BLOCKED (Boston Terriers Hockey Book 3) Read online

  Walking back to our spot, I grab my skimboard and walk a little way down the beach to put some distance between us. I can always pretend I’m unaffected by the kiss we shared. It won’t be easy, but if he’s going to be weird and freak out about one kiss we shared, then I’ll do whatever is needed to make sure it’s never an issue again.

  Running along the shore, I hold the back of my skimboard with one hand and the side with the other. Dropping the board slightly in front of me onto the leftover wash of the tide, I’m on it in two steps. Bending my knees, I ride the plexiglass board along the shoreline.

  I’m not capable of any fancy tricks like some waveriders do. I don’t skim out into the breaking waves, and I don’t do surface or aerial maneuvers. I’m just a beginner who’s happy successfully riding flatland instead of landing on my ass.

  I’m having so much fun, I lose track of time. Picking my board from the shallow water, I notice Shaw wandering my way with his skimboard tucked under his arm.

  “How’s it going?” he asks, as if the last thirty minutes never happened.

  “It’s great. I forgot how much fun this is.”

  “You’re doing great. Why don’t you let me teach you a few things? You know how to surf.”

  “Nah.” I shake my head. “I don’t want a broken leg for the rest of summer break. For me, this is harder than surfing. But don’t let my lack of interest stop you from demonstrating your skills.”

  He grins at my challenge. “Like I was gonna let you.”

  I smile back, relieved that everything seems fine between us. Planting the back of the board into the sand, I lean on the nose of it. I watch Shaw as he runs through the leftover tide. Dropping his board, he jumps on, skimming toward the water to meet the incoming wave. As it hits, he turns off, coming back to the shore and ending up almost in the same place he started.

  I clap my hands, and he picks up his board before he leans forward in an exaggerated bow. Moving forward, his smile widens with every step he takes in my direction.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to give it a try?” he asks, looking hopeful.

  “Maybe next time,” I throw out the reply, testing him.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  My lips press together as I hold in the smile. He passed my test.

  Chapter Six

  Shaw

  “What’s your work schedule look like in the next few days?” My gaze leaves the highway for a second, landing on the beautiful girl in my passenger seat.

  “Why? You want some free cookies?”

  “Nah. I want to spend more time with you,” I answer honestly.

  “Oh.” She sounds surprised. Which is to be expected considering I practically bolted after kissing her. “I’m off tomorrow, but I have to work Monday night.”

  “Let’s figure out something to do.”

  “Why? You honored your bet loss,” she challenges.

  “I know I did. But is it so hard to believe that I enjoy your company?”

  “Maaaaybe.” She shrugs. “You’re giving me whiplash.”

  I stare at her pensively. “I’m not sure what this is, but I want to hang out with you. Let me prove my sincerity.”

  “Do you have that much free time?” she teases, alleviating the tension.

  “For you? I’ll free up my busy schedule.”

  “Wow. I’m honored that the great Shaw Masters would make time for me.”

  “Come on. I’d like to think that you know I’d be there for you any time you needed me. You and I have been friends forever. And now I want to hang out with you more. Is that okay?”

  “Yeah. It’s all good. But just so I know up front, is this friendship going to continue once my brother returns home?”

  Reaching out, I place my palm on her knee. “Maddie, I’m not using you to pass the time while Marshall’s gone. I have a job and friends if I merely want to stay busy.” I squeeze her knee before returning my hand to the steering wheel. I wish she saw herself the way I do. If she did, she wouldn’t feel it necessary to ask me this.

  “I don’t want to seem like a pain in the ass.” She rubs her forehead. “I just don’t want to be a placeholder who’s cast aside because the first choice is suddenly back. That doesn’t mean I expect you to hang out with me all the time. But I don’t want to be ignored either.”

  I pull my truck into her driveway and shift into park.

  I feel her watching me. Sweeping my gaze to hers, I say, “I’ve never been one to ignore you. Why would that ever change?”

