Skating the Line (San Francisco Strikers Book 2)

by Stephanie Kay

  ***

  A few hours later, they were back at Ben’s condo and wrapped in each other’s arms. He’d just wiped away her ability to think with his tongue and his cock, and she sank into his embrace, molding to his body and never wanting to leave.

  “Do you want to talk about tonight?” she asked. He’d been quiet on the drive home, and she could tell he was thinking about the game, his eyes darting around, his jaw clenched, so she hadn’t pried.

  “Not really. It sucks. I wanted to finish the series at home and have a few days off before either Anaheim or Edmonton finishes up their series. Extra days off can help,” he said, running his hand down her back. “But I don’t want to talk about that now. I need to push the loss aside and be ready for Calgary again in two days, in front of their fans. Hopefully, we won’t have to finish it up here later this week.”

  “Okay, no hockey talk,” she said, trailing her hand across his chest, and nuzzling her nose in the bend between his neck and shoulder. He smelled amazing.

  “Just freshly showered,” he said with a chuckle.

  “That was out loud, wasn’t it?”

  “Yep.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

  She reached out and tweaked his nipple.

  “Hey.”

  “Don’t make fun of me,” she grumbled.

  “I’m not. You’re just adorable, and I wish you would always say what is on your mind.”

  “I do.”

  “Don’t hold anything back from me, Amanda,” he said, his voice low. She looked up, meeting his eyes and drowning in his deep brown gaze. She didn’t want to keep secrets from him.

  And yet, she still didn’t tell him about her interview. She would find the right time. Eventually.

  “Fuck yes,” Baz yelled as they all jumped over the boards Thursday night. They had won and were headed to the next round. Holy shit.

  Harty had scored the winning goal a few minutes ago, and Timmy, who’d been called up to the top defense line with Boosh when Finn had gone out with his injury, had held off Calgary from tying it up. The kid was coming into his own and had been a great help in the series.

  Each team lined up on the ice, a time-honored tradition, and started the handshake line. There was something amazing about the fact that they could go after each other on the ice, chirping and knocking their opponent into the boards—sometimes with more force than necessary—and then could shake hands and offer congratulations on a hard-fought season and good luck to the winning team for the next round.

  He’d played with most of the guys on various teams over the years, juniors, international, even an Olympic game. They might be opponents on the ice, but he wouldn’t hesitate to have a beer with any of them off of it.

  Eventually, they headed back to the locker room for showers and interviews. Ben still hated that part. He’d say his canned answers, and Harty would pop in, wrap an arm around Ben’s shoulders and give the reporters a better sound bite. Ben wasn’t clueless to the fact that part of Harty’s job on the team was to make Ben more personable with the media. Management knew his apprehension, which is why they hadn’t hounded him to work on his responses. Having Harty there helped, but Ben was getting better. Opening up more—well, slightly more—no need to go overboard and spill his life to everyone.

  Amanda had helped with that. He wished she was here tonight. He wanted to celebrate with her, but that would have to wait until tomorrow. She better not have any other plans. It’d been almost a week since he’d told her all about Tara, and things were perfect. They’d even discussed a possible vacation later this summer—like after mid-June since Amanda was convinced that the Strikers were going to hoist the Cup in a few weeks.

  He’d given her free rein to pick their destination. As long as she didn’t make him bungee jump off a bridge or go sky-diving, he said he was game. Her grin had almost made him pull back those words, wondering what she would plan. But he trusted her, and he wanted to travel with her the way she had in her years of blogging. She’d fully immersed herself in every town and country she visited. He wanted to do that with her.

  “Grab quick showers, and let’s get these interviews over with so we can go out and celebrate!” Harty said, nudging Ben in the shoulder.

  “Yes. And no going back to the hotel after one drink. You can sleep on the plane tomorrow,” Baz said.

  Ben laughed. “I’m still sticking to one beer. Routines don’t change until we’re holding that Cup and the season is over.”

