Page 21 of Shootout
“Yeah, we are,” he agreed with a wistful smile.
“At least my fam is only up the road in Vancouver.” I was lucky about that, and I knew it. Banks and I had more in common than I’d realized.
“I wish mine was close by,” he said wistfully.
“Isn’t your twin playing for Portland?”
“He is, but I haven’t seen him in a month or so. He’s been busy, and so have I.”
I heard the pain in his voice and sympathized with him. When I’d gone to school in Minnesota, I’d missed my family immensely. “Do you just have a brother?”
“No, there’s five of us. My brother and I are numbers two and three. My oldest brother is twenty-nine and a high school teacher. My two sisters are nineteen and twenty-one. I get where Wild is coming from. I’d be threatening any teammate who dared date one of my sisters.”
“Why?” I was intrigued.
“For the same reason your brother has. We know hockey players and how they think.”
“And how do hockey players think?”
He frowned for a moment. “I was referring to male hockey players.”
I nodded. I hadn’t taken offense. It took more than an offhand comment to offend me—sometimes.
“They’re horndogs, looking for the next lay, girl in every city, that kind of stuff.”
“Are you like that?”
He met my gaze, and his smile was positively feral. “What do you think?”
“I’d say you were not only describing my dear bachelor brother but yourself.”
“Guilty as charged. Nothing wrong with hooking up when both parties understand that’s all it is.”
“Nothing at all.” In my pre-Rick days, I’d had a few one-night stands while at away games. Guys weren’t the only ones who had puck bunnies following them around. Female hockey players had their own version. At least, my college team did, and so did the women’s Olympic team.
His gaze met mine, and I didn’t dare try to decipher what was on his face. I wondered what he saw on mine.
Did I want to hook up with this gorgeous man? I’d never been with a pro hockey player before. They stayed far away because of my brother, and I couldn’t blame them. Jason had zero issues kicking ass, and those threats he lobbed at Banks weren’t idle ones.
“Are you saying—?” he asked, leaving the rest of the question hanging between us.
“It’s probably not a good idea. Jason already wants to stuff you in a wood chipper.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s a stupid idea.” Banks smiled wryly at me. He seemed…disappointed. Truthfully, I was too. I’d secretly hoped he’d take me up on my offer.
“Are you ready to go?” He placed a wad of cash on the table for the tabs.
“Sure.”
“Let’s go then.”
Together we walked out to his car, and he helped me inside the low-slung sexy vehicle. Getting in on the other side, he started the engine, and it roared to life.
“Nice car,” I said.
“I love it, but it’s not practical in the snow.”
“I’m guessing not.”
