Page 30 of Slap Shot Daddies

I manage a small, slightly forced laugh. “Just had a wild night.”

She smirks knowingly, a twinkle of understanding in her eyes. “I’ll say, your arm is all bandaged up. What’s that about?”

“Oh, yeah,” I groan. “I’m a veterinarian, had a run in with an angry macaw.”

“Sheesh,” she said, pouring my soda into a clean glass. “The rest of the night; was it good or bad?”

I pause, considering. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Fair enough,” she says. As she smiles and then turns to go help other patrons.

The cold liquid is a jolt to my senses as I take a sip.

Ten minutes pass, each second stretching more languidly than the last, until my phone finally buzzes.

I slide into the backseat of the Uber, my body heavy with exhaustion, my mind a tangled web of thoughts.

The driver remains silent, avoiding the usual small talk, which I find to be a relief.

As I gaze out the window the city glides past, streetlights casting fleeting glimmers across my reflection like a series of ghostly apparitions.

By the time we pull into the rink's parking lot, the place is eerily deserted. The massive building towers against the night sky, its form silhouetted in darkness, save for a few solitary security lights casting pools of dim illumination.

I step out of the car, the cold air biting at my skin, my breath forming wispy clouds that dissolve into the night. My Jeep sits alone in the lot, a solitary figure waiting like a silent sentinel, a haunting reminder of the tumultuous night I've endured.

As I unlock the door, I pause to glance at the back seat, the very spot where, just a week ago, Ambrose and I had devoured each other with a fervor that seemed insatiable.

Now, I've just spent the night with him and two of his teammates, an unexpected twist that has left my mind spinning.

My dreams are starting to come true. Maybe I’ll dream I’ll win the lottery next!

I exhale sharply, resting my forehead against the cool surface of the steering wheel for a moment.

What cryptic message is the universe trying to send me?

This was meant to be nothing more than a fleeting indulgence, a reckless, one-time escapade. Yet the warmth that blooms within my chest now, the way they gazed at me, the way their arms wrapped around me… it all feels far from meaningless.

Shaking my head to dispel the sexy thoughts, I start the engine and pull out of the lot.

My thoughts swirl around me, chasing me all the way home.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ambrose

I watchher retreat from the window, her small frame gradually vanishing down the driveway under the soft, pale glow of the streetlights.

She’s moving swiftly, as if an invisible force propels her away, like she can't escape fast enough.

Damn.

The warmth still lingers in the room, a comforting residue of her presence, the scent of her skin, a delicate blend of faint wine and vanilla perfume clings to the sheets.

I run a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly, attempting to dispel the frustration twisting like a knot inside me.

That was amazing. Not just good. Incredible.

And now, she’s fleeing as if we committed some unforgivable act. Again.

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