Page 27 of The Roommate Remodel

But I’ve got something else on my mind before I leave: Wishing Jaz good luck with her first day on the job.

As she hurries out the door, I call after her, “Hey, wait up.” But it only seems to make her rush away even faster.

Finally, I catch her arm, and she turns. “You did a good job today,” I say, out of breath from the chase, my fingers grasping on to the silky skin of her arm. “Considering you didn’t really have time to prepare.”

I’m trying to show her I’m not the bad guy here. I’m on her side.

She glances at my hand, like she feels the same electricity I do. “Thanks, Brax.”

Standing this close to her, the gold flecks in her brown eyes shimmer, and I just stare, transfixed.

“Brax, is there something else?” she asks.

Touching her feels natural.But I can’t let myself slip like this.

I drop my hand, shoving it into my pocket instead.

She looks over my shoulder nervously. “We still need to be careful or people might suspect...” She drops her voice as Tom, the Crushers’ operations manager walks by, eyeing us as he passes. Jaz pastes on a stiff smile until he’s out of earshot.

“Suspect what?” I ask. No one would guess we have history based on one comment.

She hugs her computer to her chest, like she’s trying to shield herself from me. “I’m glad you want to help, but this ismyjob now. I need to handle things, even if that means failing sometimes.”

I open my mouth, but the stubbornness in her gaze warns me not to interfere.

“I won’t get involved,” I finally agree. “But I’m not going to let the team talk to you like that.”

“You have to,” she says. “Even if they don’t like me. Okay?”

This is not going to be easy—watching them put her through the fire because she’s new. I let out a sigh. “Fine.”

She arches an eyebrow and puts her hand out. “Shake on it.”

I look at her hand. “Jazlyn,” I groan. There’s no way I’ll let her fail while she works here. Not on my watch.

She grabs my hand anyway. “One more thing. No more calling me Jazlyn.”

That’s her special name and only a few get to use it. I claimed it as my own the night I kissed her.

She levels her gaze before saying, “From now on, I’m Jaz to you.”

We’ll see about that, Princess.

SEVEN

Jaz

As I watch Brax glide effortlessly across the ice, I attempt to concentrate on my to-do list. Now that I’m working for the Crushers, I’m going to have to get used to watching theBrax Showevery single day. The way he commands the puck sends a shiver down my spine.How can I focus on anything when he’s here?

If we were dating, this would be a delightful perk of the job. But since there’s no chance of that happening, I feel like a starving woman salivating over a juicy steak. Not that I’m comparing Brax to a side of beef. But the man has way more assets than your average Joe, plus he smells yummy and makes me laugh. Pretty much the powerhouse trifecta of the ideal man.

While this might be the ideal opportunity to take mental notes of his assets, I’d rather not be stuck at the rink without an office. After today’s meeting, Tom revealed that my new office was essentially a renovated storage closet whichno onehad bothered to clean out prior to my arrival.

With no place to go, I’m stuck at the rink with a laptop propped on my knees. And Brax being Brax, he skates by arching an eyebrow, like he’s wondering why I’m here and whether I’m watching him.

You’re so vain.

I duck my head and focus on my screen, which I maintain for less than a minute before Brax slams Leo into the wall in front of me.

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