Page 57 of Pucks, Lies, and Sticktape

“Of course I am. Your brother is more than just one tooth or a pretty smile. He’s an amazing person…”

“And they get implants when they lose a tooth anyhow,” Jamie chuckled. “Kenneth has one from a few years ago, and the man will not bite into an apple. He’s a little paranoid about it. I tell him he’s got a screw loose… a toothy, endorsement-loving, screw.”

Several of them laughed easily as the door opened – and the men started to file into the tiny room. Ashley held up her hand, shaking her head. “Nope, claustrophobia right here. This room’s too small for this girl with everyone in it,” and she walked out into the hallway, making them all look at each other in awareness. Itwastight by the time you started letting in four or five tall men into the room. Then Jeannie got a glimpse of Matthieu in the doorway.

“That’s our cue,” his mother said knowingly. “Will we see you for lunch tomorrow before we fly back?”

“You don’t want to meet for breakfast?” Jeannie asked curiously – only to feel her face flame red as the woman gave her a deadpan stare, rolled her eyes, and laughed.

“No, sweetie. I’ve been married for years now – why do you think there is such an age difference between Matthieu and his sister? We’ll see you at lunch,” she reassured her and immediately took Katie with her.

Matthieu hugged his family, made his quick goodbyes, and took some ribbing from the guys as Jeannie moved to his side. He clasped her hand quickly with his, pulling her with him as they darted off down the hallway that connected to the equivalent of a human gerbil trail that led to the fancy hotel nearby.

A blur of movement ahead caught Jeannie’s eye—Liam Savage and his wife Ashley, practically running toward the elevators. She barely had a moment to register them beforeAshley spun, pressing her husband against the wall with shocking force, kissing him with a hunger that left no room for modesty.

“Oh man…” Jett groaned behind them, shaking his head as he dipped and strolled right through the two of them standing there in the distance, gawking at the lovers up ahead. He nodded at Jeannie and winked as he cut through them, smirking. “I miss my wife so freakin’ much. I’m gonna go see if she wants to FaceTime and talk dirty to me after seeing all of that…”

Jeannie and Matthieu barely held back their laughter as they exchanged a look as Jett walked past without a care in the world— a look of shared awareness, a private, unspoken understanding sparking between them. The heat in her husband’s dark eyes nearly stole her breath. Without another word, they hurried toward the next open elevator, the air between them crackling.

The moment the doors slid shut, Matthieu turned to her, the intensity in his gaze unraveling her completely.

“How are you feeling?” she whispered, her voice barely carrying over the pounding of her heart. “You really fought hard on the ice tonight…”

“I feel like Superman,” he admitted, his lips curving into a breathless, exhilarated smile. “I’m on such an adrenaline high nothing could bring me down. Today has been incredible. I married the woman I love, we won the game, and?—”

Jeannie didn’t let him finish.

With a surge of boldness, she grabbed the front of his jersey, yanking him toward her with all the force of her racing emotions. She’d seen Ashley’s move, and she wanted to try it herself—to claim her husband the way he deserved to be claimed. The way she wanted him.

And, oh, was he interested.

Matthieu growled low in his throat, his mouth crashing against hers with a hunger that sent a shudder through her entire body. He lifted her effortlessly, pressing her against him as if he needed to feel every inch of her to believe this moment was real.

The elevator dinged open, but he didn’t stop.

Didn’t hesitate.

His grip on her was unyielding as he carried her down the hall, his breath ragged, his pulse pounding just as wildly as hers.

The rough fabric of his jersey scraped against her palms as she clung to him, feeling the solid weight of his body beneath her fingertips, the raw strength in the arms that held her so securely. The world outside of this hallway, outside of this moment, ceased to exist.

“Key…” he rasped against her lips.

“In my jeans…” she managed, her voice a breathy whisper, thick with longing.

Matthieu let out a husky chuckle, resting his forehead against hers, his fingers flexing around her thighs.

“Oh man, I’m holding them…”

She bit her lip, her chest rising and falling against his. “I know… but you’ve gotta put me down…”

His grip only tightened.

“I don’t wanna,” he admitted, voice hoarse with desire.

Jeannie let out a soft, indulgent laugh, but it was laced with the same urgency tightening in his chest.

“Matthieu…”

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