Page 31 of Pucking the Team

“Just a minute!” Alex calls out, his voice surprisingly steady.

He stands and helps me to my feet, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “It’s okay,” he murmurs. “Just act natural.”

I take a deep breath, smoothing my hair and skirt with shaking hands. By the time Alex unlocks the door, I’ve managed to compose myself, despite the flush in my cheeks.

Chloe stands on the other side, her eyes raking over me appraisingly. She arches a brow, amusement playing at the corners of her mouth, and I feel my face burn hotter.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she says, not sounding very apologetic at all. “But we need to discuss Emma’s trip to Detroit. Ryan will be here any minute to go over the details.”

I swallow thickly and nod. Chloe knows—of course she knows. But I push the thought aside for now. I have a job to do, and everything else will just have to wait.

CHAPTER 13

EMMA

A day later, I settle into the plush leather seat of the limo, my gaze drifting to Ryan, who is napping across from me. The first couple of hours of our drive to Detroit have been awkwardly silent, with me focused on my phone and Ryan quickly falling asleep.

My phone buzzes with a new text from Lukas. Yesterday, Alex and Lukas exchanged numbers with me, and Lukas’s flirty texts have been non-stop in the best way. I can’t help but smile as I read Lukas’s latest message.

“Missing me already? Just wait till you get back ;)”

I bite my lip, heat rising in my cheeks as I type back a coy reply. Lukas has a way of getting under my skin, teasing me until I’m desperate for his touch again.

I glance back up at Ryan, hoping that he’s not awake and seeing me blush stupidly at my phone.

Ryan looks different in sleep, his usually stern features softer, more vulnerable. I can’t help but let my eyes wander over his muscular frame, the way his suit clings to his broad shoulders and thick thighs. There’s something almost brutish about him, a raw masculinity that sets him apart from the other guys on the team.

It hits me then that despite working together, Ryan and I have barely interacted this season. He’s always been a bit of an enigma—the stoic defenseman, intense and aloof. All I really know about him is that he’s the one who hit Lukas on the ice.

The thought makes my stomach twist with conflicting emotions. Loyalty to Lukas wars with a growing curiosity about Ryan…and if I’m honest, an undeniable pull of attraction that unsettles me.

I force my gaze away, focusing on the passing scenery outside the window. But I can still feel the weight of Ryan’s presence, the steady sound of his breathing. Questions swirl in my mind, pieces of the puzzle that is Ryan Thompson.

Who is he really, beneath that gruff exterior? Why did he hit Lukas?

And why, despite myself, am I so drawn to him?

Lost in my turbulent thoughts, I don’t notice Ryan stirring until he shifts, suit jacket rustling. My gaze darts to him, only to find his brown eyes already open and fixed on me. Heat floods my cheeks at being caught staring.

“We’re about an hour out from Detroit,” I inform him quickly, trying to cover my embarrassment.

Ryan nods, a sluggish motion as he stretches, his large frame filling the space. “Thanks. Didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

His voice is deep, still rough with sleep, and it sends a traitorous thrill down my spine. I watch as he rolls his neck, working out the kinks.

“I always drive back home instead of flying when I can,” he continues, suppressing a yawn. “Sorry it takes a bit longer.”

“No need to apologize.” I tilt my head, considering him. “I’m just surprised. I would’ve thought flying would be easier.”

Ryan shrugs, his gaze meeting mine. “Probably. But I don’t like the idea of creating extra pollution when I can avoid it, you know?”

I blink, taken aback. Ryan Thompson, star defenseman…an environmentalist? It doesn’t fit with the aggressive, unrefined image I’ve constructed of him.

“That’s…admirable,” I manage, still processing this unexpected facet.

The corner of his mouth lifts, a ghost of a smile. “Don’t sound so shocked. I’m full of surprises.”

A laugh escapes me. “I’m starting to see that.”

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