The Swede

by Maureen Smith

  As Scarlett walked up to the sink to wash her hands, Nadia’s dark eyes met hers in the mirror.

  “Why didn’t you dance with Viggo?”

  The question caught Scarlett off guard. “Um, what?”

  “You danced with me and the girls. You danced with some of Reid’s childhood friends—the one who looks like Jake Gyllenhaal got three dances. But you didn’t dance with Viggo. Not once.” Nadia eyed her speculatively. “Why not?”

  Scarlett’s face heated. “He didn’t ask.”

  “So what? I’ve seen you ask guys to dance before.”

  Scarlett shrugged, twisting off the water faucet. “Maybe I wanted him to make the first move. But I guess he wasn’t interested.”

  “Are you kidding?” Nadia exclaimed. “Did you see the way he was staring at you? He clearly wants you, Scar. I don’t think he enjoyed watching you dance with other guys.”

  Scarlett snorted, snatching a paper towel from the dispenser. “Why should he care who I was dancing with? As you saw, he wasn’t exactly hurting for female companionship. Between the flirty waitresses, the adoring sycophants and that clingy blonde, he practically had a harem.”

  “Ah, but he only had eyes for you.” Nadia grinned knowingly. “And that sounded an awful lot like a jealous rant.”

  “Whatever.” Scarlett dried her hands and tossed the paper towel into the trash. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she frowned and began plucking at her thick black curls with agitated movements. Her hair was shaved low on one side while the other side slanted across her forehead and fell to her shoulder. Her bronze eye shadow and mascara were still intact, but her bright red lipstick had faded. She considered a quick touch-up, but it was late and she planned to hit the sack as soon as she got back to the hotel. The less makeup she had to remove, the better.

  As she stared in the mirror, she was ambushed by images of Viggo smiling down at her, touching the flower in her hair, lowering his head to kiss her—

  Suddenly the bathroom door banged open. A gorgeous twentysomething woman stumbled in, giggling uncontrollably and teetering on her heels.

  Scarlett and Nadia looked at each other, then at the newcomer. Jess was Nadia’s close friend and coworker. She’d accompanied the family to Detroit that weekend.

  “Oh hey, girls.” She fluttered her fingers at them and hiccup-giggled.

  Nadia frowned at her. “Are you drunk?”

  “Of course not!” Jess was comical in her indignation. “I’m tipsy—”

  Scarlett snorted. “Girl, please. You passed tipsy about ten exits ago. Your ass is wasted.”

  “Excuse you?” Jess challenged, hazel eyes narrowed threateningly as she teetered toward Scarlett. “Who you callin’ wasted?”

  Scarlett just laughed.

  “What the fuck is so funny?” Jess blustered, wagging her finger at Scarlett. Her movements were so jerky and uncoordinated that she looked like a marionette on a string. A real badass, all right.

  She curled her lip at Scarlett. “You think you’re the shit just ’cause Viggo wants to ram his big hockey stick up your—”

  “Hey!” Nadia said sharply. “Cut it out!”

  “Yes, Jessilyn,” Scarlett drawled in a bored tone. “Stop being a fucking twat.”

  Jess raked her with a venomous sneer. “You know what—”

  “Jess,” Nadia warned.

  Jess glared at Scarlett another moment, then sucked her teeth and grumbled, “Whatever.”

  Scarlett smirked as Jess spun away and wobbled for a moment before regaining her balance and staggering toward a stall. Reaching under her tight dress, she pulled down her underwear and plopped down on the toilet without closing the door.

  Nadia sent her a pointed glare. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  Jess kicked at the stall door, giggling drunkenly when it swung back open.

  Lips pressed tightly together, Nadia marched over and pulled the door shut, then stood there holding it closed while Jess peed loudly.

  Scarlett just shook her head. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen Jess drunk. The chick got hammered practically every time they all went out clubbing. But she wasn’t a mean drunk. Slightly obnoxious? Yes. Uncouth? Definitely. But she’d never gotten mouthy and picked a fight with anyone, least of all Scarlett. Something was clearly bothering her.

