“I’m not—well, not really. Sometimes I’ll get inspired and if the urge is strong enough, I’ll materialize a sketch. I noticed you didn’t have a nice dress jacket for game days, and I didn’t want you to be cold. I’d hoped it would be finished before your Canada series, but no such luck.”
I stare at her, dumbfounded by this discovery. “You’re incredible, Scar.”
She takes a step back and shrugs out of the jacket. “Here, try it on. I want to make sure it fits. I went off the measurements from a few of your suits.”
The jacket dangles between us, but I can’t take my eyes off Scarlett in her pale pink lingerie that is only a few shades darker than her creamy skin. The bra encases her breasts with a satin pink bow that I’m dying to untie. She’s got a matching thong that rides up over her hip bones with the center a see-through mesh fabric. The whole look is topped off with a set of satin garters on her thighs and those damn fuck-me heels.
Her look is lethal and I’m regrettably going to die on my thirty-first birthday.
I’m snapped from my ogling when she shakes the jacket in front of me. “Benny, focus! Here, try on the jacket, and then you can unwrap the rest of your presents.”
I turn my back to her and slide my arms into the sleeves of the jacket. It’s soft and luxurious against my skin, which I wasn’t expecting with a wool coat. “This is incredible,” I tell her as I slip the fabric over my shoulders. “And it fits perfectly.”
“Yeah?” she asks in a hopeful yet hesitant tone.
“It’s amazing, Red. How didn’t I know this about you?”
“Well, I told you I was planning to be a fashion merchandiser, but ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved spending hours on end sketchingand designing clothing. It’s a hidden passion of mine, sort of like playing guitar is for you.”
“But I’m not nearly as talented as you are, clearly,” I point out as I hold out my arms to gesture at not only my jacket but her entire ensemble. “You look breathtaking, baby girl. You always do, but especially so in something you used your talent to create.”
She shyly accepts my praise. “Thank you, that means a lot.”
“Is this what you want to do? Design?” I ask her.
She scoffs somewhat to herself. “Maybe when I’m in my forties. Though, I may be slightly out of touch with my key demographic at that age, considering I’d like to design lingerie and women’s sleepwear.”
“Then don’t wait.”
Her head snaps up to meet my gaze. “What?”
“Could you do a pop-up boutique type of storefront for now in the summer until you can do it full time?”
She shakes her head. “Bennett, you know better than anyone that there isn’t an off-season for me. I’ve still got so much to do. Sure, some of the chaos slows down after the season, but I’ll still be far too busy to take time off to make that a possibility.”
She’s not wrong. Owning a professional hockey team takes a lot of work, and there isn’t really a break for her. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t offer to help her when and where I’m able to. Sure, I wouldn’t be able to do the bigger aspects of her job such as selecting team leadership or representing the Wolverines on the league’s Board of Governors, but I could help her be more hands-off with some of the off-season day-to-day operations.
“Let me help you with the hockey side of things after the season ends,” I suggest.
“How would you do that?”
“I went to school and got my master’s in sports management and business. Let me help with some of the day-to-day to lessen the load on your shoulders.” Avoiding her gaze, I slip the jacket off and hang it next to the outfit I set aside for tonight.
“I-I didn’t know that about you. How didn’t I know that?”
“It hasn’t exactly come up, and I don’t really advertise it.”
“Is that what you’re interested in after you retire from playing? Management?” she questions, and if I’m not mistaken, she sounds oddly hopeful.
“Well, yes. I hope to play for as many seasons as my body allows, but when planning for my future, I got the degree I did because I’m interested in becoming either a GM or a President of Hockey for an organization,” I explain.
“You’d be incredible,” she declares, though I’m not sure why she’s looking at me the way she is. I’m met with warm, amber eyes so full of promise that they pull me in, leaving me mesmerized.
“I appreciate your vote of confidence, but it’d be many years down the road before I could gain the experience required to hold a position of that importance.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I can still think you’d be amazing at it. You’re so knowledgeable, and you’ve done such a great job with taking Nathan under your wing. You’ve worked not only with the coaching staff for years, but my grandfather speaks highly of you as well.”
“You kind of have to think highly of me as my future bride,” I point out, tossing a wink her way. “But I am pretty incredible, aren’t I?”
