Literally, the only option.
Now they were even. Almost. She doubted Henrik even realized how immaculate he looked in his tux and little black bow tie. His polished hair, paired with the tailored, dark suit, would make any woman forget her name. It took every ounce of willpower she could muster not to reach up and run her finger across his pouty lip and tell him exactly how she would relieve his pain later. She might have done just that if things were different, but her current state of affairs required her to settle for making him as miserable as she felt at the moment.
“What?” she inquired as he slid in the car next to her.
“You know exactly what,” he insisted, his voice cool and dangerous. “I am now in possession of a second piece of your undergarments, neither of which I got to remove.”
“You’re actually complaining about that? Good grief. Live a little.”
He gasped. “Live a little? That’s what you’re suggesting to me right now?”
His eyes dropped to her chest, and then raked back up to her eyes. Her entire body prickled as if it had been dashed with cold water—and then lit on fire. She couldn’t deny how good it felt, especially after the horrifying time she experienced in that dressing room, and even worse, the bathroom back at his apartment. “This is a sophisticated dress,” she tried to explain, straightening her shoulders as if that made her answer more acceptable.
“A sophisticated date might be all right with it, but you agreed to be my date, remember?”
“Did you just insult yourself?”
“Leila,” he sighed, and just like that his anger turned into something else. At first, she didn’t recognize what, until his eyes found hers again, and she it saw it rooted deep in them. He was hurt. “You’re intentionally trying to tempt me. This is our first official date. I’ve waited four years for it, and damn it, I’m trying my best to be a gentleman, but it’s like you’re trying to provoke me into screwing it up.”
Her heart sank to her toes as she realized how much tonight really meant to him. “I wasn’t intentionally trying to ruin it,” she tried.
“Then what are you doing?” he asked, breathless.
She bit her lip, laughing humorlessly as her eyes diverted to her feet. She hadn’t planned to tell him about it. It didn’t mean anything; she knew that. It was ridiculous to dwell on it. “Back at your apartment, when I was in your bathroom…three different women called and left some very disgustingly detailed voicemails for you.”
He deflated into the seat. “They call,” his fingers grazed her hand before he took it, “but it doesn’t mean I answer.”
“I know.” She nodded. “They even mentioned how long it’s been since they’ve heard from you.”
He squeezed her hand tighter. “Then what is it?”
“She was describing her lingerie the same time I realized I’d drastically misjudged my dress size. Then, if all that wasn’t bad enough, every dress I picked out in there didn’t come in the size I needed. I had to settle for this one by default.”
“And that is upsetting to you…” he said, though by the questioning tone in his voice she could tell he was guessing.
“Yes, Henrik, that is upsetting.”
He gave her a dumbfounded look.
“I know it sounds stupid.”
“No. It’s not stupid. Everyone is insecure, Leila. I just never thought you’d be insecure about how you looked, or especially how I reacted to you.”
“It’s a new development,” she said, then groaned.
“One that isn’t necessary,” he laughed, “if you can’t tell by the drool I’m trying to suppress every time I look at you.”
She smiled, and despite her best effort, she felt herself blush. “I know you wanted this night to be perfect, but we’re not perfect. I don’t know how you expect any kind of relationship we have to be.” When he smiled, all she saw was that boy who stole her heart four years ago. “So, instead of trying to be a gentleman, could you just be regular ol’ Henrik tonight?”
He gave her an incredulous look. “You know me.”
“I do.”
“I’m handsy.”
“Yes.”
“Outspoken.”
She nodded in agreement.
“And generally inappropriate in almost every situation,” he added. “The entire Rangers organization is going to be there tonight, along with both our siblings. Trust me, tonight isn’t the night to request this from me.”
“Then this isn’t a real date,” she told him matter-of-factly, “because I don’t want some fake, play-by-numbers relationship. I did that before, remember? Look what it got me. I want to see the real you, or nothing. And if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll know we at least gave it a shot. But if we’re going to do this, and it’s real, then I want you, not you on a leash.”
He watched her evenly, studying her every blink and twitch. “Have you been drinking? Because it just sounded like you said we’re dating.”
She let out an audible huff. “I thought we were entertaining the possibility, you know, for future consideration.”
“Future consideration, huh?” His worry melted easily into a mischievous grin. He leaned up and knocked on the window that separated them from the driver up front. “Hey, Ken,” he announced, “care to take the long way around?”
“What are you doing?”
He gave a noncommittal shrug. “You said you wanted a real date with me, and if you plan on using it to make up your mind about me later, I want to make sure I make a good impression.”
She felt her breath hitch as he turned his eyes back on her. He inched closer. “You bring extra lip gloss in that little bag of yours?”
Again she nodded, her body frozen in anticipation as he drew even closer. “Good. You’re going to need it if you want to convince Austin that I didn’t do this—”
She sucked in a breath, but he already closed the small space between them, his lips on hers, his hand capturing her hair as he tilted her head back, allowing her to sink into him. He parted her lips with his tongue, and the butterflies in her stomach danced.
