Wild Tendy (IceCats 2)

I hold his gaze. “You can use that death trap as a trade-in.”

He draws in his brows. “Hey, it’s only a death trap when crazy women slam into it,” he teases, and I snort with laughter.

“You got me there.”

He grins. “Take it.”

“No. I swear, I’m good. I’ll take Jaylin for the low price of a hundred bucks and be on my way.”

He holds my gaze, and I think he knows I won’t budge because he nods. “Fine. Can I pay Jaylin?”

“No way. Why would you even ask?”

“’Cause I want to make you smile.”

My heart flutters, and of course, I do smile. “You’re just pissing me off.”

“Your face doesn’t look pissed off,” Callie observes, and I glare over at her.

“You’re about to walk home,” I throw at her, and soon, she is giggling as she gets back on her phone.

When Nico laces his fingers through mine, I hide behind my ice cream to keep myself from giggling like my sister. His eyes are so dark, and he’s so damn smooth. I’m holding a guy’s hand while eating ice cream. I think this is a first. “You’re working tomorrow?”

“All day long. You have a game or practice?”

“Practice, but I’m free Sunday before we leave for two weeks.”

My stomach falls. “You’re leaving for two weeks?”

“Yeah, we have games in Canada and then against the California teams,” he says around his mouthful of ice cream.

“That’s why I don’t have orders for two weeks,” I say, all of it clicking in my head.

“Yeah, sorry. I’d bring you with me, and you could make subs during the day. But at night…” His words fall off since there is a teenager beside us. Unfortunately, my sister doesn’t understand that he was trying to be discreet.

“He’ll want in your pants,” she announces, not even looking at us. She’s on that damn phone, and I want to toss it.

“Callie,” I say sternly, and she shrugs.

“We’re all thinking it.”

I look back to him, and he nods. I roll my eyes and think it’s time for a change of subject. “Well, that sucks,” I say, and I mean it. That is super disappointing. I don’t want him to leave.

“Don’t worry. I’ll call and text.”

“You better,” I say, stroking my thumb along his. “So, I’m closed Sunday. We can do something then.”

“Yes, like go skating.”

I make a face. “I was thinking Netflix and chill.”

That makes the phone drop and Nico’s eyes widen. “Talk about me speaking the truth. Listen to you.”

I draw in my brows. “What? I need to catch up on Stranger Things, and I wanted to eat my weight in Sour Patch Kids. Netflix and chilling with him and my Sour Patch Kids. Not you. You’re not invited.”

Callie looks at Nico, who is laughing—hard. What am I missing? “Thank God! Vee, Netflix and chill means the guy comes over for a hookup.”

My jaw drops. “No way!”

“Get off the damn bread recipe sites and pay attention to reality, please,” she says, and I feel stupid.

I press my hand to my chest as I look back at him. “Did you know that?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

“I’m so old,” I cry out playfully, and Callie nods.

“So old.”

Nico’s brow perks. “How old are you?”

“Thirty-two. You?”

He grins. “Twenty-seven.”

“Mmm, my sister is a cougar.”

“For the love of God, I am not. It’s only five years.”

“Cougar,” she says, and then she rawrrs like the child she is. Lord help me. Nico, he thinks it’s hilarious. “Anyway! Can I stay with Amanda tonight? We’re gonna train for a couple hours and then go to her house for the night.”

I’m still pissed about the cougar talk. I should say no, but I really want that bath and Nico. “That’s fine.”

“Are you going to go skating with us on Sunday?” Nico asks, and she nods.

“Yeah,” she says.

This all feels very right. Like this is supposed to happen. There has never been a third person, but it’s nice to have one now.

When Nico looks over at me, he grins. “What?”

“You fit in.”

“Damn right, I do. I’m awesome.”

Callie nods. “He is.”

Yeah. Yeah, he is.

* * *

We don’t even make it up the stairs before Nico has his arms around me. I laugh loudly as he turns me in his hold and presses me up against his front door. He cradles my head in his hands before his mouth captures mine. God, he tastes so damn good. Feels so good. His body envelops mine, holding me so close I can feel his heart pounding in his chest. I know the cadence of my heart matches his. He moves his tongue along my lips playfully, teasing with his teeth and driving me absolutely insane. I have wanted this since he showed up at the shop.

Shit, since I met him.

He somehow gets the door open and walks me inside, guiding me in before kicking the door shut. He holds me in his arms, still kissing me as he locks the door before dropping his keys into a bowl by the door. He pulls his mouth not far from mine. “I am going to undress you, taste every single inch of you, and then put you in the tub where you will relax and not think of anything but how hard you will come when I get you in my bed.”