Collide: A Hockey Romance

Summer, you can stay in the guest room, and Aiden, your old room is just the way you left it.”

Aiden gives his grandma a weird look. “She can stay in my room.”

“You can’t sleep on the couch, bean. Your coach will be upset if I send you to school with back pain.”

He laughs, but she’s not making a joke. “I meant we can stay in my room together,” he explains.

She doesn’t say anything, bewildered. Uh-oh.

“The guest room is perfect,” I interrupt before Aiden can give her an answer.

“Summer,” he starts.

“Seriously, Aiden. Why would you want to sleep on the couch?”

Please?”

She shakes her head more vigorously. “Don’t give me those eyes.”

I hold back a smile. “What eyes, baby?”

“Those! All green and innocent looking. You can’t fool me, buddy.

Lukas Preston is staring right at me.

Calculating. Murderous. Appropriate reactions to what he just saw.

. “Lukas Preston wants us to come over for dinner?”

“You don’t have to say his full name every time.”

I’m not going to make you miss time with family.”

“So, is that a yes?” he prompts.

“Yes, Aiden. Any place that made you who you are has to be the closest thing to heaven on earth.”

getting flowers.

“Sunflowers? You don’t think I’m a Venus Fly Trap?” I ask.

Aiden turns, smiling when he sees the flowers in my hand. My eyes must still be misty because he watches me with a look so soft I’m afraid it might break me.

“They were sold out.” He grins when I glare. “You’re my sunflower, Summer.”

“What? Men can’t read romance? Selfish of you to deprive us of this gold mine of information. Aiden, you gotta read one too, she’s onto something.”

“I have.”

That shocks the hell out of me. “When?”

“Babe, you fall asleep twenty minutes into every movie, and you made me promise not to watch them without you. I gotta do something to keep occupied.”

“So you’ve been reading my books?”

“Yup. I’m a big fan of the ones that have all the red tabs.” My eyes widen when he smirks and drops a kiss on my lips. “Let’s go upstairs so I can show you what I learned.”

“You wear glasses?” I ask Dylan who’s in the living room reading a book.

Dylan lowers his glasses. “Why? Is it turning you on?”

I give him a blank look. “How could you possibly come to that conclusion?”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“Neither did you.”

“They crashed my date.”

Dylan grins. “You were moping around like a lovesick puppy.”

“And since you weren’t going to do anything about it, we took it upon ourselves. You’re welcome.” Kian says proudly.

I shake my head. I realize these reckless and loyal friends of mine, have my back like no other.

Summer was getting that vitamin A with a side of that D, if you know what I mea—ow!”