.

He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t do anything, either. Well, unless you count the way his eyes bounce between mine and my lips as if I’m a temptation he can barely hold himself back from.

The air between us turns thick, making it hard to suck in the breath I need.

My lips are parted, and I can’t stop my tongue from sneaking out to wet the bottom of my mouth as if I’m preparing for the kiss I ran away from at the salon.

“Sienna,” he whispers before his eyes flutter closed, as if just saying my name causes a reaction within him.

My heart races as my head and body war with each other.