Taking A Shot (25 page)

Jenna held up a hand. “Way too much information. Gavin’s my brother, remember?”

Liz grinned. “Tough. You’re my friend so you have to listen to the sex parts, too. Just pretend he’s someone else. I can’t get enough of him. I thought I was old enough to get past the infatuation, that it would ease off after we were together for a while, but it hasn’t. If anything, it’s stronger now than it ever was. Not just the hot sex, though that’s still spectacular. But the romance, the way I feel when he looks at me or holds my hand. It’s like a goddamned fairy tale.”

Jenna’s heart did a flip. “It’s love, honey. That’s what it’s supposed to be like.”

“I guess. I just never knew.” Liz reached across the table and
squeezed her hand. “I’m going to get all sappy here and tell you that when it hits you, it’s going to be a lightning bolt to your heart and you’re never, ever going to be the same. It’ll change you.”

Jenna laughed. “I don’t think everyone falls in love the same way.”

Liz took up her glass and sipped, then slathered butter on her bread. “Don’t they? Look at Tara and Mick. Their wedding was like watching a freakin’ Disney movie. I’ve never seen two people more in love with each other. Gavin and I are like that. You can’t tell me lightning doesn’t strike twice.” Liz gave her a direct look. “Or three times.”

Jenna shrugged. “I’m not in love.”

“Maybe not yet, but it’s going to happen for you, and when it does, you’re going to feel it right down to your toes. And that’s when you know that no other man in the universe will ever do it for you like that one man does.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

Liz laughed. “Easy? Hell no, it isn’t easy, because he’s the only one who will ever have the capacity to hurt you. And oh, goddamn, when it hurts, it hurts so bad. But he’s also the only one you’re going to love with your whole heart.”

“Good God, woman, you’ve got it bad.”

“I know, right? I told you I was ugly in love.”

Jenna laughed. And as she and Liz ate their lunch and Liz chatted about her and Gavin’s wedding plans, Jenna thought about that whole love thing.

That was the stuff of fairy tales, and Liz had stars in her eyes because she was over the top in love with Jenna’s brother. Jenna couldn’t be happier about that, but she wasn’t sure she bought into the fantasy about finding that one soul mate, that one person you were meant to be with, and when you found that person you’d know it and you were done—that was it, and you’d never look at anyone else ever again.

It was nice in theory, but she didn’t believe it in reality.

It just didn’t happen like that for everyone. It had for Liz and Gavin and for Tara and Mick, and she was happy for them, but so far, no one had turned her world upside down and made her heart sing love songs.

But she had sung for Tyler. She hadn’t even sung in front of her own family, the people she trusted the most. Yet she’d sung twice for Tyler.

Which didn’t mean she was crazy in love with him or anything.

And maybe her stomach fluttered whenever she saw him, but that was just sexual attraction, and it would wane after she screwed his brains out a few more times, because she’d never had a relationship with a guy that lasted longer than a few weeks. She and Tyler were right up there on the few weeks mark. Hell, she’d known him for months, even though they hadn’t been sleeping together that long. She was bound to get bored soon.

“Maybe we need to find you an awesome guy.”

Jenna looked up from her plate. “What? No. We tried that already. No, thanks.”

“Hey, I can’t help myself. I want you to be as happy as I am. You haven’t found a guy who rings your bell yet, right?”

She refused to answer that question.

Liz arched a brow. “You’re seeing someone?”

“Not really. Well, sort of.”

“What does that mean?”

“Tyler Anderson and I are kind of dating.”

“Really?” Liz’s eyes widened. “Tyler? I thought that whole sexfest the night of Mick and Tara’s wedding was a one-time thing.”

She pushed her plate to the side, her appetite evaporating. “So did I.”

“What happened? I know you were eyeing him at the bar that night. Is he rocking your world?”

“I have no idea. He just keeps popping up, so I keep having sex with him.”

“Interesting.” Liz took another sip of wine. “It must be really good sex.”

“It is.”

“But you’re bothered, so there’s got to be more to it than that.”

Jenna shrugged. “There isn’t more to it than that. It’s just physical. You know how I feel about jocks. There will never be more than just the sex.”

“Hmmm.” Liz gave Jenna a sidelong look, then dug into her salad.

“What does that ‘hmmm’ mean?”

“Just that you’re protesting an awful lot. If you didn’t care, you’d just laugh it off and enjoy him until the new wore off, then you’d dump him. I think he gets to you.”

“What he gets is into my panties, which is exactly where I want him.”

Liz wiggled. “Oh, the mental visuals swirling around in my head right now.”

“Stop that. You do not get to visualize Ty and me having sex.”

“Why not? Just because you’re icked out at the thought of your brother and me getting down and dirty doesn’t mean I can’t imagine Ty naked.”

“He’s your client, Elizabeth.”

“So?”

“You are evil.”

Liz grinned and lifted her wineglass in toast. “Thanks for the compliment. And speaking of Tyler, I have to meet with him after his game tonight to go over some details for a new promotional campaign. Come with me.”

“To his hockey game? Uh…”

“What? Afraid to actually attend a sporting event?” Liz leaned
forward to whisper. “Oh, my God, you might enjoy it. Wouldn’t that be awful?”

She glared at Liz. “You are such a bitch.”

“There you go, complimenting me again.” Liz offered up a smug smile, knowing Jenna would accept the challenge.

She was right. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Of course you will. I’ll pick you up at six thirty.”

