Page 65 of The Christmas You Crash

Griffin laughs again. “I can’t help it if my wet dream moans sound like murder moans.”

“Dude,” Maddox says with deep scowl. “I told you not to be gross around my sister. It was a condition of me letting her be your roommate. Do I have to kick your ass?”

“Excuse me?” Mira crosses her arms over her chest and levels her older brother with a glare that would shrivel a lesser man’s balls. “Let me? In case you’ve forgotten, you have no say in how I live my life, Maddy-poo.”

“Yeah, but I do get to tell my best friend I’ll shove a foot up his bare ass if he continues to sleep naked while you’re living in the same apartment.”

“Come on, man.” Griffin leans forward, pleading. “You know the boys need to breathe at night. It’s not my fault your sister walked in on me getting some dream lovin’.”

Isla wrinkles her nose. “Ew.”

“You guys are ridiculous. Help me out, Lexi. You don’t think I’m in the wrong, here, right? I was asleep, for crying out loud.” Griffin turns his pleading eyes on me, and so does everyone else.

I giggle nervously. “Uh, yeah. I’m not sure what to say about any of this. But you know that cotton is breathable, right? I’m sure your balls would get plenty of oxygen if you slept in some boxers.”

Griffin grips his chest dramatically. “Et tu, Brute? Damn. And I thought you seemed cool.” He winks to make it clear he’s kidding.

“Don’t ask my girl about your balls, Wright. Boundaries,” Ryder says. Though he’s trying to hide his laughter.

The night is going surprisingly well. Everyone is kind and welcoming, and I’m wondering if judging all hockey players based on my dad and Garrett was a mistake. Would I have met Ryder sooner if I hadn’t? Maybe sitting around, laughing my ass off until my stomach aches, could have been a regular occurrence at this point in my life, rather than an experienceI’m enjoying for the first time. It’s pointless to play thewhat-ifgame, but it’s difficult not to consider it.

Ryder hasn’t left my side. He’s got an arm around me or a hand on my thigh or massaging the back of my neck at all times. He doesn’t seem to notice the covert smirks his teammates are sharing about it, but I do. They’re the good-natured looks people give one another when their friend is being sappy and cute. They’re happy for him. For us. And it makes me feel all squishy inside.

The Rogues players ask me about myself, and I answer honestly, though I do evade questions that would require me to reveal my status as their coach’s daughter. But even that has been less stressful than I worried it would be. All the other wives and girlfriends I meet are kind and funny, and soon, I’m not even thinking about the fact that these guys are hockey players. Or that they play for my dad.

Pressed against Ryder’s side on the couch, I can’t help grinning. I was so worried about how things would go once Ryder and I left the cabin and took our relationship into the real world. We were so good together in the quiet seclusion of Two Harbors, but there was always the possibility that we’d discover our chemistry was simply proximity and not a genuine connection. But with the way every single one of Ryder’s touches fan the flame in my lower belly, and the easy conversation that flows between us, I’m now confident that’s not the case.

As the evening goes on, my worries dissipate until I’m simply enjoying our night out together. This could work. We could pull this off. My smile grows, and Ryder matches it as I lean in to press a soft kiss to his lips.

Then the doorbell rings.

thirty-two

RYDER

“I thought everyone was here?”Griffin cocks a brow at Maddox. “Who else did you invite?”

I’m only half listening to their back and forth because I’m so focused on Lexi’s warmth at my side. I still can’t quite believe she agreed to come with me tonight. Or that she fits in so seamlessly with my teammates. Well, that’s not true. I can believe that. Lexi is smart and witty. It’s easy to like her, and everyone wants to include her in their conversations. It’s as if she was made to fit right into my life.

Maddox rises from the armchair he and Isla have been cuddled up in and checks his phone. “Oh, yeah. I invited Coach to stop by. Didn’t think he’d take me up on it, but I guess he’s going to dinner nearby, so he said he’d drop in for a beer.”

Lexi goes completely stiff beside me as my brain catches up with what Graves just said. “Wait. Coach is here?”

Maddox nods.

“Shit,” Lexi hisses. She’s already scrambling out of my hold and rising to her feet. Her eyes ping between the apartment door and the hallway leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. Acouple of the guys look at her funny. It’s our goalie, Sebastian Navarro, who speaks first.

“Are you okay, Lexi?”

Wide green eyes turn my way. No. Lexi is not okay. She’s panicking. And even though I know she doesn’t want Coach to find out about us, and I’m going to respect her wishes, I really don’t think things would be as dramatic as she believes if he sees us together. But that doesn’t matter. Lexi came here trusting me, and I won’t squander that trust.

“Wait,” I say. It’s loud enough that conversation grinds to a halt and all eyes turn my way. I stand and link fingers with Lexi. “This is going to sound batshit crazy, and I don’t have time to explain right now, but—” I glance at Lexi. She nods. “—Coach can’t know I’m here, and he really can’t know that Lexi is here. I need you all to swear not to say anything about either of us. Can you guys do that?”

Every eye in the room bounces between me and Lexi. She can’t take her attention away from the door. Maddox runs a hand through his dark hair. “You in some shit, man?”

I shake my head. “It’s nothing bad, I swear. It’s just… Well, it’s complicated. I’ll try to explain after Coach leaves.”

The Rogues’ center blows out a breath through flattened lips. It’s Isla that pipes up and says, “Nobody will say a thing about either of you. Feel free to hang out in one of the guest rooms. I’ll come and get you when he’s gone.” Isla offers Lexi a reassuring smile. And then I’m tugging my girl out of the room, down the hall, and into the farthest empty bedroom.

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