Bennett (On the Line 2)

“Okay. I’ll call if I need a ride. Riley lives five minutes from me, so if we’re leaving at the same time, I’ll just catch one from him.”

Her ex? I didn’t like the thought. That guy wanted back in her pants.

“I’ll pick you up, Charlotte.”

“It’s really not necessary.”

“Yeah, but I want to.”

“Okay.”

I dropped her off, got her car keys, and drove to her place, where her car was parked in the lot of her building. It was an easy fix, just a new battery. Her serpentine belt was shot, so I replaced it too. I lingered a little longer than I had to in her driver’s seat when I tested the new battery, the old-school rap music playing in her car and package of peanut M&M’s in her cup holder making me feel a twinge of desire for her.

The more I found out about Charlotte, the more I liked her. Behind that gorgeous face was a woman who was quirky and had a tendency to shoot from the hip. I’d fantasized about women before getting them into bed before, but this was the first time I was fantasizing about a woman I’d already had. It wasn’t just because we were having a kid together; Charlotte had captured my attention from our very first night together, and she most definitely still had it.

Charlotte

“Your brother’s hot,” my friend Tara said, ogling his photo on the giant screen above the arena’s ice rink. “Does he like redheads?”

“Usually, but he texted me earlier that he’s sort of seeing someone.”

“How sort of?”

“I didn’t ask.”

I scanned the rink and found the “Morse” sweater I’d been searching for, my pulse pounding at the sight of him. His broad back was turned to me until he collided with another player. He pushed away and took off down the ice in pursuit of the puck.

“Damn, he’s hot too,” Tara said, pointing at the screen. “It’s like a smorgasbord up in here.”

“I told Liam we’d go out with him after, so you’ll get a better look at the guys then.”

“Nice. And I have a built-in designated driver in my pregnant friend.”

I didn’t tell her I’d ridden with her in hopes of getting a ride home from Bennett. But if she needed me to drive her home tonight, I would.

Liam yelled in the face of a player from the opposing team and shoved him. The crowd rumbled to life as they started fighting, each one holding the other’s sweater as they punched each other.

My brother ended up in the penalty box, but my attention was focused on Bennett. As soon as the lines changed and he slid over the half-wall, he looked over at where Tara and I were sitting.

I felt his eyes on me, my skin tingling as sure as if he’d touched me.

“You’ve been so mysterious about the father of the baby,” Tara said. “It’s definitely not Riley?”

“Definitely not,” I said, forcing myself to turn away from Bennett and look at her.

Tara was a friend I’d met at a yoga class, and she knew I was pregnant, but that was all. I’d just told her we were coming to watch my brother’s game and left out the part about Bennett.

The Flyers’ first line was fast and strong. It made me proud that Bennett and Liam were on the powerhouse line, scoring two of the team’s three goals.

But at the end of the game, the other team scraped out a 4–3 win. Bennett’s expression was somber, his shoulders slumped forward in defeat on the bench.

“Will the guys be in a bad mood since they lost such a close game?” Tara whispered to me.

I shrugged. “Liam takes all losses hard, but I don’t know if the other guys are as intense as he is.”

Liam had texted me the name of a pub nearby where he wanted to meet up after the game. Tara and I went there and ordered some nachos while we waited. She had one loaded up with meat, cheese, and sour cream, halfway to her mouth, when she paused.

“Jesus, they wear suits?” she muttered. “I think my panties just melted.”