It had never been like this with Derek.
Natural. Effortless.
His lips automatically set the perfect rhythm while his hand grazed down her side, clutching her hip as she leaned into him. Every cell in her body sparked with an insatiable desire that only he could contain. She gasped against his lips, holding his face with both hands as she tried to catch her breath. “How long does the long way take, exactly?”
“Ten minutes at best,” he breathed, confusion rooted deep on his face. “Why?”
The disappointed groan escaped her lips before she could stop it, and he smiled as she eagerly pulled his lips back to her.
***
Henrik still grinned like an idiot when he stepped out of the car. Honestly, she was too. She attempted to adjust her dress back into proper position. It was trickier than she thought. Henrik snorted next to her and tugged the edge of the fabric at her waist to help move it back into position. “Thanks,” she sighed.
He shrugged. “It was my fault. I warned you that I’m handsy.”
She looked at herself in the reflection of the blacked out car window, noting her own wild expression. Not to mention her hair. It was a train wreck. Henrik laughed behind her.
“It isn’t funny.” She desperately tried to tame the stray hairs.
“It is very funny, actually.” He wrapped his arms all the way around her, pulling her back into his chest. “I still can’t believe you thought I’d want those women, or any woman, when I have the opportunity to be here with you like this.”
She tried really hard not to smile. She turned around and faced him. The new Henrik really was impossible to deny. She held onto him, enjoying the moment.
“Your lips are swollen,” she pointed out, “and sparkly.”
“I really don’t care at this point.” He grinned proudly. “I’m done hiding.”
She looked at him longer, and then he s
ighed.
“Okay, that was a lie. I’m still scared of your brother. Wipe it off.”
Laughing hysterically, she cleaned his face. When she finished, he tucked her arm under his elbow, then turned her around to face the front door and the crowd that would surely be waiting. “You ready for this?” she asked. “A public display? It kind of makes it official.”
He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and smiled. “I’ve been ready.”
Chapter 22
HENRIK’S PERFECT DATE
They were late, and it was obvious. The auditorium overflowed with guests, all mingling against the dimly lighted backdrop of the stage. At least forty tables were arranged beneath the podium, double the number from last year, which to Henrik meant one thing. Double the number of people he’d be required to appease. Luckily, their arrival went relatively unnoticed as they snuck in, except by Sam, who stood at the edge of the bar by himself. He immediately walked over, a small smile on his lips.
“Good evening,” he announced, holding up a shot in greeting.
Sam didn’t look like himself. His normally unkempt hair was smooth and combed back, his tux flawless. A far cry from the messy-haired boy with mismatched socks he was accustomed to teasing in the locker room. “Good evening to you too,” he said, laughing. “You’re dressed to impress tonight. Where is your date?”
Sam shrugged. “Late.” He downed the shot.
“Wait a second. You’re telling me you didn’t even go pick her up?”
“I offered,” he grunted, “but—”
“You’re embarrassing him, Henrik,” Leila whispered, walking over to give Sam a quick hug. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You too. I feel like I see you every day, as much as I hear about you.”
Leila turned and raised a curious brow toward him. “Oh, really?”
“Oh. I mean—” Sam stuttered, realizing his mistake, “—I hear about you from your brother.”
Henrik snorted. “Smooth, Sam. Real smooth.”
“Sorry,” he mumbled, shaking his head, “I’m having a bad night.”
“It’s all right.” He smiled, putting his arm around Sam’s shoulder. “I’ll buy you another drink.”
An hour later, he was still at the bar with Leila and Sam. He was four drinks in, and swapping bad date stories with Sam, which had Leila in tears. The good kind of tears. “I’m sorry.” Leila almost spit out her ice water. “The girl actually asked you that on the first date?”
Sam nodded, shooting back the remainder of his drink. “Yep. Like I had nothing better to do than walk her dog while I waited for her to get ready.”
“I bet you did it too.” Henrik laughed, imagining the horrifying scenario. “You are way too nice to say no.”
“I did no such thing,” he defended himself, straightening his shoulders.
“Don’t lie, Sam. You totally walked that dog, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” he groaned. “It shit all over the sidewalk too. I didn’t even care.”
Leila covered her mouth, trying to compose herself. “Okay, you two have got to stop. I can’t handle any more.”
As if on cue, the music died down, and someone announced for everyone to find their tables. Sam looked around the room, his face falling. “Well, I guess I have officially been stood up.”
Henrik exchanged a look with Leila, and he knew their romantic evening was officially shot. “Don’t worry,” he told Sam, “after all the speeches, we’ll get you so drunk, you won’t remember her name.”
He found their table in the front corner, sitting with the highest donors. Austin sat at the table next to them, an empty chair at his side. “Where is your date?” he asked him, sinking down in the empty seat. “Don’t tell me you got stood up too?”
“What? No. Decided to go stag and see what’s here. I offered my extra ticket to Drew, but he said he had plans.”
“Plans,” he grumbled. “Probably out with his boyfriend he refuses to let me meet.”
