Page 70 of Stick Play

I laugh at that. “I’ll do my best.”

“She’s also very much looking forward to her present. It’s all she’s been talking about.”

On that note, I remind myself to hit the hotel gift shop. Knuckles rap on my door.

“Let’s go, Ash. I’m starving.”

“That’s Brady. It’s feeding time and Lord knows that man doesn’t like to miss a meal.”

“He’s the goalie, he needs his fuel.”

“Okay, babe. I should go…” I run my hands through my hair. “Ah, we’re headed home after the game. It will be late…”

“You have a key.”

My heart soars. “Yeah, but Dad is there. You don’t have any spare rooms.”

“You can crawl in with him. It’s a big bed.”

“I’d rather crawl in with you.”

“I’d rather that too, but?—”

“Zoe, I know.” Goddammit, I’m tired of hiding what we’re doing. In fact, I’m just about ready to scream it from the rooftop.

“But if you sneak out before she?—”

“I can do that.” As she laughs, I grin at the excitement I hear in my voice.

“Kick butt for us all tonight.”

“There’s only one butt I’m interested in. Later, babe.”

“Later, Ash.” With that, I end the call and my heart pounds a little too hard as she says my name and the next time I hear it on her tongue, I want my cock inside her.

As the pounding on my door continues, I walk toward it. “I’m coming. Jesus, where’s the fire.” I pull it open to find Brady standing there. Theo walks by and smirks at me, but nothing can bring my mood down now.

Brady cocks his head and smiles. “What?” I ask.

“Why are you smiling like the village idiot?” His gaze drops to the phone in my hand before I can hide it. “Oh, talking to Gina, I guess.”

“Fuck off.”

He throws his arm around me, and I pull my door shut. “Come on, let’s go carb up.” We take the elevator down to the main level, and I glance at Brady. “You were right about Coach. He likes the idea of Gina and me.”

“Told you.”

“It just pisses me off that her face and Zoe’s was splashed all over the news, though.”

“I know, bud, but it will die down. They’re just looking for dirt. You know how the game is played.”

Unfortunately, I do. “They won’t find any.” My heart lurches, because maybe I’m wrong about that. Are they going to dig into Gina’s past? If they do, are they going to find Zoe’s father? Blood drains to my feet, as the doors ping open. Jesus Christ, if anything happens to Gina, because of me, I’d never forgive myself.

“Are you okay?”

I take in the worried way Brady is looking at me. “Yeah, just hungry.”

He looks like he’s about to press, but stops when we step off the elevator to a group of girls standing in the lobby. The second they see us, they come running and the next fifteen minutes are spent taking pictures. A necessary evil of being a professional hockey player. At least Brighton and the other wives know it’s part of the game we play, and trust us wholeheartedly. Will Gina extend me that trust? Believe that I’m not jumping from bed to bed when I’m not with her? If she does a search of me, and sees any of these pictures, it could skew her view.

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