“Sure.” He nodded and started ushering my sisters from the room. “Come on, girls.”
The tightness in my chest only relented when the door clicked shut behind them. I waited until I heard their footsteps on the stairs before I stalked over to my closet door andwrenched it open.
Parker grinned happily as he stepped out. “Your clothes smell nice.”
“I—” I shook my head. “My dad camethisclose to catching you here and that’s all you have to say? My clothes smell nice?”
“Realnice,” he added. “Like roses or something.”
“You need to go!” Did he really not understand the urgency of this?
Parker leaned against the closet door and tucked one hand in his pocket, like there was no reason to rush. “I’m not leaving until I’ve got a new goaltender.”
“I already explained why that’s not going to happen.”
“You gave me some excuses, sure. But are you really not willing to even try?”
“What’s the point when I know it’ll end badly?”
“I’m not convinced.” His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “There has to be something else that’s holding you back. Unless…”
I knew I shouldn’t encourage him. That whatever he was getting at I wasn’t going to like. Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t stop myself. “Unless what?”
“It’s the tension between us, isn’t it?”
“If you’ve only just realized how much I hate being around you, then you haven’t been listening.”
“I’m not talking about that kind of tension.” He pushed off the doorframe and walked toward me, and my heart seemed to beat faster with every step he took. It had to be the adrenaline still coursing through my veins from nearly being caught, right?
I wanted nothing more than to back away as he came close,but I resolutely stood my ground. “There is no other kind of tension.”
“No?” His eyes glinted with mischief. “Look, I know resisting me is hard. Especially since we kissed and you probably want to do it again, but surely that’s not going to stop you joining the team.”
“I’m not refusing to join the team because we kissed!”
“What other reason could there be?”
“Uh, I’ve given you a few, and I can think of plenty more.”
“You’re really saying you haven’t thought about kissing me once since that summer?”
“Not once.”
“I find that hard to believe. It was a pretty good kiss.”
He was standing so close to me now, I had to tilt my head back to look up at him as he towered over me.
“I don’t remember.”
His eyes glittered. God, I hated when they did that. “If it would help, I can remind you. Maybe it’ll release a bit of that tension.”
I hesitated, but only for a moment before I tore my eyes away from him and stepped back. Was he serious or just that desperate for a new goalie?
“You’re really pimping your lips out to get me on the team?” I asked.
“Hmm, that’s not a no to my offer…”
“That’s ahellno to your offer.”