  Baz grinned. “I want to be there when you get shit-faced.”

  “I’ll make sure you’re there,” Ben replied with a chuckle as he headed to the showers. What he really wanted was to breeze through dinner and get back to his room to see what Amanda was still wearing after this win. He was hoping it was only a hat.

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and suit on, he gave his interview. He always preferred to be interviewed after he’d showered and put himself together. Just coming off the ice and panting through the questions as he tried to catch his breath just left him flustered, so he stalled. Hell, if he could avoid it all together he would, but this was part of his job. And he was improving.

  “Ben, you guys looked great tonight, and it’s just been confirmed that you’re up against Edmonton next. What do you need to do to come out on top again?” a reporter asked, her cell phone shoved in his face. The lights from multiple cameras blinded him, and he took in a deep breath. His answer wasn’t totally canned, and his smile was genuine. A few of the reporters perked up.

  “We played a great game tonight, a great series. Calgary was tough, and I never counted them out until that last buzzer. We are playing the game we need to. As a team. Edmonton has been on fire this season. Their new captain is young and hungry and the team definitely reflects that attitude. We are going to do everything we can to stop them. I’m confident in my team.”

  He smiled again and tilted his head, waiting for the next question. There was a pause, as if they hadn’t expected him to provide an actual answer. Amanda would be proud. Her trick of taking a deep breath and centering his thoughts before speaking had helped. He should’ve tried it sooner instead of battling every reporter with short, scripted answers.

  He caught Harty’s grin from behind the cluster of reporters. Harty had been waiting for a signal from Ben to jump in and save the interview, but he never got it. Ben answered a few more questions, keeping it honest and professional, and quickly shutting down the reporter who asked if they’d see him showing off his guitar skills during the anthem anytime soon.

  It’d been a stupid question. Anyone who said there were no stupid questions was lying. It’d had nothing to do with the game, the reporter had just wanted to weasel out something personal.

  But as he wrapped it up and headed out with a few of his teammates, he was pretty pleased that it hadn’t turned into his standard, brusque, deer-in-headlights disaster.

  ***

  “Great interview tonight,” Amanda said, a few hours later as they Facetimed from his hotel room.

  “Not a total disaster,” he said.

  “And not totally canned. I’m impressed,” she said, and then grinned.

  “I wish you were here. You’d look great in this bed.”

  She chuckled. “Well this bed is pretty lonely without you, too.”

  “But I’ve never been in that bed. You won’t let me come over because of that whole roommate situation. I’m still holding out for pancakes.”

  She shuddered. “Oh God. Stop reminding me about that.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  “You’re starting to live up to your nickname, Cheesy,” she said with a smirk.

  “Figured it was about time. But seriously, how are things going over there?”

  “It’s fine. We’re working through it. And who knows how long we’re going to be roommates anyway.”

  “Is she moving?”

  He didn’t miss her pause as she looked away fro
m the screen, nibbling on her lip.

  “Ahh. Not that I know of. But it’s only a matter of time,” she said in a rush. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”

  He bit back his sigh. She never wanted to talk about her mother, and he knew it wasn’t easy. Hell, he couldn’t even get his father to spend more than a weekend in California. Parents weren’t always who you’d hoped they’d be.

  “You can talk to me, you know.”

  “It’s just frustrating. Everything. In fact, you’re the only thing that isn’t frustrating me.” She stopped. “Actually that’s not totally true. I’m frustrated that you aren’t here so we can celebrate your win together.”

  “Well, we can see each other, so I’m sure we can find some way to celebrate. Any ideas?” he asked, not sure where that had come from, but judging from her darkening eyes and pink cheeks, she’d been thinking the same thing and was probably on board for anything he’d suggest.

  “You constantly surprise me, Ben,” she said, her voice low, and his body clenched, his desire building. He’d give anything to have her in the flesh next to him and not on his screen. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

  “Please tell me your mom isn’t home. I know she claims to sleep through everything, but just in case you’re loud.”