  Her loud urinating seemed to go on forever before the toilet flushed. She could be heard grunting and cursing as she struggled to her feet, wrestling with her underwear.

  When she banged on the stall door, Nadia stepped back with the grim reluctance of a corrections officer releasing a volatile inmate from solitary confinement.

  Jess made her way unsteadily to the mirror and started fussing with her hair. It was long and luscious, tumbling down her back in loose dark curls. Her breasts were popping out of her low-cut dress, and her skin was flushed from all the booze she’d guzzled.

  “It’s sooo cool that we’re staying at the same hotel as the Rebels,” she said in a slurring voice. “Since Coach lifted curfew tonight, some of the guys booked a suite for an afterparty. They invited me to come.”

  Nadia frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  Jess shot her a petulant look. “Why?”

  “Why?” Nadia repeated incredulously. “You’re drunk, Jess. That means your judgment is seriously impaired and you’re vulnerable. The last thing you need is to be hanging out with a bunch of rowdy jocks. Anything can happen.”

  Jess waved off her concern. “The Rebels aren’t like that. They’re good guys.”

  “I’m sure most of them are. But they’re also professional athletes who are used to screwing any woman they want. Why put yourself in a compromising position? Why take the risk of having a train run on you?”

  Jess pouted. “Reid won’t let anything happen to me.”

  Nadia narrowed her eyes. “Reid won’t be there to protect you. He’ll be with me. You know, celebrating our engagement and all that.”

  Jess huffed like a belligerent brat. “I’m going to the party and you can’t stop me.”

  Nadia frowned. “Dammit, Jess—”

  “You got your rich baller. Now it’s my turn.” With a defiant toss of her hair, Jess turned and, still slightly swaying, stomped out of the bathroom.

  Scarlett and Nadia stared at each other in disbelief.

  “Did that really just happen?” Nadia wondered.

  Scarlett nodded grimly.

  Just then her phone trilled from inside her clutch. She grabbed it off the counter, fished out the phone and pressed the answer button. “Hey, Ma.”

  “Hey, baby.” Her mother sounded way too chipper at that late hour. “Where’d you disappear to?”

  “Had to use the bathroom,” Scarlett said.

  “Well, everyone’s in the limo waiting for you and Jess. Is she with you?”

  “Um—” Scarlett met Nadia’s troubled gaze “—yeah.”

  “You two need to hurry up. We’re ready to go.”

  “Okay. Be right out.”

  When Scarlett and Nadia emerged from the restroom, they spotted Jess standing across the lobby with two beefy young players from the hockey team. She was laughing and flirting shamelessly, running her manicured fingernails up and down their muscular arms. Their eyes were glued to her breasts, and they were both grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary.

  Not good.

  Nadia pursed her lips, looking angry and worried. “I’m going to find Reid. He needs to warn his teammates to keep their hands off her.”

  “Good idea,” Scarlett muttered.

  As Nadia headed off toward the dining room, Scarlett’s attention returned to Jess and the horny rookies. She was draped all over them, giggling like a bimbo as they took turns groping her ass.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Heaving an exasperated breath, Scarlett marched across the lobby and slung an arm around Jess’s shoulders before flashing a sugary-sweet smile at the hockey players, whose names escaped her
at the moment. “How’s it going, fellas?”

  “Hey, beautiful.” Their eyes roamed lewdly over her, pausing on her breasts. “You coming to our afterparty?”

  “I’m afraid not,” she said with exaggerated regret. “It’s way past my bedtime. Jess won’t be able to make it either. But you boys have fun, y’hear?”

  As Scarlett gripped Jess’s arm and dragged her away, she sputtered indignantly, “What the hell are you doing? Get your fucking hand—”

  “Shut up.” Scarlett’s icy voice cut through her protests. “You’re coming back to the hotel with me if I have to drag you by your hair.”