  Her shoulders pop up and lower down so quickly it almost seems like a twitch. “I don't know. Guys are fickle.”

  I laugh. “I resent that. I’m not fickle. Maybe we should make another bet. This one can be about our growing friendship. And then once Marshall is back and you see how things are, I can collect my prize.”

  She rolls her eyes. “No one likes a smug jackass, Shaw.”

  I smirk. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Fine. I guess I’m the exception, because I like you—smug ass and all.”

  “So, what’s on your schedule tomorrow?” I need to lock her down with plans before she gets out of my truck and has time to think about our kiss and potentially get freaked out about it.

  “I’ve got nothing concrete going on.”

  “Great. I’ll pick you up at eleven.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “Hey, I’m a girl; I like details.”

  “Dress casual and for the outdoors. That’s all you get.”

  “Do I need to bring anything?”

  “Nope. I’ll take care of everything.” I open my door and hurry around to get hers.

  “Thank you.” She nods, grabbing her bag and hiking it up onto her shoulder. She punches in the garage door code while I get her surfboard. Hanging it on the wall inside her garage, I return to my truck to grab her skimboard, but she’s already beat me to it.

  Picking up the cooler, I place it inside her garage next to the entrance into her house.

  Turning around, I find Maddie waiting, brushing sand from her hands. Our eyes meet, and she rocks her weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting nervously.

  Is she worried that I’m going to kiss her?

  Or is she worried that I won’t?

  I hope it’s the latter, because I have every intention of tasting her lips once more before our time together ends.

  My ears fill with a buzzing sound like white noise as I step closer. When I pause, the tips of my sneakers are almost touching her bare toes in her flip flops. That’s how close we are. A repetitive boom-boom now accompanies the buzzing in my head. It takes me a moment to realize it’s my escalating heartbeat that I’m hearing.

  My hands raise, cupping both sides of her face. Her blue eyes look so large and expressive staring up at me. I see a plethora of emotions firing back at me and silently name a few—hope, fear, desire.

  “I want to kiss you again, Maddie.”

  “Then why did you run from me on the beach?” Her voice is husky and her brow is furrowed.

  “I’m sorry if I hurt you by doing that. I didn’t mean to.” My thumbs strum her cheeks. “That kiss was unbelievable, and the way it made me feel, shook me. It took me by surprise. And then I got a bit spooked because I was kissing my best friend’s little sister.”

  “Well, you’ll still be kissing his little sister, so you better be sure that’s something you can handle. I’m not some experiment for you.”

  “I never thought you were.” I quickly reassure her.

  Her hands grip my forearms, as if she needs something to hold onto. She drags in a deep breath, expelling the air on a long, drawn-out sigh that fans her breath over my lips. “I want you to kiss me again more than anything—but not until you’re sure you can deal with the possible ramifications that will arise when Marshall is back. He will find out, and I think it’s safe to say, he won’t be happy.”

  My stomach sinks, like wate
r swirling down the drain. She’s right. I can’t trifle with her feelings on some whim. I like Maddie a lot, and I’m extremely attracted to her, but I need to be absolutely sure of my feelings before I take our friendship to another level.

  Although, technically I’ve already done that.

  But she seems willing to overlook that fact for now and give me another chance. Hopefully, spending the day together tomorrow will offer me the clear-cut answers I need.

  Maddie climbs into my truck, beaming a wide smile my way. Mirrored shades with pink frames cover her eyes and keep me from seeing their startling blue color.

  “Hey.” She gets situated and fastens her seatbelt.

  I catch hold of her hand and squeeze. “How are you this morning?”

  “I’m excited. I can’t wait to see where you’re taking me.”

  “There’s breakfast for you.” I tip my chin toward the white bag sitting in the sun on my dash.

  “Oh, wow. You’re the best.” She snatches up the bag, pulling out the foil wrapped sandwich. “I’m starving and didn’t have time to make anything.” She gasps when she sees the bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel. “Come to momma.”

