Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 65354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Tori was a force to be reckoned with and a great girl. I also knew that my teammate Justin had his eye on her and I wouldn’t get in his way even if I wanted to. I knew I didn’t want to. I’d been playing for eight years and was well over the puck bunny phase. I hadn’t been serious with anyone, but at twenty-nine, I was starting to think about it. I wouldn’t be playing hockey forever, and then I’d have time for the family stuff. I had yet to meet that woman who wowed me, but I was interested in Elyse as someone to get to know. She made me feel that more than anyone had in a while.
I watched her say goodbye to everyone and hug Tori. Her best friend had a huge smile on her face, and I knew that this evening would be a topic of discussion at some point. Once Elyse was ready to go, I opened the door for her, and she led me to the parking garage. It might be early at ten, but it was dark and not safe for her to walk alone. I glanced at her faded SUV as she unlocked the doors and then turned to face me.
“Thank you,” she smiled, and I took in her full lips with a long look. “This was sweet of you.”
“Not a problem,” I said as I stepped closer. “I’d like to take you out sometime, Elyse.”
“I… don’t date. I’m focused on my artwork.” She looked at the ground as she spoke, and I frowned.
“I am not asking you for anything serious. Not yet.” She gasped and looked up at me. “I am just fascinated, and I want to get to know you.” I smiled, and she flushed a deep pink. “You do know I have a hectic schedule? Our season starts next month, and I travel a lot.”
“That sounds okay,” she finally said, and I grinned. I knew what my smile did to women, and I had no problem using it against her. She blushed deeper, and I asked her for her phone number. She stammered a little as she gave it to me, and I entered it into my contacts. I told her I’d call her and leaned in to peck her on the cheek.
“Get home safe,” I typed into my phone, and she glanced down at her purse as a beep came from its depths. “I sent you a text. Let me know that you got home safe?”
“Y-Yes,” she replied in a shaky voice, staring at me for a moment before getting into her car. I felt a little shaky myself after kissing her warm skin. She was flawless, and I felt the heat between us just with the brief contact that we had. I stepped back as she started the SUV and backed out. She smiled at me nervously as she pulled away and I leaned against the wall.
I knew there was something special about Elyse. I didn’t know what it was, but a night of wild sex wouldn’t fix it as it had with other women in the past. Once she was gone, I headed back to the bar, where I was sure to get shit for spending so much time with Elyse.
I wasn’t wrong about my return to the bar and got some gentle ribbing from the guys about my focus on Elyse, but I still smiled when she responded to my text twenty minutes later that she got home safely.
The team was now practicing and working out on a near-daily basis to prepare for the upcoming season. I knew it didn’t offer me a lot of time to date, but I could spend a little time getting to know more about Elyse. I asked her out at the beginning of the following week when the team had a day off, calling her in the morning. Elyse sounded surprised and a little nervous despite the fact we had been messaging one another daily.
I wasn’t getting a lot out of her. I knew that I could ask Tori for more information, but that wasn’t my style. She was seeing Justin, but I let them enjoy it on their own. Elyse and Tori were different people. When I asked her out, and she agreed, I started making plans for a nice night with her. I looked into restaurants and picked a good seafood place after asking if she liked it and went from there.
I picked Elyse up that night, glancing around the townhouse where she lived on the edge of the city. It was older but charming. It was perfect for an artist. I could imagine one of the small rooms serving as a studio. She was wearing a light green dress that had a vintage look with some pumps, finishing the look off with a black cardigan sweater.