Reforming the Playboy

by Karin Baine

  ‘I see Anderson’s almost human today.’ She changed the subject, using Anderson as a buffer for this unresolved sexual tension between them. He was the poster child for bad judgement and rash decisions. She was probably one more Hunter clinch away from an epic breakdown of equipment-smashing proportions and she didn’t even know it.

  Once she’d pulled the brakes on the hot and meaningful exchanged glances, Hunter followed suit and put a bit more space between them.

  ‘I think we’ve made some progress. He has some work to do but it was his decision to get started early and make up some ground today. I do know he’s serious about getting back on track with the club.’

  ‘Gray will be happy.’

  ‘That might be overstating it but at least there’s a chance he’ll think again about getting people fired.’

  ‘That’s a win all round, then. It’s good to start the day on a high. I’ll check in with Anderson later and see how he’s getting on. I need to take a look at those stitches again anyway.’ It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Hunter’s word but she wanted to see, and speak to, Anderson herself to gauge his mood. She wanted to be optimistic about his future as well as her own but she was also a realist. That sort of behaviour wasn’t often cured overnight and she, along with Gray, would still be watching him with a careful eye.

  ‘Be my guest.’

  ‘Right, I have a few things to sort out for Nottingham so I should go.’ She was already making her way towards the exit and away from trouble.

  ‘You’re being hopeful. We still have an away match to win before we get there.’

  ‘I like to be organised.’ It wasn’t that she was overly optimistic about their chances. A hockey fan through and through, she’d booked her flights for the Final Four Weekend long before Hunter had come on the scene. She would be there no matter who made it to the finals and if the Demons were there it would be all the sweeter.

  The doctor didn’t usually travel with the team but she’d be happy to combine work with pleasure. Except now it would mean she and Hunter would be spending more time together in close proximity. If they carried on from where they’d left off last night there was a danger it would all burn out of control and she knew better than to let her heart overrule her head.

  He didn’t try to stop her leaving, for which she was grateful. One more romantic recall into his arms and she knew they’d be melting the very ground they were standing on. She’d used up her quota of bravado in walking away and she would make sure she left enough time for Mr Torrance to have packed up his kit before she ventured out of the office again and risked another pulse-racing encounter. He was just too much excitement for this sleepy town and always had been.

  She grabbed what she needed from the filing cabinet and was ready to leave when the sound of running water coming from somewhere nearby alerted her to the fact she wasn’t alone.

  ‘Anderson, is that you?’ she called out before she entered the changing room, as she always did so anyone who wished to preserve their modesty could do so. Not that they were usually shy about parading in the buff. She was sure they’d done it on purpose in those early days just to get her flustered but she was used to it now. Men’s naked bodies were part of the fixtures around here.

  The shower shut off and she hoped to goodness he covered up before he came out to speak to her. A serious conversation about his state of mind would go more smoothly if she wasn’t worried about a lapse in eye contact.

  ‘I...uh...just wanted to see you...er...to make sure you were all right after last night.’

  ‘Do you make a habit of dropping in on the players when they’re in the showers?’ A bemused Hunter, not Anderson, padded out barefoot and double-towelled, with one around his waist and another in his hand, drying his hair.

  Holy six pack!

  She was sure her mouth was dropping open and closed like a sea creature stranded on the shore, fighting for survival. Eventually she forced herself to speak before he felt it his duty to come and give her mouth to mouth.

  ‘I don’t get my kicks spying on naked hockey players, thank you very much.’ Only ex-hockey players.

  ‘Oh, yes, we’re much too brutish for you, aren’t we?’ He tossed the hair-drying towel aside and she was finding difficulty coming up with an argument, or even why she wanted one as he walked towards her.

  ‘If we’re talking sexy Canadian stereotypes I’m more a Gilbert Blythe kind of girl,’ she lied, wanting to focus on someone the opposite of the muscle-bound hunk advancing on her. It would be dangerous to admit to the attraction here, alone in a small room with Hunter naked except for a scrap of white fabric.

  ‘I’ll start calling you Carrots, then, shall I?’ He had every right to look pleased with himself when he’d just scored extra hottie points.

  ‘You know Anne of Green Gables?’ Now she came to think of it, he did resemble her other teenage fantasy boyfriend with his dark wavy hair and that accent that made every Sorry impossible to forgive.

  ‘Read it, and watched the mini-series as an essential part of getting inside the female psyche at an early age. I even wore a flat cap for a while.’ He smiled bashfully at the memory and Charlotte couldn’t help but sigh out loud.

  ‘Yes, well, we’re all older, wiser and much more cynical these days.’

  ‘Perhaps, but there’s always room for a little romance, don’t you think?’ He was doing it again, staring at her with such naked lust it took her breath away.

  She was doing her best to remain strong and avoid falling too quickly under his spell again but her mouth was dry with want. A droplet of water fell from the ends of his tousled hair and she watched it with the thirst of a traveller lost in the desert, searching for that life-giving oasis. It splashed onto his shoulder and trickled over the muscular planes of his chest, its journey gaining momentum over the smooth skin, unimpeded until it reached that trail of dark hair from navel to...

