Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
I raise a brow, smirking. “Sounds like someone’s taking their job a little personally.”
Rina glares at me over the rim of her glass. “I swear to God, Lilah, if you say one more word about me and Oliver, I’m leaving. You know how much I can’t stand that guy. I’d be more than thrilled if he got traded to another team. Preferably across the country.”
I arch a brow and lift my wine glass to my lips. “Are you sure about that? You two seem to have a lot of chemistry.”
Rina snaps her head toward me so fast, I’m surprised she doesn’t get whiplash. “Are you out of your mind? How can you even say that?”
Callie smirks. “Because you bicker like an old married couple.”
“Please,” Rina scoffs. “He’s a typical hockey player. All he cares about is scoring. And we’re talking both on and off the ice.”
I tilt my head. “So you’ve noticed, huh?”
Her glare is immediate. “It would be hard not to. It’s also part of my job. Until he straightens up and stops getting into trouble, I’m stuck with the guy.”
Callie shrugs. “I don’t know, it could be worse.”
“I really don’t see how.”
“You could have a thing for him.”
Rina practically chokes on her drink. “God, no. First off, he’s Oliver Van Doren.” She pops a brow. “You know, the big O. Second, there’s no way I’d ever date a hockey player. I’m pretty sure there’s a strict no-fraternization rule in place. My entire job is making sure his latest bad decision doesn’t end up as a headline.”
Callie hums, clearly unconvinced. “You sure about that?”
“Positive.” Rina takes a long sip of wine, then sets her glass down with a smirk. “Besides, he’s about to have bigger things to worry about.”
I narrow my eyes. “Uh-oh. What did you do?”
Rina’s grin turns downright wicked. “Let’s just say Oliver Van Doren is about to be one of the lucky bachelors auctioned off at next month’s charity gala. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
Callie gasps, looking both amused and horrified. “Oh my God. He’s going to lose his mind.”
I burst out laughing. “You’re so evil. I like it.”
Rina shrugs, entirely unapologetic. “I prefer to think of it as a heavy dose of karma.”
Sloane raises a brow. “You put him in a bachelor auction without telling him?”
“Correct.”
Sloane considers this before nodding. “That’s fair.”
Callie wipes tears of laughter from her eyes. “I can’t wait to hear about his reaction.”
Rina sighs dramatically. “And I can’t wait to remind him that he really should read his emails before blindly agreeing to things.”
I shake my head, still grinning. “You really are his worst nightmare.”
Rina smirks. “And yet, he keeps giving me more reasons to torture him.”
The room dissolves into laughter as the seriousness from our earlier conversation melts away. I lean back against the couch, wine glass in hand, and let myself soak in the warmth of good friends, good gossip, and the comforting hum of the city just beyond the windows.
Still, in the back of my mind, I can’t help but wonder what Steele is up to right now. And if he’s thinking about me too.
36
STEELE
The penthouse is quiet when I let myself in after midnight, the city lights spilling through the windows in streaks of gold and silver. Everything feels hushed in the way it always does when I’m the only one home.
Except, I’m no longer alone.
The moment I step out of the elevator, I feel her. Lilah’s presence wraps around me, weaving through the air, subtle but undeniable.
And all I want—
No, all I fucking need is to find her.
Touch her.
Claim her.
What I expect is to find Lilah asleep in my bed. Naked. Sprawled across my sheets, her blonde hair a tangle against my pillow, her skin still carrying the imprint of my hands from earlier. I haven’t stopped thinking about her all damn night.
About the way she feels wrapped around me.
Tight.
Wet.
And mine.
It’s fucking nirvana.
There’s no other way to describe it.
I didn’t think it was possible to become addicted to a person.
I was wrong.
Instead of finding my sweet girl asleep in my bed, she’s cuddled up on the couch in the living room. She’s wearing one of my old Railers tees, and her legs are bare, tucked beneath her. Her hair is piled in a messy twist on top of her head, and Waffles is snuggled on a chair, sacked out.
For just a moment, I take in the sight. It’s a cozy, domestic scene that has played out in my head hundreds of times since I bought the place. She looks up at me with a smile that punches through every layer of control I thought I had left.
“Hey,” she murmurs.
“Hey, lucky charm.” I kick off my shoes, roll up the sleeves of my shirt, and close the distance between us. It’s like there’s an invisible thread that tethers me to her. I have to wonder if it will always be that way. “I didn’t think you’d still be up.”