Page 35 of The Perfect Snipe

“Hmm.” Her gaze lingers on me, and I can practically hear the gears turning in her head.

Don’t want to talk about Leo or what happened. Been trying to forget about it, except he’s been front and center in all of my fantasies lately. Sure, I’ve gotten off thinking about him here and there over the years. He’s definitely one of the hotter hockey players in the league.

And at first real life didn’t fit the fantasy after I’d met him.

But that one night shattered everything. The way he talks when he’s horny. The things he said when I was on my knees.

Fuckity fuck.

That man is anything but quiet when it comes to sex.

Things are also a bit weird now too, like we’re walking on eggshells. Hopefully, it’ll pass because if I go back to Nora’s, both she and Wyatt will have questions. Not to mention . . . Leo’s kids need me.

We made an agreement, one I intend to keep. Which also means no letting Abuela find out what happened. She already meddles too much.

“Cat? Hello? Where'd you go in that brain of yours? Hmm? Got something on your mind?” She leans forward a little, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“I have to get back to work.” The words come out in a rush as I stand abruptly, nearly knocking over the coffee table in my haste. “Clocked out to make sure you're okay, but I still have to pick up the kids.”

I lean over to kiss her cheek, then walk out of the apartment and to my car, reminding myself I’ve got this.

But I can't shake the feeling that I'm lying. I don't have this.

Not even close.

Chapter 15

Leo

I stretch my feet out on the coffee table as the TV flickers in front of me. My eyes are fixed on the screen, but my mind is miles away, still trapped on the ice. Every missed shot, every fumbled pass from the last few games plays on a loop in my head, a highlight reel of our failures. We're playing like shit, our playoff chances slipping away with each loss.

But it's not just the game that's got me twisted up inside. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking about that night with Cat. The way my fingers felt wrapped around her hair, the heat of her throat, the velvety touch of her tongue that sends shivers down my spine even now.

“Fuck.”

I shake my head, trying to clear the images, but they're burned into my brain. Even porn hasn’t helped. Nope, it just feeds my fantasies. Makes me feel like a teenager with the number of times I’ve been playing with my dick lately.

Thank fuck she’s out tonight. Probably with Nora or Rosa, which means the house is quiet. Too quiet since Mason and Stella are asleep upstairs.

Lately, it’s been harder to be away from them. Maybe because I thought I’d have more time with them while they’re young, but they’re growing up faster than I can blink. Or maybe because I’m finally realizing the time I’m missing I’ll never get back.

There's a bitter taste in my mouth that has nothing to do with the beer I'm drinking. The sacrifices we've made as a family for my career suddenly seem pointless. What do I have to show for it? A string of losses and a team that's falling apart at the seams.

It just sucks.

I drain the last of my beer, then glance down at my lap, grimacing at the half-hard bulge in my sweatpants.

What the hell was I thinking, fucking around with Cat? I'm not that guy—the one who can't keep it in his pants. Never was.

So why now?

The front door opens, and Cat walks in. My body tenses involuntarily and I grab a pillow, placing it on my lap to hide my growing problem. Can't help but notice how she moves—all purpose and fire, like she's ready to take on the world.

“Hey,” she says, kicking off her shoes.

I grunt in response, not trusting myself to form actual words or how they may sound, especially since my dick is growing harder.

She narrows her eyes at me, hands on her hips. “What's crawled up your ass and died?”

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