Page 15 of He Has Charm (Boston Brawlers Hockey)
“Are you up to leaving the extracurricular activities behind to focus on hockey?” O’Rourke asks, dead serious.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
“He’s already committed to a puck-bunny-free lifestyle. No more carousing,” Harper says.
“That’s tough the way it went down,” Finn says. “I know something about being set up by a dishonest female.”
Ryan snorts and slaps Finn on the back.
“Turned out all right for you. You’re on your way to getting a wife and baby out of it.”
“Maybe in that order,” Finn says, “If we can settle on a time and place for that wedding.”
“There’s always the JP,” Rafe says and winks. “Worked fine for me.”
“That’s because it was your second marriage. I’d never get away with that.”
“So I just got traded to the most boring team in the NHL with a bunch of married guys, right?” I joke. Aiden laughs and gives a thumbs-up. Finn claps me on the back.
“This is exactly what you need, Knight.” Harper says. “A nice low-key, boring team. Should make it easy to stick to the script. You’ll have nothing to distract you from hockey.”
Nothing except you. I try like hell to keep that sentiment off my face, to not give away the fact that my balls are tight as hell and I’d love to whisk her away to a coat room right now for some extracurriculars. But I won’t because that would be reckless as fuck. Not to mention unfair since it’s clear she’s all kinds of off-limits, the kind of girl who is the opposite of a puck bunny.
She’s the kind of girl a guy marries, the kind who should have a family filled with children. The kind I can never have. I shake off the idea. I need to stay in the moment and not worry about the future beyond the season. That’s the only way to deal with my problem.
“Easy as cake,” I say. “Because I have you. My warden.” I smile and clap her on the back like she’s one of the guys and she gives me a mock glare.
“Your warden?” O’Rourke says.
“I’m his handler. I’m helping him get situated, accustomed to the new city.”
“I get it,” Finn says and he winks at me. It’s more playful than suggestive, but it hits me wrong all the same, like I’m worried about Harper’s reputation.
“Strictly a business deal,” I say. He looks pointedly at my hand, the one that’s wandered back to the small of her back without my notice like it belongs there, like she belongs to me. I stare back and remove my hand, slipping it in my pocket. Finn gives me a mysterious nod and I have no idea what to make of it.
“All business. You know me,” she says. It’s not exactly a defense, but I’ll take it. More like a kid sister putting up with a troublesome brother. All part of the zone she belongs in, anywhere but the fool-around, fun-times zone.
Why do I wish she was defending me like a lover or even, heaven forbid, a girlfriend, but I know the difference. I’m in the bound-by-duty zone, a very poor cousin to the friend-zone, possibly not even related except illegitimately. I feel exactly like a bastard as I throw an arm around her shoulder in a mock-familiar way.
“You know St. John. Business twenty-four-seven, makes an excellent jailer.” She turns to me and gives me the finger, right there in front of the guys, and they laugh at me as she steps out of my hold.
“Is one of you reprobates going to buy me a drink, or what?” she asks.
“You’re the agent. Aren’t you supposed to be buying the drinks?” Finn jokes.
“Ordinarily.” She gives me a sidelong glance. “But this is a mercy drink. To take the edge off my assignment.” She points her thumb at me and the grunts and laughs are all at my expense, but good-natured. Ryan catches the bartender’s attention and orders a Chardonnay. Then he turns to me.
“What are you drinking, Knight?”
“Ice water with a twist of lime.” He raises his brow and I keep my mouth shut. I don’t tell him I need my wits about me to keep my promise about remaining all-business where Harper is concerned. She moves back to my side as the guys talk about the best whiskey and whispers to me.
“Good boy. But don’t put your arm around me like that again. It doesn’t look good for business and I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression. They don’t know you as well as I do so they don’t know you’re harmless.”
Fuck.
“Harmless? I don’t know whether I’m wounded or grateful for such high praise coming from you.” She elbows me in the ribs like she means it.
“You know what I mean. About our understanding.” Ryan hands Harper her Chardonnay and me my ice water and I lift my glass in a salute before I take a sip to cool me off. If I could get away with pouring the ice down my pants right now, I would.