JENNA FIGURED LIZ WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THEM SEATS in the owner’s box or one of the club-level boxes so she could hide out in relative obscurity without a chance in hell Ty would even know she was there. Then when Liz had to meet with him after the game, she’d linger in the box until Liz finished up her business.

But when they headed down instead of up, when Liz led her all the way down to the front row and they took their seats right behind the glass, Jenna muttered a curse, especially when she realized they were seated right next to the players’ box. That meant she’d see Ty coming and going from the locker room, and even worse, he’d be able to see her.

He was probably in game mode and never paid attention to the audience other than hearing their cheers when the Ice scored. She didn’t have anything to worry about.

“Why these seats?” she asked as she settled in, glad she wore tights under her jeans. It was damn cold sitting this close to the ice.

“There’s nothing better than being right up close to the action. Figured you’d want to see Ty slam someone up against the glass.”

“Uh-huh. You know it.”

“Try to act a little more enthused.”

She snuggled deeper into her coat, deciding she’d need to find some coffee before the game started. “You know how I love my sports.”

“Cynic.”

“Just calling it like it is. I’m only here for you.”

Liz leaned over and nudged Jenna to direct her attention over her right shoulder. “And I’m calling bullshit on that last comment, because there’s a spectacle about to hit the stage.”

She was about to hit Liz with another biting retort, but the players burst through the double doors of the locker room and Jenna held her breath. She wasn’t sure if she wanted Tyler to notice her or not, but as the players filed out onto the rubber carpet and onto the bench, she couldn’t deny she was looking for only one man.

And when she saw him come up, his head was turned in the other direction, focused on saying something to Eddie. He breezed right past her without seeing her.

She was relieved as he climbed up on the bench and put on his gear, then skated out onto the ice.

He’d never know she was here. She sat back and watched the players do laps around the arena to warm up, grinned when San Jose’s players came in and everyone began to boo. She was so focused on watching the players she didn’t notice him until he tapped his stick on the glass right in front of her, nearly startling her right out of her seat.

She jerked her attention to the glass. Ty gave her a wink and a grin, then skated away.

Guess there was no hiding now.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a live hockey game. Her dad and brothers had come to the games a lot, and she’d been dragged to a few of them when Mom wanted to come along, but she hadn’t been since she was a kid. Of course the games were always on television so she’d watched plenty of them. In the Riley household, you grew up knowing your team sports. There was no escape.

But she’d never been up front, her toes chilled from being so
close to the ice, her fingers able to touch the glass. And when the players set up in the faceoff spot, she found herself leaning forward, hands clasped, her body tensed as the referee held the puck in his hand, teasing the drop.

The puck dropped and the game was on. The tension never lessened as they moved to San Jose’s goal in a hurry. Jenna and Liz stood, cheering on the Ice as they fought to get the puck in the goal, then screamed when San Jose’s defender shot it back, their team threatening to score with a shot on goal. The Ice defended, sending it back into San Jose’s territory. Tyler grabbed it and Eddie, right with him, soared again toward the goal.

It went back and forth like that for the entire first period, the teams fairly equal. The first period ended with no score.

Jenna flopped in her seat and watched the players file out. Tyler looked as frustrated as she felt and didn’t make eye contact with her. She understood he needed to keep his head in the game, not flirt with her.

She turned to Liz. “That was intense.”

“Girl, don’t you go to the games?”

“Uh, no.”

“Never?”

“Not since I was a kid.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “You are so missing out. There is nothing as breathtaking as being at a hockey game.” She held her hands out toward the ice as evidence. “Case in point—this first period. I don’t think I breathed the entire time.”

“It was interesting.”

“Interesting my ass. You were riveted. I’ll bet you twenty bucks you scream and jump up and down during one of the Ice’s scoring drives tonight.”

Jenna turned to her, certain she wouldn’t do that. “You’re on.”

The second period started with San Jose defending on their side
of the arena, which meant when the Ice threatened to score, Jenna could see Ty close up. And when he and one of San Jose’s defenders fought for the puck along the boards, they’d get slammed against the glass right where she and Liz sat. Instinct made her want to reach out for him, to let him know she was right there, but she resisted the urge.

But damn this was a rough game, and when San Jose scored the first goal, her stomach dropped.

“Damn.”

They fought so hard, had more shots on goal than San Jose. They just weren’t getting the puck in the net.

Liz patted her hand. “Don’t give up on these guys. They’re fierce.”

She wasn’t about to give up on them. She might not come to the games, but she’d watched plenty of them at the bar. She knew this team. They worked magic when they were down.

True to form, they tied it up on a power play goal late in the second period, a sweep from their left wing Meyers to Lincoln, the other center on the Ice. It stayed that way into the third period, and Jenna was about to climb out of her skin. The action had been intense, and the play had been brutal. Ty had gotten bloody on a slam to the boards that had resulted in a fight with the opposing player. It had ended with them trading fists on the ice. Jenna laid her hands on the glass, wishing she could be there to help him out. Her heart leaped in her throat as they pounded each other and the refs just stood there. She knew that was part of the game—that the fans loved it—but this was her guy involved and the fight was taking place just across the arena.

The referees finally stepped in and broke up the fight. Jenna exhaled when Ty got up, seemingly unharmed except for blood on his uniform and another attempted charge at the defender. The referee interceded and sent both him and the San Jose player to the penalty box.

She was furious. Ty hadn’t started that fight. What the hell had he been penalized for? She’d crossed her arms, tapped her feet, and counted down the longest two minutes of the night until he was sprung. When Ty vaulted out of the box and back onto the ice there were three minutes to go.