Page 73 of The Breaking Point

When I left the bathroom, I ran into Dave, who dressed up as the Blades mascot.

“The coach’s daughter? Seriously?” Dave asked. “Do you want to get traded to Canada?”

I shot him a dirty look. “Keep your mouth shut if you value your life.”

Dave put up his hands. “Don’t get testy with me, dude. But be careful.”

I didn’t need his warning. I knew exactly how fucked up this situation was.

The worst part? I was to the point that I didn’t even care.

There must’ve been some kind of magic in the air because having Grace in the stands meant I had one of the best games of my career.

The Hurricanes were a tough team, and Coach made everybody on edge, telling us that we couldn’t afford to lose this match.

“Don’t disappoint me, boys,” he’d said as we’d gotten onto the ice.

As I’d gotten into position, I’d spotted Grace in the stands. She waved wildly at me and then turned around to show that she was wearing my number.

Apparently, that was the good luck charm I needed. I scored three goals, one after the other, until we’d gotten a solid lead that the Hurricanes couldn’t push past. By the time the game was over, the entire team was already celebrating.

The crowd erupted when I scored that last goal, defeating the Hurricanes like we’d never done before. Mac and my teammatesnearly smashed into me as we all collided into a group of ecstatic, sweaty idiots.

But I had eyes only for Grace. I didn’t take my gaze off her as we left the ice.

Everybody celebrated late into the night. It was close to 3:00 a.m. when I staggered to my hotel room, drunk as a skunk and happier than I’d been in a long time.

Grace had been at the after-party for a little bit, and she’d disappeared on me before midnight. I didn’t even know what room she was in.

I collapsed onto my bed, the world spinning as I laughed. Christ, I hadn’t had a game like this in way too fucking long.

A knock roused me from my drunken stupor. I opened the door to find Grace herself, like an angel come down from heaven, standing at my door.

“You,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Where did you go?”

“I had a headache, so I went to my room.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

She smiled. “Don’t be. I feel much better now. And I was waiting for you to get back to the hotel.”

I glanced around. “How did you know which room I was in?”

“I have my ways, Carmichael.” She leaned toward me, and I could feel her breath against my chin. “I brought something with me. A brand-new paddle you could use on me. It needs to be broken in, you know.”

I stared down at her, my heart pounding fast. My body instantly reacted to her words.

“Fuck, Grace,” I snarled.

“Or you could just spank me again.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “I know how much you love making me squirm.”

“Get out of here before I do something we’ll both regret.”

She just smiled and flounced away. I watched her leave, wishing I didn’t have to be so noble.

I shut the door and then locked it with the chain for good measure. I didn’t trust Grace not to find a way to sneak into my room. I glanced out the windows. I was on the tenth floor. Surely she couldn’t climb into my room through a window?

I shook my head. Christ, I was drunk.

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