Page 67 of Icing the Enemy

It shows the team warming up and Winnie fans her face. “Damn, when Adam does those butterfly stretches, I get horny.”

“He is hot!” Becca slurs stumbling over her words.

“Corbin’s hotter.”

Becca squishes up her nose. “Eww. He’s my brother.”

“You have to know that your family won the beautiful gene pool lottery. And that Jasper is going to break some hearts.”

“We’re not ugly,” Becca cackles, but then it trails off, and she adds, “but it doesn’t stop someone from cheating on you. Isaiah’s divorced because his ex-wife cheated, and I guess it was my turn to be cheated on. I should have known when he had no interest in having sex.”

Winnie pats her leg, and I put my arm around her. “He wasn’t good enough for you anyway. You need a guy who at least likes sports. I mean, have you seen yourself and your family… Competition drives all of you.”

The game begins, and Corbin controls the puck, slicing out wide. Stinson passes it swiftly across the ice back out to Corbin. Number eighty-seven on the opposing team wrestles the puck away, and the Kraken race toward their goal, hitting a slapshot, but Adam blocks it, and it rattles against the iron bar, and one of the Notes gain control, passing to Corbin.

“Yes,” we shout at the television.

Corbin glides across the ice, weaving through the defenders. His agility and speed amaze me. Nearing the goal, he seems to slow down and unleashes a powerful slapshot to the back of the net. The crowd boos except for the small faction of Nashville Note fans.

I jump up from the couch and do thewinnerdance that Corbin and I did when we won the ping-pong tournament.

The score is 1-0 until the third period. The other team has seventeen shots on goal, and Adam has blocked all of them.

Dousier, the teammate that Corbin barely tolerates, strikes first in the third period, and we go up 2-0, and that’s the way the game ends.

Dixie and I call it a night and instead of sleeping in the guest room, we go to the master bedroom. Maybe it’s my bedroom too. Does he want me in here when he’s out of town?

An hour and half later, my phone rings with a video call from Corbin. This is a first, and I remember what my life used to be like with a flip phone.

“Great game tonight.”

“Thanks, it was a good start to the season. Did Becca and Winnie get home safe?” he asks.

That’s Corbin, always concerned with everyone else.

“Yeah, they texted me when they got home.”

He moves his head around, finally settling with one arm bent and behind his neck. I guess he’s holding the phone with his other hand. “Good. Hmm, are you in my bed?”

Instantly, I feel awkward and embarrassed. “Yeah, Dixie’s used to it now, but we can go in my room.”

“Oakley, when are you going to realize it’s not my house or my room? It’s our house and our room. I want you to sleep in our room when I’m gone.”

“What about when you’re home and your family isn’t here to keep up appearances?”

“I want you in our bed every night. I thought I made that clear.”

“But you didn’t try anything.”

“I’ve had to wake up and take a cold shower every morning. It’s taking every ounce of restraint to keep it PG with you. Because I realized you deserve all of me. This… us… we did this all backwards.”

I must lick my lips because he adjusts himself again. “Damn, Oakley, I’m hard as steel right now watching you swipe your tongue over your lips, remembering how you took me.”

“Show me how you feel. Right now. At this moment.” I encourage him. My mom always told me that courage was power.

“Only if you do it with me.”

“I can’t. Dixie’s in here.”

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