  “You can’t—”

  Scarlett tightened her grip on Jess’s arm, ignoring her whimper. “Nadia detests violence of any kind. Me? I think a good ass whipping can be an effective tool for correcting shitty behavior. The only reason I didn’t kick your ass in the bathroom was out of respect to Nadia. I didn’t want to upset her or do anything to ruin her special night. But since you obviously don’t give a shit about anyone but yourself, I hope you wake up with the worst fucking hangover of your life—a hangover so craptastic you’ll wish you’d never been born.”

  Jess looked as sullen as a six-year-old. “I just wanted to hang out with the guys,” she whined. “They’re so much fun. And one of ’em could be Mr. Right.”

  Scarlett rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Let’s assume your future husband is on the team. Do you really want him to see you like this, shitfaced drunk and getting passed around his teammates like some hockey hooker?”

  Jess got quiet.

  “Yeah. I didn’t think so.” Scarlett softened her tone. “Look, when you’re sober, I’ll go with you to a Rebels party. I’ll be your wingman, and if you hit it off with one of the guys, I’ll do whatever I can to help get you down the aisle. Not that you need my help or anything, but the offer stands. Deal?”

  Jess gave her a sulky look. “Guess it’s the best offer I’m gonna get tonight.”

  “Pretty much.” Scarlett steered her out the restaurant’s front entrance.

  A shiny black stretch limo was waiting at the curb. The uniformed driver stood by the back door. He smiled at Scarlett and Jess as they approached.

  “Ladies,” he said, opening the door for them.

  “Heyyy,” Jess cooed flirtatiously. “What’s your—”

  Scarlett shoved her into the backseat and climbed in after her, shooting the driver an apologetic half smile.

  “He’s kinda cute,” Jess slurred loudly. “Too bad he’s only a chauf—”

  Scarlett clapped her hand over Jess’s mouth as the smirking driver closed the door.

  Scarlett’s brother Lennox sat at the other end of the plush leather seat. Her oldest brother Luke and his fiancée, Ana, were cuddled up on the long bench seat along the side wall. Sitting next to them were Nadia’s twin brother, Nelson, and his girlfriend, Bianca.

  They were all staring at Jess with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. “Are you drunk?”

  “Nooo.” Jess hiccup-laughed. “I’m tipsy.”

  The others snickered and looked askance at Scarlett. She just shook her head.

  Luckily the parents—Scarlett and Nadia’s—sat all the way up near the front of the decked-out limo. They were laughing boisterously and drinking sparkling water, paying no attention to the young’uns in the back.

  As the limo pulled away from the restaurant, Scarlett took out her phone and shot off a quick text to Nadia: The situation’s handled. Enjoy ur boo and forget everything else. Xoxo.

  Nadia texted back a few seconds later: What would I do without u? Love u!!!

  Scarlett smiled and slipped her phone back into her clutch as Jess dropped her head on her shoulder and let out a huge yawn. The fumes from her alcohol breath almost knocked Scarlett out.

  She averted her face and tried to ease away, but Jess snuggled closer.

  Scarlett covered her nose.

  After a few moments, Jess slurred, “Scarlett?”

  “What?”

  “Thanks for…looking out.”

  That almost made Scarlett smile.

  Before she could respond, Jess closed her eyes and fell into a dead sleep, snoring loudly.

  The others cracked up laughing.

  Shaking her head, Scarlett turned to stare out the window. The city lights glittered through the tinted glass, a blurry kaleidoscope of color.

  It wasn’t long before her mind drifted back to Viggo. She wondered if he was on his way back to the hotel to party with his teammates. She pictured him surrounded by half-naked puck bunnies, grinning lasciviously as the girls took turns giving him a lap dance.

  The image nauseated her even more than Jess’s alcohol breath.

  She knew she and Viggo could never work. She needed to forget about him. Put him out of her mind.

  Easier said than done.

  Chapter 3

  Scarlett

  I Could Fall in Love

  * * *

  An hour after returning to the hotel, Scarlett found herself too wired to go to sleep.

  It happened pretty often when she was on the road, coming down off an adrenaline high after a show. Sometimes it took hours for the buzz to wear off and her brain to shut down. Sometimes she never went to sleep at all.

