Desire or Defense: An Enemies-to-Lovers Hockey Romance (D.C. Eagles Hockey Book 1) by Leah Brunner
Author:Leah Brunner [Brunner, Leah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leah Brunner Publishing
Published: 2023-05-01T16:00:00+00:00
CHAPTER 18
ANDIE
Stepping out of my car, I see Mitch and Noah sitting outside the iceplex chatting. Itâs a brisk January evening and theyâre both bundled up in their coats. Mitch is all big shoulders and chiseled jawline where Noah is slight, his face still rounded in that youthful way. Not quite a man, not quite a child.
Seeing the difference they make in each other amazes me. Like they both just needed someone who understood them. Noah needed someone after we lost our parents, and I canât help but wonder what happened in Mitchâs past that made him need someone too. And made him feel kinship with Noah.
Their heads pop up when I put the car in park and they start walking my way. Noah has his giant hockey bag, as always, the one with that dorky wombat on the side.
I pop my trunk via the lever inside my driverâs side door, then walk around to the back to make sure the groceries are out of the way.
âHey, guys. Howâd it go?â I ask before bending down to grab Noahâs bag and hoist it inside the trunk.
Mitchâs eyebrows knit together when he spots my hand on Noahâs bag.
Noah, whoâs oblivious to his look, responds, âGood. See ya, Coach Anderson.â He strides to the passenger door and plops down in the seat, closing the door behind him.
Mitchâs face is still sour, and heâs still glaring at my hand. He places his hand over mine, sending warmth shooting up my arm. The sensation of his rough, warm hand is something Iâve never experienced, something new. Sure, Iâve held hands with men before, but this contact is unique⦠itâs more⦠somehow.
The distraction of his gigantic, calloused, manly hand covering mine keeps me from noticing that Mitch is still silent⦠and glaring. When my wits come back, I stare at him, feeling utterly confused. Did I do something?
âDid Noah piss you off, Big Man? Why the sour face?â
He nudges my hand with his, and I realize he wants me to remove my hand from the bag. Feeling embarrassed, and a little offended, I remove my hand quickly. This whole time he was completely unaffected by the feel of my hand. Meanwhile, for me, the feel of his hand on mine will linger for days. Iâll dream about that big, grumpy hand. And wonder how those calluses would feel against my cheek, or running through my hair? Really freaking nice, I bet.
âNoah should carry his own bag,â the big guy finally speaks, his voice doing that low, grumbly thing that makes me want to curl into it, to nuzzle my face against his stubbly throat and see what his voice feels like. âHe shouldnât make you do it.â
He lifts the huge bag like it weighs nothing, making me think back to a few weeks ago when I saw Mitch for the first time⦠when he lugged me over his shoulder like I weighed no more than a stuffed animal. He doesnât step aside after lifting the bag inside the trunk, but stays put.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Spell It Out by David Crystal(35840)
Professional Troublemaker by Luvvie Ajayi Jones(29417)
We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union(18625)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt(18147)
Cat's cradle by Kurt Vonnegut(14756)
The Goal (Off-Campus #4) by Elle Kennedy(13192)
The Social Justice Warrior Handbook by Lisa De Pasquale(11950)
The Break by Marian Keyes(9075)
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan(8883)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher(8447)
The remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro(8378)
Educated by Tara Westover(7687)
The handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood(7445)
Win Bigly by Scott Adams(6823)
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin(6803)
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz(6430)
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion(5831)
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty(5824)
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish(5410)
