On Thin Ice (The Baltimore Banners Book 8) (9 page)

"You don't sound too sure about that."

"Hm?" She looked over at him, her frown still in place. A thin trail of water moved from the edge of her hairline down along her temple and cheek and he had the sudden urge to wipe it away. To drag his thumb across her pale skin, to see if it was as smooth as it looked.

Kenny forced his eyes front and made sure he kept both hands on the steering wheel. He had no idea where that last thought came from but the last thing he needed to do was act on it. Especially when Lauren was sitting there shivering and trying so hard to hide it.

Anger pulsed through him, pushing away the cold and blasting him with an unhealthy heat. Why would her sister leave her stranded like this? He didn't know but it left him feeling unsettled. Angry. Off-kilter. A hundred other different things he didn't know how to explain.

"Did your sister take your car, or did you lend it to her?" Kenny hadn't planned on asking, not really. Or at least not until they were both warm and dry. But the more he thought about everything he had been told or overheard on Friday night, the angrier he got. A quick sideways glance let him know that Lauren wasn't too happy either. But was she upset with him for asking? Or with her sister?

She chewed on her lower lip, hard enough he was surprised she didn't draw blood. Her hands fisted around the edges of the fleece blanket and for a minute, Kenny half-expected her to start swinging. He wasn't sure what he would do if she did that because he was pretty certain a punch from the woman next to him would be fairly solid.

Then she just…deflated. He didn't have any other word for it. One second she looked like she was ready to take someone down and the next she just fell back against the seat, looking as boneless and empty as one of his niece's pool toys when she pulled the plug and let the air out of it.

"Both. She was just supposed to run a quick errand after she dropped me off then come right back but she never showed back up. And I have no way of calling her."

The admission surprised him because he didn't think Lauren would actually trust her sister with anything, not after what she'd done with her credit card. But it wasn't his place to judge her decisions. Hell, he might have done the same thing in her place.

Except he could trust his sister. That made a big difference. "Why would she just disappear like that?"

"I don't know. I don't why Lindsay does half the stuff she does anymore." Her jaw clenched again, some of her anger returning. "But I intend to find out as soon as she gets home. And speaking of home, you should have turned back there."

"Lauren, I am not letting you wait outside in this weather. Or in a bar. Let me take you back to my place. You can throw your clothes in the dryer and have a bite to eat. Maybe we can dry your phone out or something."

"I couldn't. That's just…no, I couldn't."

"And I can't just drop you off, not knowing if you're going to be stuck for however long."

"But I'd be imposing—"

"No, you won't. I have to make myself something to eat anyway, it's not a big deal. And after that, you'll have the whole place to yourself while I take a nap before the game."

"You guys really do that?"

"What?"

"Take pre-game naps. I always thought that was one of those urban legends or something."

"Yeah, we really do. Most of the time, anyway. It helps to recharge and get ready for the game. It's not always as easy on the road, at least not for me, not when we go to the west coast to play like we're doing next week. But yeah, I usually do."

Lauren nodded but didn't say anything, just huddled deeper in the seat, her teeth still chattering. The rest of the drive took place in silence, which wasn't that big of a deal because it was a short drive. And Kenny didn't want to push, not when he could tell she was deep in thought, worrying about something.

He pulled the car into the garage then went down to his spot on the second level. He grabbed Lauren's gear bag from the trunk then guided her over to the elevator. She was still shivering, chills racking her body even though she tried to hide it by pulling the blanket tight around her.

"You need to get out of those clothes, get warm."

Lauren glanced at him, a small smile on her face. "Please tell me that line doesn't usually work for you."

It took a few seconds for the meaning of her words to register. Heat seared his face and he looked away, embarrassed. "That's not—I didn't mean—" He stopped and cleared his throat. "That's not what I meant."

"Relax, I was only teasing. I have a warped sense of humor." She sighed, the sound tired and almost sad, then leaned against the wall of the elevator. "Just one more thing that makes me a freak."

