And after a few seconds and a few layers of enamel gritted off his molars, he grunts, “Sorry.” The word is barely audible, and I roll my lips to hold in my laugh. My Emett pouts less when being chastised than this grown brute of a hockey player.
“Like you mean it, Exton,” Electra persists and he blows up.
“Fuck no, he came here to flirt with you. The fuck am I supposed to be nice to him?”
“Well, I’ll be damned…” the guy muses, thoroughly entertained. “Oh, man, I didn’t think I’d see the day.”
“Shut up, asshole and drive away,” Exton snarks back, but it sounds more like a fight between two brothers.
I’m so busy watching their exchange, that somehow, I lose track of the newcomer until it’s too late because his eyes have found mine…warm caramel with hints of frigid black.
I realize the air is coming in and out of my lungs, but I can’t feel it. Can’t draw enough of it. It feels like I’m choking and breathing in far too much all at once. My mind grows fuzzy, my skin hot and sensitive, because he’s watching me as if he’d never seen a woman with blonde hair like mine. Or lips like mine as his eyes trace every curve and groove of them.
His eyes move to the beauty mark that is right underneath my bottom lip, and he tilts his head like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world.
And I’m not sure he means it in a good way.
There’s something dark about his gaze. Something deeper and threatening.
I don’t think I’m bad, but there’s also nothing extra special about me. I’m just a tired, single mom, yet the way he watches me…
He watches me like he knows me. Really knows me. My past. My present. My future.
My every secret and desire.
And to my utter horror, I realize I’m mirroring the expression as my eyes trail over every feature that wasn’t visible from afar. Both physical and those he hides on the other side of those caramel eyes and easy smiles.
I realize we’ve been locked in on each other far longer than normal people would deem appropriate so I shift, pulling my gaze away.
That seems to snap him out of whatever stupor he was in as well.
“Um…” He gets up from where he was still hunched over, setting the box down and clears his throat. “Will you introduce us?” he asks, those magical eyes shifting back to mine.
“This is my friend Aurora,” Electra says chirpily. “Aurora, this is Exton’s friend and goalie for the Outlaws, Sever—” But her words get cut off as my overly excited son runs at us at a neck break speed, followed by a shrill shriek.
“Mr. Brick!”
My body is about to fly out of my seat to catch my crazy child as he’s seconds away from running face-first into ice, but Exton is there before me, and I let out a sigh of relief as my gaze registers Severin—yes, now I know who the guy is—bracing as well, like he was about to catch Emett as well.
“Easy there, kid, we still need you in one piece.” Exton helps him up, chuckling. “I see you know Mr. Brick here as well?”
“Are you kidding me? Who doesn’t?” His little green eyes light up so brightly, it brings tears to my own but also worry. Maybe it’s wrong but I want to shield my son from every bad thing out there. I don’t want his hopes and dreams to be crushed. I don’t want his little heart broken, and it might be if one of his hockey idols just brushes him off.
Severin stops for a brief second, watching Emett with that same hidden curiosity and then drops to the ground in front ofhim. “Hey, little man. It seems a little unfair that you know my name, but I don’t know yours.”
“I’m Emett!” he proclaims excitedly. “And I’m gonna be the best hockey player when I grow up!” He states it as a given fact and the most gorgeous, soul-stealing smile spreads across Severin’s lips.
A real smile that brings out the warmth in his eyes.
“Are you now?”
“Mm-hmm, that’s why mommy brought me here today. So, I can train withTheAxe.” Emett says Exton’s nickname with a dash of worship to it, but that’s not the fact that Severin seems to be hang up on.
“That pretty girl is your mommy?” he asks, and whatever wind I had left inside me, gets knocked right out from me.
“Yeah! The prettiest mommy in all the world,” Emett states once again, his head bobbing up and down, and I feel my cheeks taking on a new shade of pink that has nothing to do with the cold air.
Out of the corner of his eye I catch Severin chance a glance my way. Not in a sleazyI’m checking you outway. No, this is more like agreement but also…pain…intense and deep, making me shift in my seat.
