“I’ll order us a round of whiskeys, be right back,” Brent announces, and Charlotte follows him to the bar, probably to leave Declan and me alone.
Declan’s eyes examine the room before settling on a view that seems to be me. “You’re gorgeous tonight.”
“Thanks. You look like you have plans this evening.”
“Not particularly. Brent and I were heading for drinks and were going to see where the night takes us.”
His fingertips land on my knee, and I shiver from his simple touch. “How was your week?” I ask.
“Meetings and more meetings, not to mention I asked the agent for an inspection of the house.”
“Oh?” I grip my cosmo and take a quick sip. “Moving to Lake Spark seems likely then, even if only part-time.”
A soft half-smile appears on his mouth. “Probably. Ford and I need to sign off on a few agreements, but the Spinners will have training next season in Lake Spark. How was your week? Nugget behaving? The sheriff checking in?” His jaw tenses for a second, and I can tell he’s both teasing me and curious.
I clear my throat, kind of enjoying that I could make him squirm right now. “Nugget said duck it, which I think he meant fuck it, and I didn’t see the sheriff, nor was I looking. My mission was coffee, bouquets, and letting my thighs rest after a week of strenuous exercise.”
He nudges my shoulder with his. “Not forgetting about me?”
I look at him, a bit taken aback by his comment. “Is that what you want me to do?”
“No, not unless it’s better for you.” He isn’t joking, and I don’t like that.
“Well, it’s not. Besides, I’ll be running into you more often, so let’s consider tonight practice, right?”
“Sure. This place is packed with people in the hockey industry. Have to keep my hands to myself unless we want rumors to fly.”
“You’re doing a poor job then,” I tease him.
His response is to squeeze my knee. “Still up for coffee tomorrow? I was thinking of this little spot up near Lincoln Park that has an indoor conservatory with tropical flowers and birds.”
It feels like he put in thought. “My favorite things, flowers and birds to give me nightmares, I love it.”
He takes his scotch that Brent offers him as they reappear, but I still feel Declan’s hand on my knee, and I don’t think he has any plans of removing it.
Brent and Charlotte sit down across from us. “Charlotte and I have decided that after a few rounds here, we can all move on to the club,” Brent explains with his arm hanging off the back of Charlotte’s chair. I really need to ask her if more is going on between them.
“Which club?” Declan asks before his lips hit the rim of his glass.
“Eclipse,” Charlotte states.
Declan’s mouth pauses on his glass before he slowly lowers the drink, and his body seems to tense. “That’s where you want to go?” he double-checks with Brent who smugly nods a yes.
“Violet already told me that she would go with me.” Charlotte smiles tightly at Declan, nearly proud.
“It would be fun with these two,” Brent adds.
Declan snaps his gaze to me. “You said you would go with Charlotte?”
“Yeah, why not?” I shrug.
His face turns serious. I swear I see a vein pulsing in his temple, and his eyes, good Lord, those eyes, so incredibly dark with possession.
Declan takes hold of my arm. “Excuse us for a second,” he informs Brent and Charlotte.
He pulls me up before I can protest. Declan walks in a fast stride straight to the bathrooms, dragging me close behind. He scans the area to find that it’s quiet and pushes me into a small bathroom with stone walls and acoustic music playing on the speakers.
“What the hell?” I say when I break free from his hold.