"You're not a freak. Why in the hell would you even say something like that?" The words came out harsher than he intended, making him wince. He didn't understand the anger that pulsed through him when he heard her say that, only knew that nothing could be further from the truth.

"Sorry. I'm not usually like this. I guess—" Lauren cut herself off when the elevator stopped at his floor and the doors opened. She tossed another look at him, one he couldn't read, then stepped off the elevator in front of him. He led her down the hall, thumbing through his keys to find the right one before unlocking the door.

He motioned her in front of him, stepping out of the way so she could enter first. Then he looked around, trying to see the apartment from her eyes.

The small entranceway opened into the living room. An overstuffed sofa, loveseat, and recliner were arranged around the large television mounted on the wall. A wood coffee table sat in the middle, several magazines scattered on the surface next to the remote, along with the half-filled mug of coffee he had left there this morning. The small dining room sat just beyond the living room, with the kitchen accessed directly across from that and separated by a pass-through window that doubled as a small eating bar. A hallway ran down the middle, leading to the two bedrooms and bath.

It wasn't much but it was home. For now, anyway.

Kenny dropped her bag to the floor and walked over to the table, stopping to turn on the light before grabbing the dirty mug and carrying it into the kitchen. Lauren followed him, still huddled in the blanket, her gaze scanning everything around her.

"Nice place."

"It's not too bad. A place to eat, sleep, and sh—uh, chill."

Lauren laughed, no doubt knowing exactly what he was going to say. "And you're not a slob. That's a good thing."

Kenny almost laughed. "I try not to be. Although honestly, I'm not really home that much to make a mess." He finished rinsing out the mug then placed it on the drying mat. "The laundry closet is next to the bathroom. Did you have a change of clothes or something in your bag?"

"Nope. Just my zebra costume."

"Then you can borrow some sweatpants and a t-shirt until your clothes are dried." He opened up the pantry and dug through some of the shelves, finally finding a bag of rice. He grabbed a plastic storage bag then moved to the counter, glancing at her over his shoulder. "But first, give me your phone, let's see if we can get it dried out."

"You really think that's going to work?" She dug into her back pocket and pulled her phone out.

"It's worth a try at least." He tossed the phone into the bag of rice and zipped it closed, shaking it around until the phone was completely covered. "I just don't know how long it's supposed to take."

"I think I heard twenty-four hours. I think. I never paid that much attention."

"Yeah, me neither." He grinned then sat the bag on the counter before turning around. "Now let's get some dry clothes for you."

He tried to step around her but the doorway was too narrow for both of them and he ended up brushing against her instead. Awareness surged through him, sudden and intense, startling him. Or maybe not so startling. He was attracted to her, had been since that first morning at the rink. That didn't mean he was going to act on it. Not here. Definitely not now, when she was soaked through and probably turning blue underneath that ragged fleece blanket and her wet clothes.

But damn. He didn't think he was the only who noticed it, not when her eyes widened just a fraction, not when he heard the sharp intake of her breath. All he had to do was lean forward just the tiniest bit and press his lips against hers. Her mouth was right there, the perfect height for him, just waiting to be kissed. It would be so easy, so tempting—

And so insanely stupid.

He cleared his throat and looked away, moving past her, down the hall to his room and away from temptation. Except the king size bed was another temptation and he had the sudden image of her body stretched out underneath his, her long legs wrapped high around his waist as he plunged into her, over and over.

Shit. If he kept this up, he'd need to change into a pair of running shorts and go jogging out in the freezing rain just to cool himself off. And even that might not help.

He dug through his dresser, finding a pair of thick sweatpants before moving to the closet for a shirt. He grabbed a long-sleeve tee emblazoned with the logo of his minor-league team, the York Bombers. The clothes would be too big for her, but at least they'd keep her warm.

"Here, you can wear these." He handed her the clothes then pointed to the bathroom. "Now go soak under a hot shower to get warm."

