Page 2 of Heart of a Fighter

I nod in understanding. What the good doctor doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I’ve patched Zach up plenty of times when he’s popped a stitch or worse. I’ve been a nursemaid to Mom and my brother for more years than I can count. I guess that makes me a rule breaker, too.

I glance at Granger again, his eyes meeting mine with a playful glint that only adds flame to the fire in my belly. Despite the nervous eddy swirling inside me, I’m prepared to ignore it all and do the job I’ve trained for.

***

Granger

As Lauren approaches with her gear bag, the usual commotion in the locker room fades to gray–the laughter, the clatter of gear, and the stern cadence in the doc’s not-so-subtle reprimand. He’s right. I am tired of his bedside manner. I’ve heard his spiel about my temper and keeping my private life out of the tabloids a thousand times. He’s a broken record, just like my father. I don’t need life advice from either one of them.

Lauren, on the other hand, is a welcome change from the norm. There’s always been something special about her. I knew it the first time I laid eyes on her years ago. But–there were a lot of buts back then. She was too young. She had her hands full caring for her mom and her brother, Zach.

Zach was hardly more than a kid when he got drafted––young, fresh-faced and unsure of his standing on the team. His mom’s cancer diagnosis and care were foremost in his mind. He doubted himself and whether he deserved to be a Saint. We’re a lot alike in that regard. It’s what drew us to form a strong friendship through the years. Though, since he became team captain, things between us have changed. He’s taken on more responsibility off the ice, handing down directives from the big man upstairs.

My dad, Sable Creek Saints’ owner.

“Guess I’m your first patient,” I tease as Lauren sets her bag on the bench.

My heartbeat quickens with a steady rhythm of anticipation with a side helping of nerves. The familiar adrenaline from the game shifts to something more charged. It’s more than familiarity and desire. It’s magnetic, an electric connection I’ve never experienced with another woman. The blush on Lauren’s cheeks tells me she feels it, too. But there’s nothing I can do or say about it here.

It isn’t the doctor’s reiteration of the no fraternizing rule that keeps me from showing my hand. It’s the potential rift it would cause with Zach. I can’t afford to risk our friendship or put his role on the team in jeopardy with my dad.

“Lucky me,” Lauren replies. She offers a small smile, her voice calm despite it being her first official day working with the team. “Now what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time, Granger?”

As her fingers brush against my skin, preparing to clean my cuts, a jolt of electricity shoots through me faster than a puck headed straight for the goal. I don’t even mind her little jab about my reputation for stirring up trouble. I’ll take a tongue lashing from her pert little mouth any ole day of the week and then some.

“You should see the other guy,” I joke.

She wipes a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic over the wound on my jaw. The liquid stings as it seeps into the cut, but I can’t take my eyes off her. Everything about her is gentle and inviting. Her sapphire eyes, rosy cheeks, and the smooth caress of her fingers on my skin are a sharp contrast with the usual clinical detachment I’m accustomed to with Doc Evans and his assistant, Daniel.

“I did. He’ll probably need stitches.” Her bright blue, sparkling eyes flit to mine. Her fingertips stroke softly over my chin. “This cut isn’t too deep. I can apply a butterfly bandage unless you’re worried about a scar.”

A subtle stinging sensation, like static electricity, courses through my veins, making my skin sensitive to her touch. A powerful undercurrent draws me to her, an intriguing and undeniable attraction, that sparks more than mere curiosity. I’ve kept her at arm’s length for the entire time I’ve known her, never breaching the invisible wall that separates friends from potential lovers. There’s a line friends don’t cross, especially when that line’s guarded by a six foot, three inch, two hundred ten pound center that happens to be her brother.

“I do have a reputation to uphold,” I chuckle, resisting the urge to place my hands on her hips and draw her in between my knees.

“Hold still, or I won’t get a straight set on this,” she reprimands soothingly. Her eyes dart to Doc Evans, who’s currently seeing to a teammate’s ankle. “You’re not the only one who has a reputation to uphold. I need to make a good impression here, and your laughing isn’t helping.”

I reign in my smirk and put on my most convincing straight face. “This better?”

“Much.” She grins, pulling my skin taut as she smooths the sterile bandage.

“You’re good at this.” I catch the shimmer in her blue eyes and hold her gaze longer than necessary. There’s something undeniably captivating about her that almost makes me throw caution out the door–almost. I suppress the urge, respecting her precarious position, proving herself as a professional in a man’s world.

“Thanks,” she replies, a hint of blush rising in her cheeks. She shifts slightly, her body discreetly aligning with mine. A playful glint sparks in her eyes. “Try not to make this a habit.”

“Can’t make any promises.” I lean in slightly, the air charged between us. Heat warms the space, lulling my heart into a rhythmic, hypnotic pace.

My reputation for being a hothead and a playboy looms heavy in my gut, a constant reminder of past mistakes and the pressure to prove myself. Now isn’t the time or place to press boundaries, no matter how much I want to reach out and touch her. I know the difference between right and wrong, and whatever this surface flirtation is, it’s a hard no with Zach and a locker room full of prying eyes.

My demons’ whispering taunts dare me to throw caution out the door. But no matter the pull toward old habits, I’ve got to keep my guard up and tamp down the desire swirling in my gut.

Yet I can’t help but wonder if being drawn to Lauren is more than my body’s physical response. She’s all that’s good and right in this world. Could she be the key to proving I’m a better man than my reputation gives me credit for?

CHAPTER 2

OFF-LIMITS

***

---