I wrap my hands around her, pulling her against me. Did she just moan? Maybe, maybe not. But if she did, I’m betting it was very on cue. I break the kiss, keeping my arm around her shoulders.
“Sorry I left you out here stranded,” I say. “Jay had work, and I had an interview.”
“I’m a big girl,” she replies, voice teasing. “I can get myself home.”
“But you stayed?”
“Of course. I wanted to see you,” she says, eyes glinting.
“We’re all headed to Kilting Around for drinks and food. You want to come?”
“I do,” she answers.
I grin, and we head toward my car, the crisp night air buzzing with the energy from the game. Once we’re both inside, she drifts a hand onto my arm. I glance over at her, curious, my heart doing that stupid, unpredictable thump it started doing around her ever since she helped me out at Christmas.
“Jax,” she begins, her voice soft, almost shaky. “The WAGs…they’re all so nice.”
“Yeah, they are,” I agree, smiling. She nibbles her lower lip, hesitation in her gaze. “What’s wrong?” I ask gently, catching the subtle shift in her mood.
“I…sort of told Jaylynn what we were doing,” she admits, eyes darting to mine. “And I’m sure she’ll tell Penn. But I’m also confident our secret is safe with them. In fact…”
Her words trail off, a small crease forming in her forehead as she hesitates.
“In fact, what?” I press, unable to hide my curiosity.
She throws her hands up in the air. “She said…a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”
I laugh, the tension breaking just a little. “So she thinks this is a solid plan?”
Rowyn bites her lip again, and then lowers her voice. “Actually…she confessed a little more to me. She told me that she and Penn were pretending at Christmas. Something to do with Dylan, and they ended up engaged.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “So that’s what he was talking about.”
“He told you?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Not exactly in words, but yeah.”
Then she shifts uncomfortably. “The WAGs also invited me to Vegas.” I catch the slight edge in her tone. “They just…automatically took me in as one of their own, even though I’m not.”
Her glance flicks away, and I don’t miss the unspoken weight in that statement. Was that a reminder to me—or to herself?
“You don’t want to go?” I ask, guessing at her hesitation. Before she can answer, I probe, “Work?”
“I could try to get the time off. Lord knows I don’t take enough vacation, and I really am burnt out. I just…don’t want to deceive anyone,” she admits, voice soft, eyes sincere.
I nod, understanding. “Let’s just take it one day at a time. A month is a long way off. If we play our cards right, you’ll be with hot coffee-shop guy by then.”
She smirks, teasing lightly. “You think we should call him Matt?”
I sense the joke is a shield, something she’s using to mask what she’s really feeling. Which is…what? I’m about to ask if she wants to abort this plan, but she gives my arm another squeeze. “We’d better get going. I don’t want to stay out too late tonight.”
“I’ll get you home early,” I promise, smiling down at her, feeling that quiet, electric pull between us that I really need to ignore.
She gives me a warm smile, and I merge into traffic, which is always crazy after a game. The city is alive tonight, horns honking, people cheering, pedestrians darting in between. Everyone’s caught up in the playoff frenzy, and now that we’re heading to the finals, the energy is electric. I’m here for it.
Once we clear the rink area, things loosen up a bit. I glance at Rowyn, and she still has that pensive look, like her mind’s running laps I can’t see. She must feel my gaze because she turns toward me.
Gina’s swamped at work,” she begins. “Changes in staff, hard to replace people. And she’s struggling to get a sitter for her kids on the weekend.”