"I don't need—"

"Lauren, you're turning blue. Now go get in the shower and warm up while I fix us something to eat."

"You're the one who has a game tonight. You should be the one getting warm, not me."

"I'm plenty warm. Now go." He pointed to the bathroom again, refusing to back down. She must have seen something in his face letting her know he was serious because she rolled her eyes and moved past him down the hall, muttering to herself.

Kenny closed his eyes and took a deep breath, telling himself to go change and fix lunch. And not to think about Lauren standing in his shower, completely naked as water streamed over her lithe body.

No, he definitely hadn't lied to her when he told her he was plenty warm enough.

Chapter Eleven

Lauren stood in front of the mirror and finger-combed her hair into something that didn't quite resemble a frightened porcupine. But she could only do so much without a hair dryer or hair cream. Or even a decent brush. Kenny didn't have any of those things. She had looked, even though she felt like she was snooping. Just her luck, his medicine cabinet was filled with typical guy stuff: several combs, shaving gel, razor and blades, aftershave and moisturizer. Toothpaste and a new toothbrush, still in its package.

An unopened box of condoms.

Lauren pretended not to see them, not quite understanding the mixed emotions that went through her when she saw them. Excitement and jealousy. What a totally useless combination that was.

She'd used some of the moisturizer, figuring it wouldn't hurt since she already smelled like a guy after using the shower gel and shampoo.

No, not just like a guy. Like Kenny. And God help her but that thought was more exciting than it should be. Especially after that little encounter in the kitchen. She didn't think he brushed by her on purpose. In fact, she was certain of it. But there was no doubt he had felt the same thing she had when their bodies touched. Heat. Awareness. Excitement.

Yes, she was attracted to him. She'd have to be blind not to be. But she'd never considered something coming out of it. He was a professional athlete, for crying out loud. There was nothing about her that would make her stand out, that would capture his attention or make him interested in her. He probably had hundreds of women throwing themselves at him on a nightly basis.

Yeah. Just like her sister.

A spurt of anger seized her, threatening to grow and consume her. Lauren pushed it away. She didn't want to think of Lindsay right now, not after the stunt she pulled this morning after dropping her off at the rink. Lauren still had no idea where she disappeared to, didn't know why she had never come back to pick her up. Lauren had been at the rink for less than fifteen minutes when she got the text that the games were cancelled for the day because of the weather. Lindsay was supposed to be back in thirty minutes so it shouldn't have been a problem.

Lauren should have never let her use the car. Dammit, she should have known better. Especially after the credit card fiasco. After learning about Lindsay's lie about Casino Night.

Thinking about everything only angered her even more. And yes, she believed Kenny. His disbelief and anger Friday night had been too real. And he had no reason to lie about it. Lindsay, on the other hand…sometimes Lauren wondered if her sister didn't know anything except how to lie. The question was: why? She'd obviously gone somewhere with someone, so why lie about it?

Just one more question she had for her sister the next time she saw her.

Lauren spread a dab of toothpaste on her finger and rubbed it around her mouth, wishing she had thought to throw the small shower kit into her bag this morning. Nothing she could do about it now, though.

She washed her hand off and rinsed her mouth, then gathered up her wet clothes and the towel and washcloth she had used. The smell of something cooking greeted her as soon as she opened the door and she inhaled, suddenly hungry. And of course her stomach chose that moment to rumble, agreeing with her. At least Kenny wasn't nearby to hear it.

"Perfect timing. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes. You can just throw your clothes in the washing machine and turn it on, it's all set to go." Lauren heard his voice but couldn't see him, and she figured he must be in the kitchen, cooking. Yeah, didn't take a genius to figure that out.

She stopped in front of the opened laundry closet, staring into the washing machine. Kenny must have changed and put his own wet clothes in there already. She hesitated, wondering why she felt this sudden sense of intimacy. Ridiculous. They were just wet clothes. Washing their clothes together didn't mean anything except that she was being uncharacteristically silly. She tossed her stuff on top of his and closed the lid then turned the machine on.

