Page 44 of Netting the Goalie

And every game, I watched Shane get better.

Not that he won every game but now he was on a five-game winning streak.

I didn’t kid myself into believing I had anything to do with it, except allow Shane to use sex to get out of his head between games and blow off steam.

And make me scream his name as I came, sometimes twice a night.

Just thinking about last night made me blush.

Today, I’d brought Mike.Because last night, Shane had asked, almost too casually, if I wanted to get something to eat after the game today.

I’d taken a few seconds to think before saying, “Sure,” in the most nonchalant way I could.

As if he wasn’t changing the unspoken rules of our affair without discussing them with me first.

So I’d brought Mike.But not because introducing Shane to my brother was a test.One a lot of guys failed.

Not at all.

I turned to Mike with a smile.“Yep.Shane’s going to meet us and then we’re going to go to dinner.”I looked around to make sure we had everything.Mike was notoriously forgetful, especially when he was excited.“We have to go downstairs now.”

Mike kept up a steady flow of conversation as we made our way to the stairs Shane had told me about and gave our names to the guard.After checking us off his list, he nodded and waved us down.

Heading down the stairs felt like getting a peek behind the curtain and I couldn’t help but be a little excited.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I noticed pockets of people standing around.

Several other girls my age stood in a cluster, all of them checking their phones and talking without looking at each other.Players’ girlfriends, I assumed.A slightly older girl leaned against the wall, gently rocking a baby carriage, alternating her gaze between the baby and the hallway, where I assumed the guys would appear.

A couple who looked like parents talked quietly at the mouth of the hall and a trio of younger guys leaned against the opposite wall from the new mother, laughing at something and shaking their heads.

Mike’s conversation had stalled as we’d descended but now he couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Is the locker room down here?Are we gonna meet all the guys?Is this where they keep that machine that cleans the ice?I wonder if you can drive that on the street.”

Usually I didn’t mind Mike’s constant stream of questions.I’d had my entire life to get used to it but I knew it could drive other people a little crazy.

The player’s mom smiled at Mike then flashed me a smile I recognized.The commiseration smile.The father didn’t even glance our way.I’d bet they had a disabled family member, if not their own child then a niece or nephew or a sibling.

A few of the girls glanced our way but only one of them made eye contact and smiled.The others dismissed us immediately.

Mike never noticed.I’d learned to shrug it off over the years.Mike wasn’t the one with the problem.They were.

“Look, Lissy, they’re coming.”

He’d spoken a little louder than normal and I winced at the volume.

“Yeah, but you don’t need to shout, buddy.I can hear you.”

Mike made a face.“Sorry.”Then he pointed toward the hall.“Is that Shane?”

“Not yet.He’s got a lot of equipment to take care off.He’ll probably be one of the last guys out.Let’s just wait over here out of the way.”

The guys trickled out a few at a time.Several left together, a few paired off with the girls and headed out.Finally Shane and another player walked out together.

He caught sight of me right away and his grin made my body flush with heat.

What the hell do you think you’re doing, introducing your brother to him?

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