  She groaned, and it wasn’t a sexy one. “Seriously? Don’t bring her up right now. And she’s not home.”

  “Great,” he said, and then he told her exactly what he’d do to her if they were together right now, and it was a good thing her mother wasn’t home.

  With the right encouragement, Amanda was very vocal.

  Chapter 22

  Monkeys are everywhere! Exploring the caves of Gibraltar, and don’t forget the rock. The melding of cultures, from Southern Spain, Genoa, Malta, Portugal, and Britain make this place a foodie’s paradise. Just don’t feed the monkeys.

  ~ Adventurous Amanda, February 2015

  “I’ll be back in two hours,” Betsy said, dropping her purse on Amanda’s desk with a thud as she pulled on her coat. “You should have Molly and Don’s latest articles in your inbox. I need them edited, with any corrections from them completed by the time I get back for a final read through before they are submitted. And I should have an interview popping in right when I’m due back. In case I’m running late, tell them to sit tight.”

  “An interview?” Amanda asked.

  “Yes, we’re looking for another writer, to float between the departments. Travel, food, health and wellness,” she said with a dismissive wave.

  “I didn’t realize a position was opening up,” she said, trying to keep her voice level. Betsy knew that Amanda wanted a full-time writing position, but this was the first time Amanda was hearing about an opening.

  “It wasn’t announced. Calvin and I had a few candidates we wanted to pursue. Hopefully we can get this wrapped up quickly,” she said, either unaware or uncaring about the tension that had just entered the room. Betsy breezed right past it as she walked through the door, leaving Amanda to stew.

  What. The. Actual. Fuck.

  Amanda looked around the office, resisting the urge to throw something. Absolute bullshit. While she was red-lining articles and fetching kale smoothies, hoping with each Splenda kernel that they would tap her to move up to full-time writer, they were looking elsewhere. She wanted to walk out, cut her losses, and move on to a place where her opinion and words were valued, but she was still waiting to hear from Charlotte.

  It’d only been a week since her interview. An interview she still hadn’t told Ben about. But with each day that passed, with each moment with Ben, she questioned if she could move. Would she be walking away from the first real relationship she’d had in years—no, that she’d ever had? She was in love with him. Head over freaking heels. Like the insanely tall heels Lexi preferred. She’d never put a man, a relationship, before her career goals. But it was Ben.

  And now this total bullshit from Betsy. Amanda couldn’t stay at the magazine. She stared at her computer screen, the words fuzzy in front of her as she tried to focus, to push back her anger. Storming out wasn’t the answer, finding a new job was. But why did it have to be on the other side of the country? Traveling four months out of the year would strain their relationship, but actually moving—well, she wasn’t sure she could do long distance.

  She shook her head. She was getting way ahead of herself. She didn’t have the job. Hell, they were still interviewing people. And Ben hadn’t said anything about what they were or where they were going. But her gut told her that he wasn’t getting rid of her any time soon—nor did he want to. She wanted to tell him exactly how she felt. But she also wanted to wait and hear back from Charlotte. Maybe she wouldn’t get the job and they could just exist as they had while she figured out what to do next.

  Bottom line—she couldn’t stay with San Francisco Life. Fuck. She was so freaking pissed.

  “Hey, you going to the game tonight?” Ann asked, popping up next to Amanda’s desk. Amanda hadn’t heard anyone coming, she was so lost in her own head.

  “What? Sorry,” she said, giving Ann a smile.

  “Everything okay?”

  She rolled her shoulders. “Yeah. Yeah. Just the usual.”

  “Ah. Is she extra dragony today?” Ann asked, the corner of her mouth tilted in a smirk.

  Amanda coughed out a laugh. “You think of her that way, too?”

  “Yes. Pretty sure everyone does.”

  “Today’s been a little brutal. Can’t wait to get out of here in a few hours.”

  “You and me both. So are you going? To the game?”