  I laugh. “I’m gonna hit the road while you eat. Oh, and before I forget, this iced coffee is for you.” I tap the plastic lid of the Dunks cup sitting in my drink holder. “Extra cream and two sugars, just like usual.”

  Her eyes are wide with surprise. “Shaw, how do you know how I take my iced coffee?”

  “I know everything about everything.” I joke to cover the awkward moment. I can’t truthfully answer her question without embarrassing myself.

  I’m only now starting to understand how much attention I’ve quietly paid to Maddie over the course of the last couple of years.

  So quietly, in fact, that I didn’t even realize how much time I spent observing her.

  Lucky for me, she’s already immersed in eating her breakfast, and I don’t have to fabricate something to make myself look less stalkerish and less pathetic.

  The drive takes about twenty minutes, and when we pull into the historic boathouse in Newton, she gasps.

  “We’re going boating on the Charles River?”

  “We’re going canoeing,” I correct.

  “Same difference.” She rolls her eyes.

  “Have you ever been out in a canoe?” I ask.

  “Nope. Have you?”

  “Yeah, this is actually one of my favorite places to come. My family gets a membership every summer.”

  She studies me from under lowered brows. “How did I not know this about you?”

  I guess you’re not as good at stalking as me.

  “Probably because I’ve never brought anyone here before.”

  “Not even Marshall?”

  “Not even him.”

  I check us in and get the canoe loaded with our stuff. A small cooler holds lunch, and I filled a backpack with everything we could need—towels, hats, sunscreen, bug spray, and a first aid kit.

  Holding on to the canoe with one hand, I keep it steady as Maddie uses my other hand to assist her while climbing in. She settles onto the seat as I step down in and push us off from the dock.

  “This boathouse is beautiful.” She stares at the stone and wood structure. “How old is this place?”

  “It was built in 1897.”

  “I love the design. The three arches on the bottom are awesome. Building those back then must’ve been a lot more difficult than it would be now.”

  I nod my agreement and begin stroking the paddle smoothly through the water, propelling us away from the dock.

  Maddie pulls out her phone, taking a series of pics. “I love the brightly colored canoes against the weathered wood of the dock.”

  “You see things like an artist does. Does art interest you?”

  “I love everything to do with art. Unfortunately, I can’t draw a straight line to save my own life.”

  “I guess that could be a problem.”

  “I am interested in graphic design, though. I don’t necessarily need artistic ability as far as drawing goes for that field. I do need to be able to create designs with various computer programs. I can’t wait to learn how to use them all.”

  “Creativity seems to run in your family. Isn’t your cousin an artist?”

  “Yeah. My younger cousin, Ruby, is ridiculously talented and she’s only fourteen. She can draw or paint pretty much anything. But as to whether I have any real talent, I guess I’ll find out in college. Or maybe I won’t know until I’m working for some design company.”

  I paddle us along for a few minutes. “If I’m going to be your tour guide today, I want to tell you some of the history. Are you okay with that?”

  “Of course.” She pushes her sunglasses to the top of her head, her enraptured gaze on me.

  “This river was a recreational mecca at the end of the eighteen hundreds. On the weekends this water became a bank-to-bank traffic jam of canoes. This was one of the places people would go to see and be seen.”

  “I can picture it now.” Maddie smiles and closes her eyes. “Colorful canoes everywhere you looked. Men and women dressed to impress. I’m imagining big, fancy, wide-brimmed hats and parasols protecting the ladies from the sun.”

  Her eyelids raise, and I lose my train of thought. Her eyes so vibrant in the sun, hold me captive. I get lost in the kaleidoscope of blue until I finally tear my gaze free.

  “See? You’re an artist already. You just haven’t put it to practical use yet.”

  “Tell me more history. I could listen to you talk about it all day.”

