by Steph
She couldn’t exactly say, “Oh, I want to jump our new defenseman. Don’t mind me.”
Dammit, she should head back down to the suites to make sure her groups were happy but Will was on the ice and the Redtails were rushing the puck into their offensive zone to the cheers of the crowd.
Neither team had scored, though it’d been one hell of a game so far. The cheering crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Redtails,” as the offense set up their shot, looking for an open lane.
But the Milwaukee defense was tough and the Redtails couldn’t get a shot. And when Robbie finally took one, Milwaukee slapped it out of the way easily.
The opposing team could’ve had a breakaway but Will made an incredible move to block the pass and then made a shot on net that had the crowd on their feet. While it didn’t go in, the Milwaukee goalie gave up a rebound that Robbie snagged and slapped into the back of the net with less than a minute to play.
As the crowd jumped to its feet and roared, the team celebrated with them. Robbie skated straight for Will, grabbing him for a bear hug as the other guys crowded around them.
In the box, Jess jumped to her feet and hollered and clapped with the crowd then watched the guys circle around to the bench to knock gloves with the rest of the team.
And just before he turned to skate over to Shane, Will looked up at the box and straight at her.
She froze, her lungs stuttering for several seconds before she started breathing again.
Damn it all to hell. This shouldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t supposed to be happening.
And yet, when he grinned up at her—and she knew he was looking at her and not anyone else—she smiled back.
She knew she shouldn’t encourage him but, in that split-second connection, she realized she wanted more of him. No, that kiss last night should’ve never happened.
But now that it had…
Dammit, she had a plan and that plan did not include falling for a veteran hockey player.
A former player? Maybe. Someone who shared her love of the game but wouldn’t be subject to the whim of a coach’s trade or an injury that laid him up for months.
“Ya know, I wasn’t too sure about Mac when I heard they’d signed him.” Joey Constantino had to raise his voice to be heard over the noise of the crowd. “Couldn’t figure out why they’d want some over-the-hill goon for a team with as much skill as we have.”
Biting her tongue, she sat back in her seat and focused on the puck drop at center ice. The other team was going to pull their goalie as soon as they could get the puck in the Redtails’ defensive zone and would put on a hard press for the last fifty seconds of the game.
But she kept her ears peeled for Milan Hanzel’s response.
“Yes, I wondered that, too. But I believe the man will surprise us.”
“The guy can skate, no doubt. He’s a solid defenseman but he’s too slow and he’s not getting any younger.”
Her damn tongue was gonna need stitches but she kept her mouth shut. This wasn’t her conversation.
And damn it, he didn’t need her to be his champion. Will’s playing spoke for itself.
Still, it was tough not to point out his record over the past year, how his game had been evolving. Was she really the only one who’d noticed?
No, she wasn’t. Coach never would’ve signed him if he hadn’t seen the same. He’d just needed a nudge to look in the right direction.
And when the final horn sounded to mark the end of the game and the Redtails gathered at center ice to raise their sticks for the fans, she said a silent “Fuck you” to Joey for his “goon” comment.
Slipping out of the box before she did something stupid, like point out how Will had had the assist on the game-winning goal, she headed back to her office to write up her notes.
And tried not to think about him. Or wonder if he’d show up again.
As if she’d conjured him with her thoughts, she heard the door to the outer office open then footsteps walking toward her office.
Sure, it could be any number of other people, but her heart kicked up a heavy beat and her lungs tightened until she could barely suck in air.
And when Will stopped in her doorway and caught her gaze, she had to make a concerted effort not to fidget in her chair. Luckily, he couldn’t see her thighs clench under her desk.
“Working late again.”
His deep voice raised all the tiny hairs on her arms and she had to clench her hands against the urge to rub them. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and met his gaze.
“There’s never enough time in the day. Good game tonight.”
He nodded. “Thanks. Want to get a drink?”
She knew her answer should be no but she couldn’t get the word to come out of her mouth.
In his suit with his shirt unbuttoned at the neck, hands in his pockets and his hair still wet from a shower, he made her pant just by standing in front of her.
A traitorous little voice in the back of her head urged her to say yes. They could go somewhere she knew they wouldn’t be recognized. Somewhere dark they could be alone and she could stare into his eyes and let herself flirt.
It’d been so long since she’d flirted with a guy, she wondered if she still knew how. She knew how to charm clients without going over a line, but she was totally out of practice in this situation.
When she didn’t answer his question after several seconds, she saw his lips quirk up at one corner.
“That was a simple yes-or-no question. Tell me no and I’ll walk away.” He looked so sincere, she had the sudden fear that he’d do just that. He’d walk away and she’d never see him again except on the ice or passing by in the hall.
And she knew that’s not what she wanted.
“Yes. There’s a bar in West Reading, it’s quiet and we can talk. Unless you want to go—”
“Sounds great.” He straightened away from the door. “Are you ready?”
Her lips twitched at his immediate agreement but when she caught a glimpse of his smile flirting with the corners of his mouth, she suddenly found it hard to breathe.