  Oh. He’d caught her staring.

  ‘Do you shave?’ It was the first thing that popped into her head so she said it to divert her thoughts from where they were headed. Except she hadn’t given any thought to where her gaze was lingering.

  His taut belly moved with his laughter. ‘No. Do you?’

  She frowned, not quite understanding his meaning. Did he think she had a hairy chest? Then the penny dropped and she wished the ground would too.

  ‘I didn’t mean...I was talking about your chest. I wasn’t staring at your...’

  She so was.

  He cleared his throat, clearly as embarrassed as she was by her staring. She would’ve imagined someone with his history would’ve been used to it and that lack of arrogance only added to his appeal for her. There was nothing more off-putting than a man who was fully aware of his looks and used them to his advantage.

  ‘About last night—’

  ‘I’ll leave you to get dressed. I only came in to get a few things.’ She could tell he was gearing up to give her the brush-off. If he’d wanted anything more they wouldn’t be standing here, making small talk, while he was dressed in nothing but a towel. Until this second she hadn’t realised it was her who didn’t want this to be over already.

  ‘Wait.’ He grabbed hold of her arm, pulled her back so they were almost nose to nose, his hot breath mingling with hers. His freshly soaped skin was warm and wet against hers, reminding her he was au naturel below that towel.

  ‘What are we doing, Hunter?’ This was her chance to reclaim control. If she truly wanted to prevent this from happening she should’ve been pushing him away, not welcoming his touch as though she’d been waiting for it all her life.

  ‘Probably something really, really stupid.’ At least Hunter was acknowledging that he was also powerless against this attraction as he took her in his arms.

  Any fight left her at that first contact and she surrendered to
the next. There was something more urgent in his kiss this time, matching her need to make up for lost time. As if the pressure of fighting these feelings had finally been too much and had exploded in a frenzy of body parts desperate to connect.

  His tongue courted hers and with his two hands planted firmly on her backside, he pulled her closer, leaving her in no doubt about how much he wanted her. He was as hard for her as she was wet for him, their mutual appreciation reaching critical levels.

  Her carefully layered shirt and sweater combo, chosen to keep her body temperature regulated for skating purposes, now seemed excessive for this increasingly hot interlude. Arousal coursed through her veins, reaching her every nerve ending until she was nothing but a mass of erogenous zones.

  He was the only man capable of making her act this recklessly but she wasn’t so far gone she was prepared to lose her inhibitions in public. It definitely wouldn’t aid her career if the team doctor was to be discovered getting passionate with the half-naked physio in the locker room.

  ‘This is a mistake. Someone could walk in at any time. You were right. This is a stupid idea.’

  ‘Charlotte, wait!’ Hunter could only watch as she bolted from the building. It would only cause more of a scene if he ran after her, his towel at half-mast around his waist.

  He did, however, dress as quickly, and as cautiously, as he could without causing serious injury to himself as he waited for the after-effects of their unexpected, extremely hot tryst to wear off.

  So much for careful planning and taking things slowly. Apparently his impulsive side hadn’t left him altogether, although he would deny any man not to respond as primitively as he had to the hungry way she’d stared at his body. Her emotions were as easy to read now as they had been that first day they’d met and she’d made no attempt to disguise her contempt for him.

  After Sara and the years he’d missed of Alfie’s life he preferred knowing where he stood. No good came of secrets and that went for him too. He’d deliberated telling her about Alfie’s existence when he’d been unsure last night had been anything other than a moment of weakness. Given this morning’s events and the persistent frequency of the tightness in his jeans, the chemistry with Charlotte was rapidly invading all areas of his life.

  He might be wary of inviting someone to share his most personal, private secrets but if her hasty exit was anything to go by, so was Charlotte. It was important she knew they were braving this strange new land together.

  She didn’t seem the type to engage in passionate embraces on a whim; she wasn’t one of the puck bunnies who’d kill to be in that position with a player in the locker room. If she was he would’ve heard about it by now. Players weren’t known for their discretion on such matters. Then again, until recently he hadn’t been the settling-down type whose only goal was a steady cheque to pay a mortgage. People weren’t always who they appeared to be but he trusted his instincts. She was the first woman he’d had time for since finding out about his son and that had to mean something, something he was keen to explore.

  He chased her down to the car park and called after her. ‘Can we at least talk about this?’

  Apparently not as her little silver hatchback screeched away from the arena.

  * * *

  For someone who spent most of her spare time at the arena, Charlotte did a good job of eluding Hunter until the night of their away match and even then she’d driven rather than taken a seat on the team bus. Something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by the others, who’d wondered what had caused her to forsake her free ride when she normally insisted on travelling, despite the away team providing their own medical support. Hunter had simply kept his head down and muttered something about her having other errands to run. It wasn’t as if he could put his hands up and say it was his fault she wanted to be on her own. That he’d made her act as irresponsibly as he once had and now she regretted it.

