Page 55 of The Puck Stops Here

But the more Blake avoided her eye, the more she found herself seeking him out…

* * *

‘Ice, you’re wanted!’

Blake looked up to see the assistant coach lean into the locker room and through the gap in the door, a glimpse of brunette. Astrid.

‘Coming.’ His brother slammed his locker shut and shrugged on his sweater, his eyes meeting Blake’s. ‘You alright?’

What his brother really meant was,You’re not gonna run, are you?

‘Sure.’

‘You want to do this together because?—’

‘Don’t you trust me, bro?’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

He sensed every ear in the room tune into their conversation – ten pairs and counting.

‘Butter her up for me, yeah.’ He turned away and tugged open his locker, eyeing his reflection in the mirror on the door and flicking at his hair like it was the most important thing in the world.

‘It’s rude to keep a lady waiting,’ he muttered, his twin senses telling him his brother hadn’t shifted. ‘You taught me that.’

That earned a few sniggers and had his brother moving.

‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,’ he called after him. ‘Or if you do’ – his eyes caught Astrid’s as Aiden yanked open the door – ‘make sure you don’t get caught.’

Then he slammed his locker shut and moved in the opposite direction, to the gym. He suddenly had boundless energy and there was only one way to kill it off – one way that wouldn’t land him in more trouble at any rate.

Then, he’d be ready for her and whatever she had to throw at him.

And in the meantime, he wouldn’t be thinking of her and Aiden and whatever they were throwing around together.

Wishful thinking, much?

8

Cheryl had sorted them a small room in the private exec suite on the upper floor. Close to the GM’s office but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the public areas and the player facilities to remain undisturbed.

She took off her coat and Aiden reached for it. ‘Here, I’ll put it in the closet.’

‘The closet?’

‘These rooms have everything you need to ensure you don’t have to leave once you’re in. Don’t want to risk missing any of the action.’

He nodded to the glass doors that led out to a private balcony and an undisturbed view of the rink.

‘The rest room is through here too.’

He disappeared off and she twirled on the spot, taking in the small but flashy space. A wood-panelled wall brandishing the Titans logo backed a fully stocked bar complete with stools, while a giant flatscreen filled another, and the other was covered in team paraphernalia lit by the Titan colours – red, blue and white.

‘Drink?’ he asked, coming back into the room.

‘A club soda would be great, thanks.’

She dropped her bag on the coffee table that stretched down the middle of the room, flanked by two cosy sofas, and started pulling out her things – notepad, pencil, mobile…

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