How did he get more handsome every time she was in the same room with him? No, it didn’t make any sense at all but, dammit, that’s how it seemed. From his wet, too-long hair to his scruffy square jaw to the dark navy of his eyes and the constant glint of humor she saw there, he made her want…him.
She shouldn’t give in to her attraction. The front office frowned on relationships with players. They weren’t explicitly forbidden but you pretty much knew it shouldn’t happen.
And she still couldn’t help herself.
“I just need to close this file and we can get out of here.”
“Is this a habit for you?”
Glancing over her file, she made a few more notes then closed it out. She’d look over it again at home tomorrow morning.
“Is what a habit?”
“Staying this late after a game? I assume you don’t have a boyfriend to go home to since you just agreed to go out with me, but don’t you get burned out?”
She shrugged, though it was something her mom had picked at her about the last time they’d spoken. Jess had brushed off her mom’s comment about having no life outside of work. It was the middle of the season. Of course she had no life other than work right now. That’s how this job worked.
Looking at Will with raised eyebrows, she said, “Don’t you think you should’ve asked about a boyfriend before you asked me out?”
“I figured you’d tell me to go pound sand if you did.” He shrugged and his grin made a slight appearance. “Besides, I might’ve decided to fight him for you.”
Damn him, that should sound cheesy as all hell. So why was her heart fluttering like a stupid teenager on a date with her first real crush?
“Luckily, you won’t have to do that. Not sure your jaw could take any more abuse.”
“My jaw’s fine but it’s probably better I don’t throw any punches anyway.�
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She heard something in his voice as she shut down her computer and stood to put on her coat.
“Did Coach call you out for that fight Wednesday night? You didn’t have any penalty minutes tonight. And you got a point. That would seem like a good thing.”
He straightened away from the doorjamb as she rounded her desk and she couldn’t help the hitch in her breath at the sheer size of him.
Sue her, she had a thing for big guys. Broad shoulders, muscular chests, thick thighs. Rock-hard abs.
If she ever got the chance to see Will naked, she’d have to be sure she didn’t swallow her tongue. Or drool. She didn’t know which would be more embarrassing.
“Points are always a good thing.” He shrugged. “And sometimes you need to stick up for your teammates.”
She couldn’t argue with that so she grabbed her coat off the hook by the door and went to get her tote…and found he already had it in his hand.
“Jesus, what the hell do you have in here? I swear this weighs more than my gear bag.”
Grabbing it out of his hand while rolling her eyes, she slung it on her shoulder and walked by him out the door.
“Too heavy for you, big guy? I know it weighs a little more than your stick but I’m sure you can handle it.”
She didn’t look over her shoulder to see if he followed. He was. She could feel him behind her.
“I don’t know, Miss Jess. I may need some help with that stick. It can get damn heavy.”
She was pretty sure he wasn’t talking about his hockey stick at the moment. And she should probably pretend to be offended at his crass humor. But she wasn’t a prude and she’d been around professional athletes all her life. She’d learned to hold her own in a battle of words.
“Or maybe your stick is just a twig and not all that much to handle.”
Silence from behind her. Oh hell. Had she offended—
His laughter rang out in the empty halls as she looked over her shoulder.
Bad move. Really bad move.
Because when he smiled, he was irresistible. And when he laughed… Hell, she wanted to climb him like a tree, wrap herself around him and kiss him until neither of them could breathe.
And maybe she’d lick her way back down his body until she—
Shit. That was definitely enough of that.
“I have a feeling you and I are going to get along pretty damn well, Miss Jess.”
Unfortunately, that’s what she was afraid of.
Scrambling for something nonthreatening to say, she settled on innocuous. “So, how are you and Justin getting along? You’re staying with him, aren’t you?”
He paused and she wondered if he was going to let her off the hook so easily. “Yeah, I am. He’s a character but he’s a great guy and a damn good partner on the ice. You wouldn’t think the guy could skate like he does when you watch him walk. I swear he trips over his own feet every couple of steps.”
Smiling, she nodded. “He’s a really nice guy.”
“Close to your age, isn’t he?”
Justin happened to be only three years younger than her twenty-eight. She knew Will was five years older than her.
“I guess.” She shot him a glance over her shoulder, curious. “Does that bother you?”
“What? That you’re younger than me?” He shot her another one of those cocky grins. “Nah. Women mature faster than men. I figure in a few years, I’ll have caught up to you.”
Her smile widened. “Well, at least you’re honest about it.”
“So tell me, Miss Jess. Why’s a smart, beautiful woman like you dateless on a Friday night?”
She slid him a glance over her shoulder. “Maybe because I haven’t found one I’m willing to put up with.”
“Are you warning me away? Because I gotta tell you, I love a challenge.”
She didn’t answer as he held open the door for her and waved for her to precede him out into the parking lot. Only four cars remained and she recognized Coach’s as one of them.
Damn, she hoped they got away before he saw them. She wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with Will, but she didn’t want Coach worrying about Will splitting his focus.
And that isn’t your call to make, is it?
“If I was warning you away, I wouldn’t be taking you out for a drink.”
