Page 54 of Risking the Pucking Defense

“What are you doing?”

“Skydiving,” I deadpan, keeping my eyes focused on the task at hand. I don’t need to turn around to know she just rolled her eyes at me.

I place the glass on the drainer and then turn around, resting my ass against the counter. Disappointment floods me when I find that she’s now wearing a tank and shorts.

I didn’t pull my T-shirt back on, though, and before Hailee meets my eyes, she blatantly checks me out. It’s the boost I need after what just happened.

“See something you like?” I tease, making her eyes jump to mine.

“I’m sorry. I freaked out a little back there. I don’t…”

“You don’t owe me an explanation,” I say when her words trail off, and her gaze drops to the floor.

She doesn’t continue straight away, and I assume she isn’t going to. And that’s fine; what I just said is true. She doesn’t owe me anything.

“I don’t do well taking direction from men,” she finally says.

“Prefer to be the one dishing out the orders, huh?”

“I don’t like giving up power,” she explains, looking up again.

“Makes sense.” I search her eyes, looking for more, desperate to learn more about her.

She’s such an enigma at work. A powerhouse of a woman who isn’t afraid to tell anyone how it is. I’ve never seen her cower or back down, no matter how big and intimidating the man she might be going up against is. It’s hot as hell, but it never really occurred to me that there could be some hidden reason behind it all. I assumed she just got a kick out of it—which, I’m sure, she does. But there’s more to it; I can see it hidden in the shadows, darkening her eyes.

“I should probably go,” I offer, feeling like I’ve probably outstayed my welcome. If I were even welcome in the first place.

Hailee’s lips part as if she wants to say something. My heart jumps with the hope she’s going to ask me to stay, but those aren’t the words that come out of her mouth.

“Yeah. I’ve got a load of work to do.”

I nod, hoping like hell I don’t look as disappointed as I feel.

Pushing from the counter, I walk toward the front door, but a book sitting on her coffee table catches my eye.

“Dark romance, huh?”

“W-what?” she stutters as I walk toward the book, pick it up, and start reading the back. “Oh…um…” This time when I look up, I know for a fact that the blush on her cheeks has nothing to do with the sun.

“This is on our TBR list,” I explain as I place it back down again. “Rylee hated cliffhangers, so she was waiting until this final one came out before we started.”

“It only came out last week,” Hailee says sadly.

“Yeah,” I agree, rubbing at my chest where the constant pain gets worse again.

“I promised her I’d read everything on her TBR list, no matter how long it takes me. Maybe I should move this series up. We could talk about it then.”

“I don’t get a lot of time to read. That’ll probably take me months to get through,” she admits.

“That’ll give me time to catch up,” I say, my grin growing.

It’s stupid, but doing something as simple as reading a book I know someone else is reading makes life feel a little more normal.

Hailee watches me as I close the space between us, her eyes bouncing between mine.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“Why would I be joking? Rylee and I have read hundreds of books over the years.”