Page 22 of The Captain

I rubbed at my forehead and reached for my bag, pulling out my latest read. I didn’t promise to watch him warm up, so I didn’t feel bad about that.

Just as I was able to block everything out, a pounding on the glass made my head jerk up in surprise. I wasn’t close enough to the ice to talk to the players, but there was no mistaking that the thump on the glass was directed at me.

Lincoln stared straight at me, a grin pulling at his lips when he saw me reading, and he…waved. Just waved. Nothing obnoxious to draw attention, just him telling me he saw me.

I lifted a hand, a small, unsure smile quirking at my lips, and wiggled my fingers back at him.

If possible, his grin stretched wider, and he touched his chest just before he skated off. No idea what the touch to his chest meant or if he needed anything.

I looked back down at my book and continued to read.

I had been so careful.

Right after the final buzzer went off for the game and the Vapors were announced the winners, I slipped out as fast as I could. Which was difficult, considering the crowd that was pushing in and trying to stay after the game to pretend it was one big party.

Didn’t they know there was a bar for that?

It took me a solid thirty minutes just to exit the arena, and another ten to get through the exit for the parking lot. I was just at the sidewalk that would lead me back to my place when I heard pounding footsteps behind me. I ducked my head to the right, thinking whomever it was would pass by me in a hurry like everyone else.

“Sunshine, wait up.” A hand wrapped around my arm, and I spun, ready to hi-yah the person with my purse. I breathed a sigh of relief when Lincoln looked down at me.

“Oh, hi.” I furrowed my brows. “How the heck did you get out here so fast?”

He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Eh, victory speeches are a lot shorter than losing ones.”

I laughed. I didn’t mean to. I mean, for fuck’s sake, this was Lincoln. Lincoln, notorious player and all-around poor decision.

His mouth curved into a grin, and he nodded behind me. “Did you walk here?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah.”

His eyes turned worried, and he tilted his head backward, readjusting the heavy bag on his shoulder. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

“I…” I didn’t have a good excuse not to let him, but there was something in my gut that told me to proceed with caution.

“Come on, please. I don’t want you to walk home in the dark with all of these drunk idiots.”

I glanced around at the crowd around us and knew he was right. “Fine, but only so I don’t get mugged or something.”

“Only for that.” Lincoln nodded, and then I was following him back up to the arena. To the side was a gated area where the staff and players could park, and he slipped a key card out of his wallet to unlock it.

I stood aside silently and walked through when he gestured for me to go in front of him. Many players were getting in their cars now, hollering at Lincoln, and he was just as obnoxious back. I laughed at the way they were, glad he wasn’t being shy just because I was there.

He looked over at me when I laughed again and winked at me, making that swirling in my gut appear yet again. What was up with that?

Almost to his car, our footsteps faltered when Crew stepped out of nowhere and gave me a big hug.

“You finally came to my game!” I smiled at him when he set me down, and he looked between Lincoln and me.

“Well, Lincoln invited me, and—”

“Oh, sure, come for this guy.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Come to the bar with us, let me buy you a drink.”

I couldn’t think of anything I’d like to do less.

I wasn’t a huge fan of going out and partying, but I was an even less fan of going to the sports bar that catered to our teams here. I hated watching the way girls threw themselves at all the athletes.

“Oh, no, I’m good. Lincoln was just going—”

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