“Well, whatever. But where I was going with that is, people are going to be negative no matter what. You don’t have to read it. It’s not your responsibility. Your responsibility is your team and yourself. There will always be noise, but you get to choose whether you listen to it.”
Colt snorted. “You sound like Sorrento. I think he’d take my phone away entirely if I let him.”
“Maybe Sorrento’s onto something.”
Colt’s voice was strained. “Thanks for being back in my life, Vi. You’re good to me.”
“You’re better than good,” I said. “I’m happy you’re back too.”
“Even if I’m a loser?”
“Youare not a loser,” I said. “Yourteamlost somegames. There’s a big difference.”
“Not really,” he mumbled.
“Look, I can pump you up every minute of every day, but until you believe it yourself, you won’t feel it. Promise me something?”
“Maybe.”
“Go see somebody about this. I’m sure the team has someone you can talk to. I know you’re on meds, but it worries me how much you’re down on yourself. You’re a great captain, but I think you put pressure on yourself to be perfect all the time. Happy all the time.”
Colton sighed. “You know how annoying it is, how smart you are?”
I chuckled. “I’ll remind you of this conversation when you’re not high.”
He sucked air through his teeth, a noise I associated with him squeezing his cock. His sentence affirmed that’s where his mind was going. “You still wearing that jersey?”
“Maybe,” I said.
“You know what’s the hottest part about it?”
“That I’m wearing your name, and perIce Crew Kiss Cam,hockey players are obsessed with that?”
“Ice Crew Kiss Camis based in reality, first of all,” he said. “That locker room scene . . . that’s like deepest fantasy stuff.”
I grinned. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” He sat in silence for a second. “Sorry, Iforgot what I was saying. Can’t stop thinking about whether you’re naked under my jersey.”
My face flamed. “And if I am?”
Colt groaned. “Then I hope your hand is under it. And if it is, I’m jealous of it. Because you know what’s so sexy about you, Violet?”
“What?” I lifted a hand to actually fan myself. This was hot—almost too hot. A month ago, I would have panicked and shut this down. But each encounter with Colton showed me just how safe he was for me.
“You’re such a fucking woman.”
“What do you mean?” I croaked.
“I loved you when we were young, but the way you are now? Fuck. Twenty-year-old me wishes he could have you.”
“It’s not like I got a bunch more experience since the last time,” I said, then grimaced. I’d never admitted that to him. That he was my last. He seemed undeterred.
“Coulda fooled me,” he drawled.
“You’re really pouring it on thick tonight,” I said. “Should I leave you to your private business?”
“You don’t want to stay?” Colt rasped. “Have a little fun with me?”
