playoffs. She liked his stories of a life that seemed straight out of the pages of a kids’ book, complete with farm animals and morals, challenges and lessons. Order ruled Vinny’s world, just as it ruled hockey.
“So how did you do in the playoffs?” she asked, focusing on his stitched forehead now that she had no more food to distract her.
He passed his plate to the hovering waiter and she was relieved to see he’d eaten every last bite, too. She had huge issues with wasting food from back in the days when she’d begged at the back doors of restaurants at closing time.
“I scored a hat trick and we advanced to the next round.” He grinned, the smile crinkling the skin around his eyes. “My whole team knew that I’d been awake all night, and I wanted to make sure no one thought I was dragging the team down by being unprepared for the game.”
His good humor was infectious, making her smile, too. That in itself was pretty amazing given how nervous she’d been about spending time with him tonight. Alone.
Especially after he’d kissed the palm of her hand. Just thinking about that moment made her skin tingle. Beneath the linen tablecloth, she twined her fingers together and tried to squeeze away the sensation that still lingered there.
“You proved your point.” Her gaze connected with his and held until the clinking of silverware and conversations around them faded.
Warmth stirred inside her, making her self-conscious.
“It took me a while to learn I didn’t need to constantly prove myself.” He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment before he added, “Although I’m willing to do it again if I need to.”
“I’m sure you don’t need to prove anything to the team. You’ve already—”
“To you.” He snagged the attention of a passing waitress to ask for more water, giving Chelsea more physical space even as he crowded her thoughts with a notion that was both frightening and compelling at the same time. “I’m willing to prove myself to you, Chels. I just want a chance to know you better.”
The center of her palm throbbed where he’d kissed her, that sensitive patch of flesh reminding her that she couldn’t suppress her needs as a woman forever. Then again, how could she expect a great guy like Vinny to wait around while she battled old demons that didn’t have anything to do with him?
“I had fun tonight,” she started, not wanting to damage their friendship. “And you’re a great guy. I know that. So it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to—”
“Ask me anything.” He leaned forward again, elbows on the table, his hazel eyes more brown than green tonight in the flickering candlelight from a single white taper surrounded by fresh daisies.
His tone seemed so earnest that, for a moment, she forgot her point. What would it be like to be with someone so open? So willing to take a chance?
“I can’t. I wouldn’t feel right seeing you like this and knowing you had expectations of me that I’m not comfortable…fulfilling.” Although, considering how enticing that one kiss to her hand had been, she had the feeling she would dream about that and more with him tonight.
Just because she had sexual hang-ups didn’t mean she’d lost her carnal appetites.
“First of all, I have no expectations. I have hopes. Those are very different things.” He kept his voice low as the waitress passed them with an empty tray on her way to the kitchen.
“I would be a huge disappointment for you.” She’d kept the guys on the team at arm’s length for good reason. She wouldn’t want to sacrifice her special relationship with the Phantoms as a whole just because she got romantically entangled with one of them.
It went without saying that romantic entanglements would end in disaster, right? Although she had to admit, Vinny seemed like the patient sort.
“The only thing that’s going to disappoint me is if I let you slip away without telling you how much I like you.”
Her heart
“So how did you do in the playoffs?” she asked, focusing on his stitched forehead now that she had no more food to distract her.
He passed his plate to the hovering waiter and she was relieved to see he’d eaten every last bite, too. She had huge issues with wasting food from back in the days when she’d begged at the back doors of restaurants at closing time.
“I scored a hat trick and we advanced to the next round.” He grinned, the smile crinkling the skin around his eyes. “My whole team knew that I’d been awake all night, and I wanted to make sure no one thought I was dragging the team down by being unprepared for the game.”
His good humor was infectious, making her smile, too. That in itself was pretty amazing given how nervous she’d been about spending time with him tonight. Alone.
Especially after he’d kissed the palm of her hand. Just thinking about that moment made her skin tingle. Beneath the linen tablecloth, she twined her fingers together and tried to squeeze away the sensation that still lingered there.
“You proved your point.” Her gaze connected with his and held until the clinking of silverware and conversations around them faded.
Warmth stirred inside her, making her self-conscious.
“It took me a while to learn I didn’t need to constantly prove myself.” He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment before he added, “Although I’m willing to do it again if I need to.”
“I’m sure you don’t need to prove anything to the team. You’ve already—”
“To you.” He snagged the attention of a passing waitress to ask for more water, giving Chelsea more physical space even as he crowded her thoughts with a notion that was both frightening and compelling at the same time. “I’m willing to prove myself to you, Chels. I just want a chance to know you better.”
The center of her palm throbbed where he’d kissed her, that sensitive patch of flesh reminding her that she couldn’t suppress her needs as a woman forever. Then again, how could she expect a great guy like Vinny to wait around while she battled old demons that didn’t have anything to do with him?
“I had fun tonight,” she started, not wanting to damage their friendship. “And you’re a great guy. I know that. So it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to—”
“Ask me anything.” He leaned forward again, elbows on the table, his hazel eyes more brown than green tonight in the flickering candlelight from a single white taper surrounded by fresh daisies.
His tone seemed so earnest that, for a moment, she forgot her point. What would it be like to be with someone so open? So willing to take a chance?
“I can’t. I wouldn’t feel right seeing you like this and knowing you had expectations of me that I’m not comfortable…fulfilling.” Although, considering how enticing that one kiss to her hand had been, she had the feeling she would dream about that and more with him tonight.
Just because she had sexual hang-ups didn’t mean she’d lost her carnal appetites.
“First of all, I have no expectations. I have hopes. Those are very different things.” He kept his voice low as the waitress passed them with an empty tray on her way to the kitchen.
“I would be a huge disappointment for you.” She’d kept the guys on the team at arm’s length for good reason. She wouldn’t want to sacrifice her special relationship with the Phantoms as a whole just because she got romantically entangled with one of them.
It went without saying that romantic entanglements would end in disaster, right? Although she had to admit, Vinny seemed like the patient sort.
“The only thing that’s going to disappoint me is if I let you slip away without telling you how much I like you.”
Her heart
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