The Sweet Talker (Boston Hawks Hockey #1) - Gina Azzi Page 0,40

delicately.

I flip him the middle finger.

Torsten laughs. “Or, you need to know what the hell you’re doing about your attraction for her so when Austin gets in your face, which he will before tonight ends, you have a real answer.”

I frown, shifting my gaze toward Austin. He happens to look up at the same moment and when our eyes meet, he stares at me with an uncertainty I’ve never detected from him before. Shit. Torsten’s right. This whole night, I’ve been so wrapped up in Indy, in her energy and connection, that I’ve dismissed all the looks we’ve been getting.

After things with Courtney went sideways, I decided I’m living my life for me and I don’t give a shit who is or isn’t watching. But maybe Indy doesn’t want all that attention, all that poking into her business. Maybe I’ve unknowingly placed her in a position she doesn’t want to be in.

I’ve done it all by being careless and not having the decency to talk to her first.

But what the hell am I going to say? I’m desperate when I’m around you but I don’t know what that means. Blowing out an exhale, I drain my drink and place it on the bar.

“I should talk to Indy,” I mutter to Torsten who looks surprised by my statement.

He nods once, serious. “Okay.”

“I’m going to find her.” I tip my head toward Austin. “Keep him occupied, will ya?”

Torsten snorts. “Yeah, man.”

I smack the back of my hand against his shoulder as I stride toward the bathrooms. Posting up outside the women’s room, I’m relieved that the bathrooms are part of the private room and not for general use. It means no one bothers me and the wait is relatively short.

Three minutes barely pass before Indy waltzes out the door, giggling with her cousins like schoolgirls. All their laughter dies as they spot me, their eyes simultaneously widening.

I chuckle. “You look like a bunch of schoolgirls.”

Vanny grins. “I’m taking that as a compliment, Scotch. I’m almost thirty-four.” She grabs Claire’s arm and begins to steer her away.

“Can we talk?” I ask Indy.

She shoots her cousins a desperate look but they glance between us and scurry away, their laughter ringing out before they clear the hallway.

Indy shuffles from one foot to the other, looking at me for clues.

I hold out a hand and she tentatively takes it. I pull her around the corner of the hallway where there’s a small alcove. Her eyes dart around the mostly private space before finding mine.

“Is everything okay?” she asks.

The corners of my mouth tug up. God, she’s so endearing. So innocent and cute and too damn good for a guy like me. “Indy, I didn’t mean to put you on blast by being handsy at the bar.”

She frowns. “Handsy?”

I nod. “Can’t keep my hands off you. But with so many people around and your family”—I shrug, stuffing my hands into my pockets to keep them from reaching for her—“I shouldn’t have put you in that position. Especially without talking to you first.”

She looks wary, her lips pressing into a thin line. “And this is you talking to me about it?”

I bite the corner of my mouth, unable to reach her thoughts, or get a feel for this situation at all. Twenty minutes ago, this girl’s ass was pressed against my dick and now, she’s looking at me like she wants to slap me. “This is me making sure I didn’t blow up your spot when you don’t want everyone to know we’re hooking up. I don’t give a fuck what anyone out there thinks. To be honest, I don’t even give a shit if I’m pissing Austin off. But it’s not fair to have all this attention thrown on you without knowing if you want it or not.”

Her frown deepens and confusion ripples over her expression. “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you into me or not?” she asks point-blank.

My mouth drops open. She can’t tell if I’m into her? Jesus Christ, I am fucking this up. Maybe this is why Courtney and I didn’t work out, maybe I really am an idiot when it comes to emotional intelligence.

Indy shifts her weight, her cheeks turning pink as she averts her gaze.

Not overthinking it, I pull my hands from my pockets. We’re in a private space with no peeking eyes to worry about. I stride toward her and she looks up, surprised. She backs up until her back presses into the wall and I’m in front of