Page 15 of Off Limits PUCK

I reach out and cup her cheek. “Tell me exactly what I need to do to get back on the ice for good. I want to play, Allie. I don’t want to get kicked off the team or benched.”

“I know. And that’s why all of us are here with you this week. Trust the process.”

She walks to the door and gives me a cheeky smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “I guess we found out one more thing you can’t do for the next four and a half days.” She looks pointedly at where we just had sex, and I try to grin.

“Oh, trust me, there are lots of other ways to do that without hurting my shoulder.”

A shadow crosses her pretty face. “Yeah. I’m sure all the girls on that dating app know all about your favorite sex positions.”

With that, she opens the door and walks out, leaving me with a surprisingly guilty conscience. So what if I’m on a dating app? It’s not like Allie and I are exclusive—we’re just sneaking around having sex. It’s casual. Right?

Chapter nine

Allie

Iknow Gator fromdoing PT at the Eagles’ physical therapy room the past few weeks since I started my job. What I didn’t know was how persistent he could be. He roped me into going to the team dinner tonight, which I learned is really just an informal evening for the guys and their families to hang out with each other and build team spirit before the start of the season.

The good news is a night of delicious food at the assistant captain’s house. The bad news? Kenz will be there. I’m nervous that with her spidey senses, she’ll know something is up between her brother and me.

“You’re sabotaging everything,” I scold myself quietly as I brush my hair back into a ponytail. Tonight is a pool party with yard games and a cookout. I plan to be as casual as I can be and just blend into the background. With Kenz there, it shouldn’t be too hard for me to be a wallflower. She’s bright and bubbly.Although, she hates athletes with a passion. I still don’t know why.

I know that each time I’ve stormed off from Jake, after feeling hot and heavy for him, I’ve left him with some sort of scathing comment. In my heart, I know that I’m far more at risk of falling for him than he is at falling for me. He has millions of fans, most of them women, who all want a piece of him. I’m just a quiet girl building her career and don’t have much in the way of men chasing after me.

If there were to be a chance for him to develop feelings for me—unlikely—then it certainly won’t happen if I’m constantly cutting him down with my words.

“Knock, knock!” Kenz calls out from the hallway. She knocks on the door once and then pushes it open. To my great and utter surprise, she is not in pool attire. She’s in a glittery little dress that shows off her wide hips. Men love them, or so she tells me.

“Girl, what are you wearing?” I say with mock disappointment. I feel a weird bit of relief thinking she’s not coming tonight. I can just keep to myself and not worry about anyone or anything.

“So cute, right? I’m going out on a date tonight with a new guy.” She grins and playfully pushes me away from the mirror, surveying herself. Her face drops a little. “The last guy never came through for me. We were supposed to hang out tonight, but he canceled, so I thought I’d just grab a different guy and try my luck elsewhere.”

My heart goes out to her. She dates so many men that I’m surprised she’s not more jaded than she is.

“You liked that last bartender guy, huh?” I ask.

She shrugs. “I’m like most girls are with men. I don’t open up fast and I’m the first to walk away if it’s getting uncomfortable.” She winks at me, but I can see the hurt in her eyes. “You’re the same. You’re worse, actually. You’re so picky, you just never even give guys a chance! Which is good, actually, given your job is to put your hands all over hot hockey players.” She says it dramatically.

“Why do you hate those men so much? Just because Jake is an athlete?” I ask out of the blue. I regret it instantly. Her face falls.

“I don’t hate anyone. I just don’t trust most men, especially the super hot ones.”

My phone chooses that moment to ring, and she grabs it. I have a moment of panic, thinking it could be Jake calling me. Then I remind myself that he texts, not calls, me and that is rare. So far since moving in with him, his texts have been: “My shoulder hurts. Come fix it.” And then, “Where are you? I need a massage.” Of course, both of them are full of sexual innuendo that only I would see.

“It’s your mom. I love Sharon!” Kenz says. We all but grew up together, so she’s like a second daughter to Mom. Mom and Dad live in Florida now, so I don’t see them often.

“Hiiii!” Kenz says, putting the phone on speaker. “It’s your second daughter. I’m here with Allie. And I could not for the life of me talk her out of going to some NHL hockey players’ dinner event tonight. Maybe you can talk sense into her.”

I try not to glare at Kenz. The last thing I want is for my mother to be worried about me. I finally have an incredible job and if I know anything about my mom, it’s that she’s a worrier. She’ll find one thing that could go wrong and focus on it.

“It’s not an event!” I call out, trying to laugh off the implication that I’m getting dolled up to go parade myself in front of men.You just care about one man,my brain tells me.

I shake my head at myself and look away. “How is Boca Raton, Mom?”

My mom’s voice is light and friendly. “Everything is great, Allie. Same as usual. I wanted to call and get an update on your new job. But if you’re busy…”

“She’s not busy. She’s actually living with Jake now,” Kenz says, shaking her hips in front of the mirror to make the sequins on her dress dance under the lights.

“Oh,” Mom says, her voice tight. “Really, Allie? Why is that?”

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