Licking my dry lips, I dared to ask, “Why?”
“Because you’re the one.” Kissing my forehead, he stood, stepping toward the door and throwing over his shoulder, “See you this afternoon.”
Stunned, I watched as he disappeared into the hallway.
If it weren’t for the ache between my thighs every time I shifted an inch in bed, I would have believed last night and this morning to be a dream—a glimpse into a world I’d always wanted but never dared to hope for.
Could it really be this easy?
Sasha seemed to think so.
Chapter 12
Goose
I was late gettingto the rink, and I couldn’t find it within myself to be sorry because it had meant precious extra minutes with Gemma.
Striding into the locker room, I was the last one to arrive. My teammates sat in their assigned stalls in various stages of gearing up, and they all peeked up with curious glances at my entrance.
Braxton’s eyebrows rose, and he paused in the middle of tying his skates. “Game’s later, Goose. What’s with the suit?”
Shucking my jacket and tossing it into my stall, I undid the buttons of my shirt next. “Need a shower.”
He eyed me critically. “Wait. A shower before practice? Is this the walk of shame?”
I shrugged, undoing my belt and unzipping my pants. Fully naked, I walked into the shower, turning the faucet until steam rose around me. Stepping beneath the warm spray, I let it soak my hair and cascade down my body.
Pumping body wash into my hand from the wall dispenser, I went to work running soap over every inch of my skin.
“What’s going on?” Jenner’s voice rose over the sound of rushing water, and I peeked over my shoulder to find him and Braxton standing at the entrance to the showers, watching me.
Braxton explained, “I think—Ithink—Goose came straight from a hookup, and that’s why he’s late.”
“Oh, yeah,” Jenner agreed. “Look at the way he’s cleaning his junk. He definitely got laid.”
Did they think I couldn’t hear their running commentary, or did they simply not care?
“Is there something I can do for you boys?” I asked, annoyance lacing my tone, knowing the longer I spent in the shower, the more likely it was that Maddox would make me skate for being last onto the ice.
They shared a look, but it was Jenner who finally spoke up. “Listen, man. I’ve got three kids who have somehow found their way into my bed most nights. Right now, I’m living vicariously through you.”
Turning around, presenting them with a full frontal view, a smirk curved on my lips when they averted their eyes. Yeah, I knew I was packing, and no man wanted to play the comparison game, but they’d brought this on themselves.
Next, I went for the kill.
“Are we swapping war stories? You wanna recount the last time you fucked your wives?”
Jenner’s fists clenched, and Braxton’s face turned a dark red, his jaw twitching as he gritted his teeth.
Game. Set. Match.
“Thought so.” I couldn’t wipe the smug smile from my face.
And because I didn’t already have a large enough audience, Maddox’s booming voice echoed off the tiles as he drew nearer. “What the hell is going on in here? Practice starts in five!” Whenhe saw me naked, dripping wet, his brows drew down, but he shook his head, turning on his heel and muttering, “I don’t even want to know.”
“Coach is smarter than you two,” I taunted my teammates.
Braxton gripped the back of his neck, shifting on his feet, sufficiently chastised. “Sorry, man. Just caught us off guard showing up like that. Must’ve been a hell of a night for you to stumble in wearing a wrinkled suit.”