  It felt like it was shaping up to be one of those nights. Except the source of her restlessness tonight was a hot-as-puck hockey player from Sweden. The harder she tried to push him out of her mind, the stronger he took hold.

  She lay in bed watching TV, surfing the Internet and playing Candy Crush, trying to keep her thoughts free of Viggo. When nothing worked, she finally gave up and jumped out of bed. There was an espresso bar off the lobby that stayed open pretty late. A cup of decaf cappuccino might be just the cure for her insomnia.

  She pulled on a black tube skirt and a fitted white T-shirt that featured one of her favorite K-pop groups. Too lazy to lace up her black combat boots, she slid her feet into a pair of sparkly flip-flops. Her pedicured toenails gleamed black with gold lightning bolts. The design was reversed on her fingernails.

  Jess was passed out in the connecting room. Her obnoxious snoring could be heard through the walls.

  Fluffing out her curls, Scarlett grabbed her keycard and headed out the door.

  Reid had reserved them a block of rooms on the same floor. All the couples had balcony suites while Scarlett, Jess and Lennox were staying in three adjoining rooms.

  Scarlett considered knocking on her brother’s door to see if he’d join her on her coffee run. Then she vetoed the idea. She wanted to be alone right now. She wanted to sit quietly and sip her cappuccino while trying not to think about he-who-shall-not-be-named.

  When she found herself tiptoeing past her parents’ suite like a teenager sneaking out after curfew, she had to stifle a laugh. The scenario wasn’t farfetched since, at twenty-four, she still lived at home. She was saving money to get her own place, but it was taking longer than planned because she wasn’t exactly raking in the big bucks as an indie musician. Most of the money she earned from record sales and tours was reinvested into the band, and she made pennies from her part-time job at a music shop. So she was broke more often than not.

  Fortunately, her parents were totally cool with her staying at home. Her mom loved having her around when she wasn’t on the road, and her overprotective dad loved being able to keep tabs on her.

  Scarlett walked down the hallway to the elevator and pushed the down button. When the doors opened on her floor, she stepped forward and then froze when she found herself face to face with Viggo.

  He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze running from her head to the tip of her bare toes. He’d ditched his jacket and tie. The top three buttons of his dress shirt were undone and the sleeves were rolled up, showcasing his muscular forearms.

  His swoonworthiness scrambled the mechanics of her brain, practically rendering her a drooling mess. She could only stand there and gawk at him.

  An amu
sed gleam filled his eyes. “Going down?”

  God, am I ever! Going down for the count!

  It took her a moment to realize he was pressing the button to hold the doors open for her. She swallowed hard and then forced herself to join him in the elevator. Instantly the heat from his big body enveloped her, tugging at her like a powerful magnet.

  “Where to?” he asked.

  “Uh—” She drew a blank for a moment “—the espresso bar.”

  He didn’t push the button for the lobby. “Sure you wanna go there?”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The espresso bar’s a popular spot. It gets pretty crowded and noisy after midnight.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

  The corner of his mouth twitched up. “We stay at this hotel every time we come to town to play the Red Wings.”

  Well, duh.

  “I could be wrong,” he added, “but I get the feeling you’re looking for a quieter scene.”

  “Maybe I am.” She eyed him from beneath her lashes. “Got any suggestions?”

  A small smile hovered on his lips. “There’s a private lounge on my floor. It’s reserved for the team but hardly anyone ever uses it. We can order whatever you want and just sit and talk.”

  The offer sounded way too appealing. And dangerous. Spending time alone with Viggo Sandström was a seriously bad idea. She knew that.

  She also knew she was going to say yes.

  “Sit and talk, huh?”

  “Yeah.” Viggo stood so close to her that his shoulder brushed her arm. “Let’s get to know each other better.”

  A hot shiver ran through her. She licked her lips and stared up at the electronic floor display above the elevator doors. “Who’s Audrey?”

  If her question caught him off guard, he didn’t show it. “She’s someone I used to go out with.”

  “Used to?”

  “Yeah. I haven’t seen her in a while.”

  “So why is she still calling you?”