Page 95 of Keep Me Close

Heat floods my cheeks as my mind tumbles back to the mark he left on my inner thigh yesterday. The memory alone is enough to have warmth curling low in my belly.

I clear my throat, hoping I don’t look as flustered as I feel.

Evelyn heads in my direction, her presence effortless and commanding without trying. She gives me a quick once-over, her expression warm with a hint of amusement.

“You look absolutely perfect,” she says. “And we’re delighted you could join us tonight.”

I hadn’t expected the team owner to be so welcoming.

“Thank you,” I say. “I really appreciate it.”

The door opens behind me and Sloane walks in with three kids trailing behind her. Actually, they don’t all look like kids. The older two are teenagers, and the youngest looks around five or six.

The teens glance around the suite, trying not to look impressed and failing miserably.

“Wow! Look, Sloanie!” the youngest says, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “The hockey players are right there!” He rips his gaze away long enough to settle on Elody.

“This is Sawyer, Caleb, and Faith,” Sloane says, dropping into a chair. “My siblings.” She points at them. “Don’t touch or break anything. I’m being serious.”

Faith rolls her eyes. “Chill. We’re not going to break anything.”

“You say that now,” Sloane mutters.

Caleb, however, is already moving, drawn to Elody as if by some invisible pull. “Elody!” he calls, waving his hand.

She squeals, wriggling away from Kia and racing toward him. “Caleb!”

They meet in the middle of the space, as if they’re long-lost friends, before throwing their arms around each other and jumping up and down for a full thirty seconds. As they grin at each other, he pulls a small dragon from his pocket and holds it out to her.

“I brought you this.”

Elody’s eyes widen as she takes the toy, inspecting it carefully, as if it’s the most precious thing she’s ever been given. They start talking over each other, words tumbling out too quickly to follow, completely lost in their own little world.

I can’t help but smile.

“Well,” Evelyn says, glancing at Kia, “They seem like the very best of friends.”

Kia laughs. “It’s like this every time they get together.”

“Barely old enough to tie their shoes and already attached. Mark my words, that’s exactly how it all starts,” Evelyn says with a shake of her head.

Her gaze shifts as an older man steps into the suite. I recognize him from the event. Hugh. Or Hot Hugh, as Sloane called him. He greets a few people, his smile easy, but his attention keeps drifting back to Evelyn.

And when he moves closer, not quite touching but close enough that it feels intentional, something in the air shifts. It’s subtle but impossible to ignore.

It’s almost like watching a conversation unfold without words, as if they’re orbiting each other, caught in something neither of them is quite ready to break.

My attention is pulled back to the ice when the noise in the arena swells as warm-ups continue. Unable to help myself, I step closer to the glass. It doesn’t take long to find Knox. He stands out without even trying as he glides across the ice, his movements smooth and controlled.

He looks so much bigger out there. Somehow, the pads manage to broaden already wide shoulders, and on skates, he’s even taller. I haven’t attended many sporting events, and certainly not hockey games, but I’m starting to understand the appeal.

Knox skates past the glass once and then again. On the second pass, his head turns, his gaze scanning the suite until it lands on me, and a slow, satisfied smile spreads across his face. That’s all it takes for a fluttering sensation to fill my stomach.

His attention stays locked on me as he taps the ice once with his stick as he passes, a subtle acknowledgment that feels like it’s meant just for me. My lips curve before I can stop them. For a second, everything else fades to the background. All I can think about is the way he looked at me yesterday and how his hands felt on my body.

Rina’s laugh cuts straight through my thoughts.

“Oh, girl,” she says, stepping beside me. “You are in so much trouble.”