  “Yeah. Are you going? Start of round two tonight. I’ll be there screaming at the guys,” she said. Just thinking about Ben on the ice skating for what he wanted more than anything made her smile. She couldn’t wait to watch him hoist that Cup over his head in a few weeks. The Strikers had looked great in the first round, winning in six games.

  “Yes. I ended up getting a ticket from a friend. Actually got decent seats. I’m excited to go,” Ann said, leaning against Amanda’s half-wall.

  “Sorry I never got us tickets. Everything’s been up in the air recently,” she said, not sure why she was telling Ann this, but she felt bad for never getting around to actually making plans with her. The woman had tried on multiple occasions to be friendly with her.

  “Is everything okay? You’re dating Ben, right? The captain?” Ann asked. Amanda could’ve sworn she heard a slight hitch in Ann’s voice, but she brushed it off, as Ann smiled at her.

  “Umm. Yes. It’s new. Both great and confusing.” Amanda let out a soft laugh.

  “They usually are,” Ann said. “We should meet up at the game tonight.”

  “Yes. Here’s my number. We can meet for a drink between the first and second period.”

  “Great. See you tonight,” Ann said, after they exchanged contact information.

  “See you then. And fingers crossed, they win.”

  Ann laughed. “From everything I read, the players are superstitious as hell, so I bet they’re crossing fingers and toes.”

  “Yeah. Ben is pretty superstitious.”

  “I bet,” Ann said, and then turned and walked back down the hall.

  Amanda glanced at her phone. It was right around nap time for him. Too bad she couldn’t be there to help him relax before the game. Not that she was currently in the mood for a G-rated nap. She had some frustration to get out, and in bed with him was the perfect place to do that. Win or lose, tonight he was all hers. She fought back the shiver that rolled through her at that image.

  ***

  The music pumped through the sound system later that night as the players took the ice, the pucks sailing over the boards as the guys started to warm up. Ben and Ethan skated over to them, tapping on the glass.

  “Nice to see you brought another hat,” Ben said.

  She grinned. “You better get me a hat trick then.”

  He shook his head, his dimples peeking out as he
smiled. Giving her a nod, he skated to center ice, snagging a loose puck on the way, and shooting it toward the net. Her eyes never left him during the entire warm-up. Especially when he dropped down to stretch out his hips right in front of her. His cheeky grin told her that he knew exactly what he was doing. Flexible, crazy stamina, and built like a solid tree she enjoyed climbing. Fuck. He was hot. And when she finally got him home…

  “I’m having a hot flash,” she grumbled, breaking her gaze from his perfect ass to look at Penny.

  Her gaze was focused on Ethan across the ice, doing the same thing. “Me too,” Penny said with a sigh.

  Amanda laughed. “They do this on purpose, you know.”

  “Oh, I know. And I’m not complaining. He can preen all he wants.”

  Amanda shook her head, refusing to look at Ben again. “I forgot to mention that one of my co-workers is here tonight. I told her we could meet her for a drink during first intermission.”

  “Sure,” Penny said. “Speaking of work, any news on the job front?”

  “No. And before you ask, I haven’t told Ben.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m in love with him and I’m afraid I’ll lose him if I get this job and take it, and I’m afraid I’ll lose myself if I don’t take the job and stay here, and Ben and I don’t work out.” It was the first time she’d said it out loud. Her fears and her love for Ben. She’d planned to tell him tonight. The love part, not the job part.

  “Oh, Amanda. You can’t do this to yourself. To him. Not that I want you to take off again, but this is your dream job, and they were really interested in you, right?”

  Amanda nodded, her gaze shifting back to the ice as the guys skated off. Ben was the last one out there. As Ethan headed down the tunnel, Ben turned and gave her a wave and a grin, and then headed after his teammates. She wasn’t ready to walk away from him. Not by a long shot.

  “So, how set are they on you relocating to New York? I mean, you’re writing travel pieces, why can’t you keep a home base here since the locations you’re writing about will be out of the country anyway?”