Page 26 of Pucking Obsessed

Heine makes a big show, relishing the power, of opening the file and flicking through its pages.

He’s not reading any of it. Instead, he’s studying me and enjoying my twitches of discomfort.

I work hard to keep my face expressionless, but it’s hard when I want to kick the asses of the men and women who are sitting at this table.

“Tell me about this twenty-four seven arrangement that you have going on.” Heine emphasizes thetwenty-four arrangementsuggestively.

At the same time, jealousy flashes in his eyes.

Does he think that it’s a cover for the fact that I’ve collared Robyn, Eden, and Shay? That we’re in a twenty-four seven BDSM dynamic?

Despite the fact that Robyn and I are in a relationship and we have negotiated contracts, my subs aren’t collared, and this arrangement definitely didn’t start out planned that way.

In fact, I was furious that I had to share a house with them to begin with.

“I organized it,” coach gruffly replies. “Three members of the team were my worse PR nightmares. Yet I knew that if they were controlled, then they also had the most potential. I was provedright. The PR has been turned around. Look at how the season is going. We’ve broken our records. So, why the hell has this meeting been called? We just put on our best performance in the California road trip. The fans and press are the most positive about our team that they ever have been. This is bullshit.”

I grin.

At least coach is in our corner.

Coach mentored me and took me under his wing. He gave me a chance that no one else would, when I was at my most self-destructive.

Of course, he’s also hard on Shay, Cody, and me in a way that I know isn’t right.

Yet he’s Robyn’s only family apart from Cody. I’d never take that away from her, when I know how much it hurts to lose your family.

I can hardly breathe in this room right now with so many people stealing mycontrolfrom me.

I don’t submit. It’s unnatural to me.

It makes me want to hurl.

“Why are we having this meeting?” Heine taps his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe because of the board being sent this…”

Dramatically, he launches the file flying into the center of the table. The file flutters open onto press cuttings, official complaints, and print outs of emails.

My pulse spikes. Sweat drips down the back of my neck.

It could be anything.

My past. My dominant lifestyle. My poly relationship.

Fuck.

“What are they?” Robyn asks.

Her voice sounds steadier than mine would have been.

“Noise,” Bronwyn replies, clasping his hands on the top of the desk. “I warned you once that I didn’t want any more of this. Messy affairs over the news like your divorce to Wilder Talononce was.” Robyn flinches. I glare at Bronwyn. “The focus of this season needed to be the games that are won and not scandals, freak outs on the ice, and complaints from other clubs.”

“Why have you decided to blame everything on me as captain?” My gaze slides from Colton to Heine.

I know why.

Both these men have been threatening me for years.

Is this their attempt to have me kicked out and sent to the minor leagues?

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