He grunted at the impact, but a cheeky smile touched his lips as he peered up at me. My breath caught as I stared back at him. We’d been avoiding each other the entire game, but now we couldn’t have been pressed closer together. His cheeks were pink with exertion, his hair was ruffled as it fell across his face, and his eyes were glittering like a summer lake struck by sunlight. All thoughts of hockey fled my mind. The only thing I could concentrate on was how close we were. And how tightly Parker was still holding me.
The cheekiness in his gaze shifted into something more powerful as he eyes dipped to my lips. For a moment, just amoment, I allowed myself to look at his lips too. My body buzzed. My heart raced. And I wondered if perhaps he was one mistake worth repeating.
But then he started talking. “Did you just fall for me, Mackenzie Foster?”
“We collided, Parker. That was gravity.”
“Well, whatever it is, it feels really good.”
I shoved myself off his firm chest and clambered to my feet.
Tension continued to flicker between us as he also stood. I wasn’t sure why he was suddenly grinning at me when it felt like he’d been keeping his distance all afternoon.
I dusted myself off and said, “I’m pretty sure that was a penalty, by the way. You know there’s no physical contact in pond hockey.”
“And you know I don’t like to play by the rules.”
“Is that what you were thinking yesterday, too?”
The mischievous look in his eyes disappeared. “No, yesterday, I—” He paused. “Yesterday, I wasn’t thinking. It’s becoming a bit of a problem for me when it comes to you…”
The intensity with which he held my gaze made my heart race for all the wrong reasons. What was up with me today? This was Parker.Parker. The guy I’d rather punch than kiss. Unfortunately, while I still wanted to punch him, I also kind of wanted to kiss him.
“You guys okay?” Reed’s voice calling over to us pulled me back to reality.
“Uh, yeah, all good,” Parker replied.
“Well, game’s over, time to go.”
“Yeah, nice goal, Kenzie.” I turned to see Max clappinghis hands at me and then glanced beyond Parker to the goal behind him. The puck was nestled against it. It seemed, despite Parker’s efforts, I’d scored the winning goal.
Parker and I followed the rest of the group over to the edge of the lake where we changed back into our shoes.
“You guys want to come for dinner?” Reed asked my brother. “We can watch the Wild game too.”
“Yeah, we’d love that,” Max said.
Wewouldnotlove that. I shot my brother a hard look, but he ignored me.
“Great,” Reed replied. “We’ll meet you back at the house.”
“You don’t need to look so horrified.” Max laughed as we headed back to our own car. “Dinner will be fine.”
I nodded, but it wasn’t dinner I was worried about. It was the blue-eyed, six-foot-something, playboy hockey star who I’d just been lying on top of. I couldn’t seem to think straight, because despite the fact I knew going to his house was definitely a bad idea, it didn’t stop me from getting in the car.
Chapter 24Mackenzie
Parker lived on a scenic and quiet street in a big old house that looked tired but well loved. Tall, snow-dusted trees framed the front and soft golden light spilled out from the large windows, making it look incredibly inviting. It reminded me a little of our place, with its big front porch and classic charm. Though there was no latticework—not that I planned on scaling the Darlings’ house any time soon.
Inside, though, was a different world. Our house was a jarring mix of toddler-created mess and organized but unpacked moving boxes. The Darlings’ home felt lived in. Coats and shoes lined the entranceway and countless family pictures covered the walls. It was warm and just the right amount of chaotic, if a little snug once all of us had squeezed into the living room to watch the hockey game.
“Dad! What the hell?” Reed, Grayson, and Parker all yelled at their father in unison when they saw what he was watching on the TV.
Their dad turned to them, his eyes wide like he’d been caught doing something illegal.
“What is this?” Parker pointed at the TV in disgust.
“Uh, just a little show I put on…”
