Page 16 of Shane
“You think she was hot for me?” he asks when she walks away to take care of someone else.
“Pretty sure she was.” I roll my eyes.
“Areyouhot for me?” he asks with a look on his face that I can’t discern. Is he playing around with me right now or am I seriously supposed to answer that?
Suddenly, another loud cheer erupts from behind us, saving me from the ridiculous attempt I was about to make of lying through my teeth because hell yeah, I’m hot for him. Who wouldn’t be?
We both turn to see two members of his team locking horns in what looks to be an impromptu wrestling match right in the middle of the pub.
"I should probably go handle that," he says apologetically.
“Don't worry about it," I reply casually, "I'm used to being ditched at this point."
He looks taken aback by my bad attempt at a joke, but before he can respond, his teammates’ shouting can no longer be ignored. He grimaces slightly before turning back towards me.
"Hey, it was really nice meeting you." He spares a quick glance over his shoulder at the commotion and back at me. "But duty calls."
“Go ahead,” I nod and give him a tight-lipped smile. "Your herd needs tending."
He laughs at my statement; the sound is hearty and endearing. Then he leans in for a brief moment, his lips barely grazing my ear as he speaks above the noise of the bar. His proximity sends a shiver down my spine and my nipples instantly pebble.
“I’ll make sure we run into each other again, Kennedy.” His breath is warm and smells faintly of mint mixed with tequila. “You can count on it.”
His lips move dangerously closer to mine, and he plants a gentle kiss on my mouth as his fingertips graze the side of my waistline. I don’t know if it’s the tequila or what, but I part my lips, craving more exploration of the kiss. In the moment, I don’t care that I’m standing in a crowded bar full of strangers, especially when his tongue slides across mine for the briefest of moments. The kiss is short, but it’s incredibly erotic, and my thong is drenched with the yearning for something more.
“I’ll find you,” he says. Then he straightens up, giving me a last look before stepping away, maneuvering with ease through the crowd.
Damn, that was sexy.
Pepper and Minka finally join me at the bar, each sporting a wide grin plastered on their face. “Kennedy, this is our baby-faced Minka. Minka, this is Kennedy.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say politely, my head still in a fog from the hottest first kiss I’ve ever had.
“Same, girl.”
Now that I’ve met Minka it makes total sense why she always gets carded. While I’m slight in build, she’s built like a bean pole, with very few curves and several blackhead pimples across her t-zone. At best, she looks like a ninth grader with a cool wardrobe, definitely not a sophomore in college.
"Who was that?" Pepper asks curiously, following my gaze to where the hockey players are gathered.
"No one," I reply nonchalantly, waving her off.
Did they see us kiss?
Her eyes twinkle with mischief as she nudges Minka. "She is so lying."
Minka giggles, glancing between us. Pepper's gaze turns back to me, an eyebrow cocked expectantly. "Spill the beans.”
"There's nothing to spill," I argue half-heartedly while chugging back the rest of my shot. The liquid is smoother this time around as it slides down my throat.
"Bullshit," she says, reaching over to the bar for two shots, handing one to Minka. “I leave you alone for five minutes and you've made friends with the damn hockey team? I told you’d they’d be easy to find.”
“Impressive for a freshman,” Minka adds.
“Hardly.” I try playing it off even as a blush creeps up my neck for the second time tonight. “I met one hockey player, and he was helping me orderyourtequila shots. Evidently, he’s got a way with the ladies,” I say, referencing the female bartender near our end of the bar.
Pepper playfully leans in closer to me, her bleach-blonde hair falling over her freckled shoulders. "And just who is thisonehockey player? Did you get a name?”
"Does it matter?" I ask, but even as I say it, I steal yet another glance toward where Shane is standing. I can’t help it. He’s like a bright shiny new object, twinkling among the boring beige and brown bodies among us. I can’t keep my eyes off of him.