Austin laughed. “Do you blame him? And who got stood up?”
“Sam. I promised him I’d get him good and drunk after this.”
“I got it covered,” Austin assured him. “You have fun with your date.”
He eyed his friend suspiciously. “You do remember that my date is your baby sister, right?”
“I figure I owe you one.” He smiled. “Just one, though. After tonight, you’re back on my shit list.”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot.”
Henrik joined Leila at their table, scooting his seat up close to hers so he could wrap his arm around her. She leaned into him, and he rested his chin on her shoulder like they’d done it a thousand times. “I feel bad for Sam,” she whispered. “He really looked upset.”
“Yeah, I know. Austin said he’d take care of him since he’s flying solo tonight.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like my brother.”
He smiled against her cheek, closing his eyes. “Yeah, well, we’re all full of surprises lately.”
Soon their table filled with smiling donors, and dinner was served. What normally would have been just another night of work, comprised of forced conversations, now felt comfortable and easy with Leila by his side. He marveled at the way she glowed against the candlelight, her laughter rich and sincere. She was by far the hit of the table, and not only because she entertained the guests with embarrassing stories from his college career.
He couldn’t imagine the night going any better. After dinner, she held his hand as he led her around the room, making the necessary introductions and chatting with donors about the new changes to the youth hockey program the charity supported.
He introduced her to the director of the program, Chet Darrenger, an elderly man with thin, white hair. “The kids are looking forward to your visit next month,” Chet told him. “I really appreciate you taking time out of your schedule during such a hectic time of the season.”
“No problem,” Henrik assured him. “I look forward to it every year.”
“We are grateful for your dedication. We’ve benefited a lot from the Rylander family this year.”
He glanced at Leila before quirking his head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how we would have survived if not for your brother volunteering when Harold had his heart attack.”
His eye rounded at the news. “Wait. Drew’s volunteering? Since when?”
Chet involuntarily scratched his brow. “Well, Harold got sick back in September. Drew took over his two beginner and intermediate training classes in October. Surely, he told you?”
“I’m starting to think my brother doesn’t tell me anything anymore,” he grumbled, giving Leila a knowing look.
“So, Drew’s playing hockey,” Leila asked for clarification, her hand intertwining with his because she understood the magnitude of what Chet was telling them.
“Yes. He’s amazing,” Chet said with a laugh. “I’m surprised Henrik hasn’t been sending scouts to the pickup games on Thursday nights. The kid has got some impressive skills.”
“He’s playing pickup games?” He shot Leila another look. “I guess now we know where he’s been creeping off to at night in his sneakers.”
“I wonder why he didn’t tell us.”
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I’m glad to hear it, though. Chet’s right. Drew was amazing at hockey. It’s a shame he gave it up.”
“Well, you’re welcome to join anytime,” Chet encouraged. Someone called for him from the bar, and he gave them a wave. “I’ll see you next month for sure, though.”
“Yes, of course.”
Chet left them alone, and Leila must have realized he suddenly had a lot of his mind, because she pulled him over to the side. “Want to skip out of here early?”
“Are you asking if I want to track down my brother and finally shake some truth out of him?”
She grinned, running her finger up the front seam of his tux jacket. “I meant more like us, c
ontinuing our date someplace with a few less distractions.”
He eyed her. “You’re not going to let me ask Drew about the hockey thing, are you?”
“He will tell us when he’s ready.”
“But he’s playing hockey again! Do you know how long I’ve waited for this? You saw him at the Halloween party. He wouldn’t even put skates on. He stayed in the suite with Sam and Callen, playing video games.”
“I understand it’s a big deal, but obviously, this is something Drew needs to do on his own. Whatever is changing in his life right now is working, so just trust in that, and in Drew.”
He screwed up his face. He wasn’t accustomed to letting his baby brother cope on his own. He’d always been there, every step of the way, prepared to catch him if he happened to fall. Now, Leila suggested he do nothing.
“I know it’s a difficult concept for you.”
“More like impossible,” he groaned. “However, I think maybe I could be swayed this one time, depending on your proposal for our after dinner activities.”
She shot him a quick, brilliant smile. “You know that ice cream place in East Park? 16 Handles?”
“That’s my favorite place.”
“I know.”
He threw his arm around her, hugging her close to his side before glancing over at the bar where Austin stood with Sam and a group of other guys. “Tell your brother nothing.”
Leila zipped her lips and threw away the key as they snuck through the crowd and out the back door.
Chapter 23
LEILA’S CHOICE
“You realize we look crazy, right?”
Henrik shoved another giant spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, shrugging. “It’s New York. We fit in.”
Leila looked around, grinning to herself as she watched the unruly city patrons rush by them. He was probably right. They sat on a park bench, dressed to the nines, eating ice cream in the middle of December. It didn’t make any sense, but that was what she liked about it the most. He’d given her his jacket, but she still shivered as she twirled her spoon around in her cup.
The Girl With Hearts (Midtown Brotherhood #1) Page 17