Hard Checked (Ice Kings #4) - Stacey Lynn Page 0,66

coming, fit. I’ve spent hours next to him, crammed on my tiny couch, books shoved to the side and flipped through photos I printed of my travels.

I’ve spent hours in front of his fireplace, hockey on the television, snuggled up next to him on his much larger, and much cozier couch, while he flips through scrapbooks his mom put together over the years of his hockey career from Pee Wee through college.

A pre-teen Sebastian Hendrix with his shaggy blond-ish hair and misty green eyes in full hockey gear.

It’s a miracle my heart didn’t explode from how absolutely adorable he was.

And when I called him that, he flung the book to the floor and took me on the couch, making me beg and plead for an orgasm and promise I would never use that word to describe him again.

Needless to say, my mission to keep my heart protected from a guy moving on from a marriage and a wife he loved has failed.

While I blow dry my hair, Sebastian finishes his shower and towels off, heading to my bedroom to get dressed due to the lack of space. Most nights we’re together I spend at his house, but even though there’s more space and he has a bed a thousand times more comfortable than my own, I like it more when he’s here.

Possibly because it means I’m not having sex with a man on the same bed he shared with his recent ex-wife.

Possibly it’s because I really like the smell of him all over my pillows and sheets on the weeks when he’s traveling, and I can’t see him. Although, he’s made up for that, too with ample FaceTime calls late at night or before his games.

Which to me, says this is more than keeping it easy and casual because he seems to want to be around me as much as I want to be around him, and it’s not like it’s just for sex. We don’t always have it, but I do always fall asleep wrapped in his arms… in a position he puts me in.

That has to mean something, right?

Stop getting ahead of yourself.

Right. I’m the one who offered to keep this easy. He agreed. He’s even admitted he doesn’t know what he has to give. And there’s the chance I could still be a fun way to pass the time so he’s not alone all the time.

All the logic in the world can’t penetrate my heart that’s falling for him. But the view of him dropping a towel, standing several feet away, unashamed in every glorious inch of what God gave him, makes it totally worth the heartache that might be coming my way.

Gah. He’s so… everything perfect in a male specimen.

Rippling muscles. Perfectly curved pecs. Arms that show his strength without being overly bulky. As for everything below the sexy as sin V-shaped muscle at his hips? Utter perfection.

He’s also holding my phone, and it’s clear he’s said something I missed during my visual stalking behavior because he’s grinning.

I turn off the hairdryer and drop both it and my brush.

“What?”

“You were getting a call, from an unknown number.” He hands me the phone. I glance at it and see they left a voicemail.

“I’ll check it later. Probably some stupid robocall or something. Thanks, though.”

I’m still staring at him. Can’t help it. “You should get clothes on.”

“I like the way you look at me when I don’t.”

To prove it, he puffs out his chest and places his hands on his hips. God. He’s showing off for me.

Ridiculous.

He’s also stolen my quick comebacks and sassy words. The sight of him like this in front of me leaves me speechless.

“Stare any harder at me and something of mine is going to demand its own attention.”

“I can’t help it. Your body is just… well… wow.” I exaggerate for effect and in return, get the reaction I was hoping for.

A full-on belly laugh with rippling, naked abs, is the perfect way to start my day. Better, maybe, than coffee.

“You are definitely good for my confidence.” He moves toward me too quick for me to jump out of his way, not that I would, of course and grabs my hand pulling me to him. “You can always make me laugh.”

“I like hearing it when you do.” I tip my head back. “It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

“My laugh?”

“Yeah, because you don’t do it often.”

“Hmmm.” There’s humor lingering in those gorgeous green eyes of his that quickly turns heated in a different