He laughed again; this time she swore it was even rougher and impossibly sexier than before.
“You’re absolutely right. And I have a feeling I’ll be saying that a hell of a lot with you.”
She rolled her eyes, though he couldn’t see. But she had to admit she liked the way he flirted.
And he was definitely flirting.
“In case we get separated, the bar’s right on the corner of Penn Avenue and Eighth. It’s not hard to find.”
They’d stopped at her car and she clicked open the door. He had his hand on the door handle and opened it for her.
“I’ll try to keep up. You can’t shake me off your tail that easily, Miss Jess.”
This time she was facing him as he spoke so he could see her roll her eyes. His answering grin and low chuckle made it hard for her to keep her composure.
“See you at the bar, Mr. MacDonald.”
“Yes, you will, Miss Jess.”
Five minutes later, she was overthinking her decision as she parked across the street from the bar.
As she shut off the car, she gave herself a few seconds to breathe.
This is a really bad idea. You should know better.
Except Will wasn’t like the other hockey players she’d dated. He was older, more stable. He didn’t boast and brag and talk shit like a lot of the younger guys.
Headlights flashed in her rearview and her heart kicked into another gear.
Fuck it. If she was going to be bad, she was going to do it with a man who made her wet with only his voice.
She remembered to check for traffic a second before she pushed open her door. Would’ve been embarrassing as hell to have it ripped off by a passing car.
As soon as she stepped out, Will was by her side. He didn’t touch her as they walked across the street, but he was close enough that she felt the heat coming off his body. She wanted to rub up against him, like Honey did whenever she walked into her apartment.
He opened the door for her and she gave a quick wave to Sophie, behind the bar as usual and staring at Jess like she’d grown another head. Instead of stopping to say hi, she led Will past the bar to her left to a table in the back. Luckily, Will didn’t seem to notice that Sophie watched them the whole way but he would if Jess did what she wanted to do and stuck her tongue out at her friend.
“Nice place.” Will glanced around after they were seated at a table near the back. “Do you live around here?”
“No, I have an apartment in Reading. Shane’s girlfriend, Bliss, introduced me to this place and the bartender’s become a friend. Sophie’s dad owns the place and he works in the kitchen but Sophie runs the bar. She’s the youngest of five girls. Her sisters are all married and her dad and her are always fighting about something, so don’t be surprised to hear them shouting in the kitchen. But unless you speak Greek, you won’t be able to understand them.”
When she stopped to draw in much-needed air, she found Will smiling at her with that grin that probably got women to drop their panties in seconds. At least, her panties were ready to drop.
“You spend a lot of time here?”
She shrugged. “The food’s good, the alcohol’s not expensive, and the company’s great. And I don’t feel like I’m at a meat market. When I moved here to take this job, I didn’t really know anyone and I didn’t really go out much until Lori introduced herself. She’s Cary’s wife. Have you met her?”
Nodding, he picked up the menu lying on the table and looked it over. “Yeah, I have. Cary and I played together a few years ago, before they were married. Where’d you move from?”
Something about his too-casual tone caught Jess’s attention, especially whe
n he immediately changed the subject. She almost pressed him on it. Instead, she shrugged it off.
“Lancaster. I came over from the Redtails’ ECHL affiliate. Before that I was with Elmira.”
“I played in Elmira for a few months a year or so ago.” He shook his head, his grin resurfacing. “Crazy-ass fans.”
“Dedicated fans. Tough market, though.”
Before she could answer, the waitress stopped at the table to take their order. Jess ordered wine and he ordered beer, along with a burger and fries.
“You don’t want anything to eat?”
She shook her head. “No, thanks. I didn’t just play sixty minutes of hockey.”
He frowned. “No dessert? Come on, you like chocolate, right? If I get cake, you’ll help me eat it?”
Since she knew Sophie’s mom made all the baked goods for the menu and she also knew Sophie’s mom was an awesome baker, she rolled her eyes but nodded. “Sure.”
His smile made another appearance, the one that made her feel like he’d trailed his fingers along her skin. Somewhere usually covered by clothing.
And if she kept thinking like that, she was going to flush bright red and he’d know exactly what she was thinking.
Will turned that smile on the waitress, who gave him an appreciative grin in return. And when she turned to head back to the bar, the girl arched her brows and gave Jess a thumbs-up which Will couldn’t see.
Jess had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes but she totally understood the response.
Especially when he leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out in front of him while he gave her his full attention.
“So how long have you been with the Redtails?”
“A little over two years. Eventually I plan to work for an NHL team.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Don’t we all? Sometimes it’s just not in the cards.”
Was that bitterness in his voice? Probably a little. “I know. And sometimes it’s not fair. Some players have the skill but not the drive. Some have the drive but not the skill. And sometimes, they have both and still don’t get their break. It sucks, especially when you know someone’s been passed over who shouldn’t have been. The system’s not perfect and I think scouts and coaches focus too much on skills instead of overall performance. The game has changed so much in the past ten years that there are a lot of guys who get overlooked.”