“You’re lucky I’m not going to kill that guy,” Kit growls.
Oh, I am. Hayes might have enough rage to fuel a small village, but Kit beats his already impressive strength with a six-foot-five body of pure muscle.
“I appreciate it, I do. And now I’m just asking you to keep a teensy, tiny secret.”
Kit sucks his teeth. “I’ll contemplate it if you at least let me get you under a roof. You’re half-soaked. The hotel is only ten minutes away.”
I have a feeling that’s the closest to an agreement I’m going to get from Kit, and considering he has the resolve and patience of a grizzly bear, I’m not looking to argue with him for the rest of the night.
“Okay,” I acquiesce. “But you have to promise to think about it.”
Kit brushes his pinky against his nose, then holds it out to me. “I promise.”
I hesitantly hook my pinky with his, letting myself get lost in the wilderness of his umber eyes. There’s warmth nestled in the inner rings, but with it comes a dash of concern.
Fuck, Faye! This could’ve all been avoided if you just focused on yourself, your career. If you stopped chasing after some guy to fill that hole in your heart.
I pull back, severing our arrangement. “I should’ve done something.”
“Stop,” Kit snarls, the intensity behind the command alone shaking me to the core. “This is not your fault. You need to understand that.”
Kit leans over the center console and hooks his forefinger under my chin, his thumb tracing the edge of my jawline. “This is his fault, okay? This is all on him. He took advantage of you. This small-dicked asshole took your freedom from you, your choice, and he’ll be paying for every second of it for the rest of his miserable life.”
“Why do you care so much?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
The first smile of the night surfaces over his extremely kissable lips. Extremely kissable, and extremely dangerous.
“Because we’re friends.”
Friends? I’ve never hated one word so much in my entire life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to say a huge thank-you to my mother. If it wasn’t for you, my dream of writing would’ve never existed. You taught me that having a writing career was something I could accomplish. You’ve always supported my writing, helped me through the editing process, and provided me with the resources to publish my books. You’ve inspired me to chase after my dreams, and I love you with everything I have. Thank you, Mom.
And of course, a thank you to all the readers out there who have given my little debut novel a place to spread its wings! None of this would be possible without you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Celeste Briars is an indie author who specializes in spicy hockey romances. She’s a UC Davis alumnus with a bachelor’s in psychology. She loves creating memorable meet-cutes and happily ever afters. When she’s not writing, you can find her binge-watching horror movies, playing with her cats, or dancing the night away with her friends. If you’re looking for books with spice hot enough to question your religious values and feel-good moments that make your heart sing, please cuddle up with a Reapers novel and stay a while!