Kenny walked into the dining room, carrying two plates. He stopped and looked over at her, his gaze travelling down the length of her body before he looked away. Was it her imagination, or was he blushing?

Lauren glanced down at herself then pulled at the t-shirt. The front was just a little damp from holding the wet clothes in front of her, the material clinging just enough to make it obvious she wasn't wearing a bra.

"Ready to eat?" Kenny motioned for her to sit then disappeared back into the kitchen, coming out with two glasses of milk and placing one next to each plate.

Lauren took a seat the offered him a smile. "You're not a slob and you can cook. I think I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well. It doesn't take gourmet talent to open a can of soup or fix a grilled cheese sandwich."

Lauren picked up the sandwich and took a bite, enjoying the taste of the gooey cheese. "You obviously don't know my brother. He can grill a mean steak but put him in front of the stove and forget it. You're taking your life into your own hands."

Kenny laughed and took a bite of his own sandwich, chasing it down with a swallow of milk. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin then looked over at her. "So is it just the three of you? Any other siblings?"

"Two of them aren't enough? Nope. Just Dale and Lindsay. Dale is twenty-eight, two years older than me. And Lindsay is twenty-one going on forty and thinks she knows everything."

"Has she always been—" Kenny stopped and looked away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say anything."

Had he noticed her slight stiffening? Maybe, maybe not. She shook her head and waved away his apology. "Don't worry about it. Lindsay has always done her own thing. The recklessness didn't really start until her last year in high school, though. It's only gotten worse since then. I had hoped she'd snap out of it when she moved in with me but—" Lauren paused, merely shrugging her shoulders because she didn't know what else to say. And she didn't really feel like talking about her sister, anyway. She needed time to process her anger, her disappointment. Mostly her anger.

Kenny must have sensed that because he nudged her bare foot with his own under the table. A tingle of awareness shot through her at the contact and she looked up, surprised. "So it's the three of you then. How about your parents?"

"Mom and Dad are happily retired and enjoying it. They sold the house last year and bought a small condo north of Cockeysville. And an RV." Lauren took a sip of milk, a smile on her face. She still couldn't believe they had done it. It shouldn't surprise her though, not when they had talked about doing just that for years. "I think they're somewhere south of here. Or west. Florida, Texas. Who knows?"

"So they're living in the RV?"

"Yes and no. I think they're giving this a try for now and if it doesn't work out they'll move into the condo full-time. But for right now, they're enjoying the travelling."

"Well good for them."

Lauren nodded her agreement then turned her attention back to the sandwich. They ate in silence for the next few minutes, simply enjoying the meal. Kenny finished before her then leaned back in his chair, a small grin teasing the corners of his mouth as he watched her. Lauren paused, the last bite of her sandwich raised to her mouth, and tilted her head. "What?"

Kenny chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing."

"So you stare at me and then laugh and then tell me nothing. And you expect me to believe that?" She popped the bite into her mouth and chewed, her eyes never leaving his.

"Honestly, it's nothing. I just thought…well, you look kind of cute, sitting over there with your hair all mussed up."

"Oh great. Just what every woman wants to hear." She ran her hands over her hair, wincing when she felt it sticking up here and there. She tried to smooth it down then gave up, knowing there was nothing she could do about it.

"Sorry. I meant it as a compliment, really."

"If you say so."

"I did."

"Hm." She raised her brows, surprised to see his face turn pink. The sight made her laugh. Just the idea of a big bad hockey player—a defenseman, no less—sitting across from her, blushing, was enough to keep a smile on her face.

"So why were you at the rink this morning? Didn't they let you know the games were cancelled?"

"Yeah, but I was already there when I got the text. I didn't think it would be an issue because Lindsay was only supposed to be gone for a half hour. Only she never showed back up."

