After a career-ending fight, ex-professional-hockey-player-turned-Zamboni-driver Chase Cassidy has never looked back at the sport. He's perfectly content cleaning the ice between periods and chatting with fellow staff members, and running a pub outs...
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Spencer
"We did not dine and dash," I say, sipping my margarita. I'm out with my friends at a Mexican restaurant where the margaritas are cheap and the food is delicious. "Chase was joking. But I will admit, he got a rise out of me."
Amelia giggles and slaps my shoulder. "Tell them about what you did."
Sighing, I run my finger along the rim of the glass. Then I lick the salt from my finger. "I panicked. He really had me going. So much so that I proposed he stay at the ice cream shoppe while I ran back home to grab my purse."
Jamie shakes his head, fighting off a smirk. He's holding a bottle of beer close to his lips. "You didn't have your credit card? What about Wallet on your phone?" He takes a sip of the beer.
I throw my hands up. "Chase told me he wanted to buy, so I respected that. There is nothing wrong with having a man buy dinner for you." From the plate, I swipe a nacho. It's drenched in melted cheese, jalapeños, and fresh tomatoes. I pop it in my mouth, chewing slowly. "Besides, he said I could buy the next round. Trust me, that man will be true to his word. Anyway, getting back to the story, I was losing my mind. That's why I didn't think about Wallet on my phone, okay? Plus, he was super convincing. He strung me along for a good five minutes before his face cracked a smile."
Amelia encourages me to continue. "Keep going! Ev, you're gonna love this part."
I sigh, slouching against the padded booth. "Then I flicked whipped cream at his face before..." I take a deep breath.
Amelia slaps the table, squealing. "Before she sucked his face clean!"
While Jamie and Everleigh howl with laughter, I try to calm the embarrassment coursing through my veins. There's nothing wrong with kissing in public. Amelia is exaggerating her point (not that I can blame her—she's on her fifth margarita). After Chase caved and told me he was joking, I flicked whipped cream in his face and told him to fuck off. We sat there for several seconds before I started laughing. Seeing him smirk and be confident while having whipped cream sliding down from the corner of his mouth to his jaw was too much for me. Chase joined in soon after. Then I leaned across the table, cupped his face, and kissed him. There was no sucking, but I made sure his face was clean.
Honestly, I'm surprised we could keep it PG. Now that we're exploring new ground, my emotions are volatile when I'm around him. There's something smouldering between us, which makes me wonder if we're moving too fast. Emotions, especially when they're volatile, can lead to poor decisions or skewer your logic. I've had shitty luck with men, which means I have to be careful. Even if I trust Chase. I'm not expecting things to be perfect between us. Nor am I implying that a slower pace with enable that illusion of perfection. I just want to be careful. Avoid becoming so infatuated with my teenage-crush-turned-potential-boyfriend that I forget what my goals are.
But my logic doesn't diminish how I feel about him. Now that I've stepped past those walls and his grumpy persona, I'm realizing just how complex Chase is. Him being able to show his vulnerability makes me respect him even more. He knows his boundaries, which makes him aware that I have boundaries too. I like the dynamics between us. But I'm not gonna lie... I want to drag my tongue along those washboard abs. And feel his body on top of mine, his weight crushing me.
