Page 22 of Power Pucking Play

"You sure you're ready for this?"

She holds up her recorder. "Ready as I'll ever be."

I step back to let her in, and she breezes past me into the house. I catch a whiff of her perfume as she brushes past me, and I have to remind myself not to let my guard down.

She may be beautiful, but she's also dangerous.

As she enters the foyer, Lexi's hazel gaze takes in the enormity of the space. "Nice place you've got here.

"Thanks."

"Do your trophies have their own room, or do they just sleep in the bed with you?"

"Cute," I mutter, closing the front door. "Coffee's in the kitchen if you want some. I’ll have my assistant pack up a breakfast sandwich for me, but if you want one, you can grab it now."

Lexi lets one blonde eyebrow arch. "Since when do you play the gracious host?"

"Just trying to start things off on the right foot. Make yourself at home. Try not to drool on my furniture while I get changed."

I head to my bedroom, grabbing my gym clothes. When I come back out, Lexi's perched on a barstool, sipping coffee and scribbling in her notebook.

"Already taking notes? What, did my coffee maker reveal all my deep, dark secrets?"

She doesn't even look up. "Just documenting your clear addiction to caffeine. Seriously, how many espresso machines does one person need?"

I shrug, grabbing my gym bag. "One for each day of the week. Keeps things interesting."

"Uh-huh," she says, finally meeting my eyes. "So, what's on the agenda for today, Mr. Early Bird?"

"Gym, practice, team meeting. Try to keep up, Brookes."

"So, this is your routine, huh? Wake up at the butt crack of dawn, work out like a maniac, and then go play hockey?"

"That's the gist of it." I eye her, taking in her demure blouse and business skirt. "Beats sitting in an office all day."

"So, I'm guessing you've never wanted a normal nine-to-five job? Something stable and predictable?"

"No way. I love the rush of playing hockey. It's what I was born to do."

"And, of course, your sister, who works as Head of PR for your team, has been supportive of your decision to pursue a less conventional career?"

"She understands it. She supports me. Just as I support her in her career choices."

"And your parents?"

I tense, my grip on the gym bag tightening. "They're...aware of what I do." I brush off thoughts of Mom and Pop, grabbing my keys from the counter. "Ready to go?"

As we head out to my car, I can feel Lexi's eyes on me as I toss my bag in the back.

"What?" I ask, turning to face her.

She smirks. "Nothing. Just wondering if your car is compensating for something."

I glance at my sleek, black sports car and then back to her. "Original. Did you stay up all night thinking of that one?"

"Nah, it just came to me. Must be all that caffeine kicking in."

"As you're well aware, I have no need to compensate for anything." I look down at my nether region and when I look back up I find her eyes are also focused there.

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