"So you were going to walk home? And then do what? You said you didn't have your keys."

"Wait, just like I said."

He frowned, obviously not liking the answer.

"It wouldn't have been a big deal. Honest. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"That's not the point. I just don't think it's right. I would never dream of doing that to my sister." He paused, a quick smile flashing across his face. "She would kick my ass."

Lauren laughed, some of the tension that had been knotting her neck and shoulders drifting away. He had a nice laugh, deep and mellow. Warm and comforting. The corners of his eyes crinkled just the smallest bit, a sign that he wasn't afraid to laugh or smile. And his smile was just this side of crooked, somehow looking charming and devilish at the same time, like he was one step away from being up to no good.

And this was no good. She didn't need to be sitting here, cataloguing each charming trait like she was trying to memorize them. If she kept this up, she'd convince herself that there was more to him than there really was. That she liked him more than she should.

No, if she kept this up, she really would like him more than she should. She couldn't let herself fall into that trap.

Lauren stood and grabbed her empty plate, reaching across the table for Kenny's. He put a hand on her arm, stopping her.

"I'll do that."

"No, I've got it. That's the least I can do. You should go back for your nap."

He hesitated and she wondered if he was going to argue. But he must have seen the determination in her eyes and decided against it because he finally released her arm and pushed away from the table.

"Um, just help yourself if you need anything. There's more food in the fridge. If you get tired, you can use the other, uh, bedroom. Just ignore the boxes along the wall and—"

"Kenny, I'll be fine. But thank you. I'm just going to clean up and then I'll probably just read or watch television or something."

"Are you sure? I feel bad—"

"Don't." She nudged him then motioned to the hallway with a nod of her head. "Go. Take a nap. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. You're the one who has to work in a few hours, not me. Now go."

But he just stood there, indecision written all over his face. And Lauren realized that he really did feel bad, that he probably felt obligated to play host when he should be preparing for tonight's game. She rolled her eyes and nudged him again.

"Either you go back and take a nap, or I'm walking home so you don't have to worry about me."

"You would, wouldn't you?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Fine. But if you need anything, just wake me up."

That would never happen. Just the idea of going back to his room, of seeing him sleeping, was enough to send her insides into a tailspin. She didn't want to think of what she might be tempted to do if she actually saw him spread across a bed. But she merely nodded her agreement and walked into the kitchen, figuring he would keep standing there talking if she was still there. Sure enough, a minute later she heard his footsteps moving down the hall, heard his door swing closed. But she didn't hear the sound of the knob clicking and knew that if she looked, she'd see that the door was probably cracked open.

Just in case she needed something.

Yeah, she needed something alright. What she needed was her head examined.

She finished cleaning up then moved to the living room, grabbing a magazine and stretching out on the sofa. There was a soft throw blanket draped over the edge and she pulled it down, tossing it over legs.

But she didn't read the magazine, not at first. She looked around the room, taking everything in, trying to learn more about the man sleeping down the hall just from his surroundings.

He didn't live like she had imagined a hockey player to live. Or any professional athlete, actually. The Mercedes sedan he drove was a little pricey but not what she'd call flashy or extravagant. The apartment was nice, located in an upper scale neighborhood close to the Inner Harbor but again, not over-the-top. It was a simple two bedroom, nothing fancy. In fact, when she thought about it, her own condo was probably a little bigger, with a more open floor plan.

The furniture was nice, overstuffed and comfortable. Not exactly new, maybe a year or two. Minimal decorations, just a few knick-knacks here and there, most of them hockey-related. Definitely the apartment of a single man.

An average single guy.

Except Kenny Haskell was anything but average.

And she was only going to succeed in driving herself crazy if she kept thinking about him. If she kept picturing him back in the bedroom, wondering what he slept in. Was he still wearing the sweatpants and worn t-shirt he had changed into? Or had he taken the shirt off? Or the sweatpants? Or both?