  “That’s really sweet of you to say, but if you encourage me, I might talk that long. And you’d regret it for sure.” I wink.

  “Not true.” She shakes her head.

  “Okay, remember, you asked for this.”

  Chapter Seven

  Maddie

  I wasn’t kidding when I said I could listen to Shaw speak all day. His voice is smooth like melted caramel in the center of a milk chocolate candy bar. And similar to said chocolate bar, always leaves me wanting more.

  “Back then, a young man’s first large purchase was often a canoe.”

  “Really? Are you messing with me?”

  He leans forward, pulling a baseball cap from his bag and slipping it over his wild, dark hair. “I’m serious. Think about it. Having a canoe provided them with an opportunity to have fun, and it was a mode of transportation.” He paddles once again. “Plus, they could sneak away from their chaperones for a little alone time. If you know what I mean.” He wiggles his dark brows.

  “I think I understand,” I droll.

  “Fun fact, there was a Boston Herald article in 1903 that reported how a canoeist was arrested for kissing his sweetheart. He was fined for that kiss. Guess how much?”

  “I don’t know. What was the going rate for a fine back then?”

  “You have to guess.”

  “That was over one hundred years ago.” I tap my lips. “Five dollars?”

  “Nope. It was actually twenty dollars, and that was a lot of money at the turn of the twentieth century. I wonder if he thought it was worth it.”

  “I guess that would depend on how good the kiss was.”

  “Would you pay twenty dollars for my kiss?” He tips his head and halts his paddling. We glide along while he waits for my answer.

  “Nope.”

  “You wouldn’t?” He looks surprised. I press my lips together to hold back my smile. His eyes light up and he points his finger at me, barking out, “Liar.”

  I giggle.

  He shakes his head and dips the paddle under the surface once more. “In that same article they estimated that over one million dollars worth of kisses were exchanged every Saturday night and Sunday at the canoe resort and out along this river.”

  “Hmm.” I sigh. “That sounds so romantic.”

  “I think you and me out here is much more romantic than what they had. We’re alone out here. I haven
’t seen another soul since we left the boathouse.”

  “Yeah, I guess. But the fact that they were sneaking out in boats unchaperoned adds that taboo element. It just makes it feel more romantic.”

  He sets the oar inside the canoe behind him and turns his hat backward. Leaning toward me, he wiggles his index finger, beckoning me forward. I’m powerless to resist.

  Scooting to the edge of the bench seat, I move as close as I can without falling off.

  He meets me halfway. His large palm cups the back of my neck, holding me in place as his lips connect with mine. A pleasant warmth begins at the point we’re joined, spreading outward with the first purposeful swipe of his tongue.

  My fingers grip his upper arms, then slide under his short sleeves to caress his sun-heated skin. He sinks to his knees on the floor of the canoe. Our lips never part when he maneuvers between my legs and presses his sculpted chest to my much softer one.

  Hungry flames lick between my thighs in an unfamiliar sensation that has me shaking uncontrollably. I’m unsure of what I want. Only that I need something only he can give me.

  Whatever it is, I’ve never felt anything like this. I can’t control the urge to rock my pelvis into his hard length, so I don’t even fight it. I press one of my heels into his ass and pull him closer. He grunts his pleasure into my mouth when he lands dead center between my thighs.

  His hips buck and roll against me until we’re both so out of breath that we have to part.

  The sound of a motorboat roaring to life nearby is the reality check we both need to keep from smashing our mouths back together. We have to end this now before it’s completely out of control.

  Shaw backs up and sits on the bench seat. His hand shakes as he raises it to turn his cap around, shielding his eyes from my view. “I bet the fine for public indecency is a lot steeper now,” he states dryly, setting me off. I laugh, and then laugh some more when I think about if we had gotten caught. Explaining why I got arrested to my parents would’ve been interesting.

  Shaw chuckles along with me but he sobers before me. “We need to slow this boat down, so to speak. No more kissing for now.”