Page 68 of One Touch

“Looking good with long hair, Silver,” he teased.

I chuckled. I hadn’t seen myself, but I only imagined how ridiculous I looked if Miller’s appearance was anything to go by. His wig was curly and fashioned into a mullet. Somehow, he was still the sexiest man I’d ever seen.

Reese introduced us as M and L and gave us both a team.

“All right, guys. Do you like the Austin Aces?” I asked. There were a few head nods and some shakes.

“Utah is my team,” one kid said.

“Fair. How about this… if we beat M’s team, I will get you tickets to tomorrow’s game?” Their eyes lit up, and I prayed it wasn’t a sold-out one.

“Deal.”

“All right, so here’s what I’m thinking…” I shared what I’d seen from them on the ice, listened to their strengths and weaknesses, and formed a game plan.

The next hour wasn’t all pretty, but it was fun—the most fun I’d had playing hockey in forever. The kids tried their best but didn’t get upset if it didn’t work out. They encouraged each other and cheered on from the sidelines. It reminded me of how hockey used to be.

In the last period, our teams were tied, and Miller and I faced off.

“Having fun?” he asked.

“With you, always.”

He blinked just as the puck was dropped. I hadn’t meant to distract him but took advantage of it. He wasn’t frozen for long before he snapped back into motion. I could feel him on my heels, so I passed to the left-winger. Miller’s body connected with me, and he held me against the boards.

“I should punish you for that,” he teased.

“Why? It wasn’t a lie.”

He growled and pressed his nose into my neck. “If a bunch of kids didn’t surround us, I’d kiss you until you couldn’t breathe.”

Before I could respond, the goal sounded, and the kids cheered. We pulled away from the boards, and I beamed as my team celebrated. “I won.”

“Oh, does that mean something?” he asked.

“Yep. It means I get to pick how I want to be fucked,” I said before skating away with a smile.

This had been more fun than running drills.

CHAPTER25

MILLER

After our Utah game—whichwe’d won—Lathan and I had gone in different directions to visit our families for the holidays. The sappy, romantic part of me had hoped he’d invite me with him. He knew my family didn’t celebrate Christmas big, but I’d made plans to visit Washington when the invitation hadn’t come. We had four days between games, so it was a good time to see them. Plus, staying in the apartment without him would be too hard.

It was official. A foregone conclusion. I was completely in love with Lathan Silver. I was so screwed.

“Miller! Are you paying attention to me?” Ivy, my sister, shouted from across the kitchen counter. It was always so weird being back in my parents’ house. It was the same, but I wasn’t.

“What?” I shook my head and focused. She narrowed her gaze, and I felt the mom stare. “Oh, right. Yeah. You’re getting a new type of chicken and made a new scent of soap.”

“Hmm. Okay, you’re off the hook, but seriously, what’s going on with you? You’ve been spacey since you’ve arrived.”

I opened my mouth but closed it. I didn’t know how to talk to my family about Lathan. There was so much I couldn’t say.

“Ah, I see. It’s a guy.”

My cheeks heated. “What? No.” I shook my head, but my sister didn’t buy it. She was the closest to me, only a few years older, and had a wisdom about her that sometimes scared me.

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