  He felt the need to apologise the minute he cast his eyes on her, even though they hadn’t done anything wrong. Under the fluorescent lights of a jam-packed concourse probably wasn’t the ideal spot to confront what had happened but she hadn’t left him much option when she kept dodging him.

  ‘Charlotte, you have to talk to me at some point. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable but we still have to work together.’ There wasn’t much hope for more than that since a couple of kisses had sent her scurrying into the shadows.

  They were jostled by the stampeding crowds keen to get their pre-game snacks and drinks from the nearby concession stands. Hunter took her by the elbow and gently led her to a corner where there was considerably less footfall and noise going on around them.

  ‘Did anyone see us? In the changing room, I mean.’ The events had clearly been at the forefront of her mind when she launched into her fears immediately, rather than continuing to dance around the subject.

  ‘No. Our secret’s safe.’ He only managed a half-smile at the thought of being someone’s dirty little secret. For her sake he wanted to laugh it off, pretend the matter wasn’t of any great significance so they could move on past it. In reality, though, he would rather be someone Charlotte was proud to be seen with regardless of what people thought. Not being reminded that he was still the man no one wished to be associated with.

  ‘Good.’ A delicate blush stained her skin but it was difficult to tell if it was through embarrassment or heat at the memory. He knew which one would be easier for him to stomach.

  ‘Charlotte—’

  ‘Hunter—’

  They stumbled over each other attempting to address the chasm that had opened up between them after their latest indiscretion. In ordinary circumstances making out should have spelled the beginning of a relationship, not the end of one. It might be wishful thinking on his part but he was holding onto the small hope it was circumstance alone that had caused Charlotte’s sudden retreat from him.

  ‘I’m sorry if I put you in a compromising position at work but, for the record, we haven’t done anything wrong.’ They’d only done what had come naturally, albeit at the wrong time and in the wrong place.

  She glanced around, obviously still skittish about getting caught even when the passers-by were more interested in getting to their seats before the puck dropped than two people freaked out by their attraction to one another. ‘I know... It’s just...I wasn’t expecting this.’

  He understood her fears, he had reservations himself, but for altogether different reasons. Whilst she might be concerned she’d be nothing more than a notch on his bedpost, he feared the opposite.

  ‘Neither was I. We can take things at whatever pace you want.’ One thing was for sure, it was impossible to walk away and pretend nothing was happening.

  She studied him closely, as if she was trying to work out if he was spinning her a line or he was being genuine. That hurt more than she could ever have imagined.

  ‘It’s not only what nearly happened, or could happen between us that I’m worried about. I don’t know you, not really.’ This was a very different woman from the one who’d been in his arms not long ago, a cautious Charlotte who probably didn’t make a habit of the sort of behaviour he’d been famous for.

  He couldn’t blame her. They’d taken a risk of being spotted, of being ridiculed or, worse, sacked on the spot. Sara’s parents would’ve had a field day with the news and then he’d have had to explain to his son why he’d screwed up their future together for a woman he’d just met. Only he knew he wouldn’t have put either his or Charlotte’s livelihoods at risk for something trivial and it was frustrating he couldn’t get that point across.

  ‘Now, how can we rectify that if you won’t be in the same room as me? Hmm?’ He tilted his head to one side and gave her his best hound dog impression so she’d stop seeing him as some sort of threat.

  That earned him a soft, sweet laugh. ‘So you found the flaw in my total avoidan
ce ploy, huh?’

  Hunter sucked a breath in through his teeth. ‘Not the most practical tactic when we do play for the same team.’

  ‘Always thinking about the long game and not the interim strategy, that’s me.’ The skin at the corners of her eyes creased with laughter, a most welcome sight after an anxious few days of silence.

  ‘Sometimes it does you good to act on impulse and not worry about what happens further down the line.’

  ‘And how did that work out for you?’

  He’d been talking about letting their attraction win out over common sense but Charlotte’s raised eyebrow suggested another nod back at his hockey days.

  ‘I said sometimes. Not as a lifestyle choice. Sometimes the most spontaneous moments can bring the greatest pleasure.’ He lowered his voice so his next words were for her ears only. ‘I have many regrets, Charlotte, but kissing you will never be one of them.’

  If it wasn’t for the constant stream of people nudging past he would be tempted to do it again.

  He was running the risk of scaring her off again by being so blatant about his desires but it was going to take at least one of them being honest if there was a chance of repeating the experience.

  ‘Hunter...I...’

  He watched her gulp and swallow, struggling to form a reply, and waited patiently for the verdict on his gamble.

  The klaxon sounded from deep inside the arena, signalling the end of the pre-game warm-up and penetrating their bubble. The teams would be making their way off the ice after their drills and stretches to prepare for the game behind the scenes. Where he and Charlotte should be.

  ‘We really need to hustle our backsides down there before Gray starts on the warpath.’ She turned away from him, timing, as ever, against them.

  Hunter mused over whether or not to force this conversation to its conclusion so he would know once and for all where he stood with her. She was driving him crazy. Since it had taken this long to pin her down he figured it wouldn’t help matters to put her job in jeopardy again by making her tardy.