Page 37 of Icy Pucking Play

"You set his glove save against Boston to 'Can't Help Falling in Love’."

"It was a really good save!"

His eyes narrow. "Oh my God. Something happened with him, didn't it?"

"Nothing happened!" My voice goes embarrassingly high. "Why would you think something happened?"

"Because you're wearing his practice jersey."

I look down in horror, realizing I grabbed the wrong hoodie in my morning haze. The number 35 stares back at me accusingly.

"This is...team merchandise."

"That has 'DANIELS' written across the back."

"It was on sale."

"Why does it have chocolate sauce on the front of it? Is that what it is? Chocolate sauce?"

I slap a hand over the damning evidence, face burning. "Don't you have work to do?"

"And miss this? Not a chance." He rolls his chair fully into my cubicle. "Spill. What happened? Did he finally ask you out? Did you make a move? Did you…"

My phone buzzes, saving me from further interrogation.

Evan:Missing something?

Followed by a picture of my press badge, which must have fallen out of my pocket last night when we were...busy.

The memory hits me full force.

"Just Natalia?" I'd asked, heart pounding as Evan stood close enough that I could feel his warmth.

The way he'd looked at me then, like I was something precious and dangerous all at once...

"No," he'd said, voice rough in a way that made my knees weak. "Not just Natalia."

And then his hands were in my hair, and his lips were on mine and…

“Helloooo, Sophie! Again!" Brad waves a hand in front of my face. "You're doing that dreamy sigh thing."

"I do not sigh dreamily!"

"You just wrote 'Mrs. Sophie Daniels' in your notebook."

I slam my notebook shut. "I absolutely did not!"

"No, but you just confirmed something definitely happened." He grins triumphantly. "Come on, Bennett. I've watched this slow-burn romance develop for too long now. Give me something!"

I quickly type back to Evan.

Me:Can I stop by and get it after work?

His response is immediate.

Evan:Or you could come to morning practice. Ryland's working on a new shot you might want to cover for the feature.

"And now you're blushing," Brad observes. "Definitely Ice Man."

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