Page 47 of Pucking Sweet

“Yeah, and in case you haven’t noticed, she’s totally into you too,” I add with a grin.

He glances back her way with a dopey smile on his face. “Oh god, do you think so?”

Morrow and I both laugh. This asshole is too damn earnest.

“Just don’t go fooling around until you clear it with HR,” Morrow warns. “She’s not a bunny, Jake. She’s part of the team. You gotta respect that for all our sakes. We need her.”

I go still, my smiling falling. Sheispart of the team. The medical staff are as essential to what we do here as the coaches and the equipment managers. We can’t play without Doc Price there to catch us when we fall.

Poppy is part of the team too. She may move behind the scenes,but she’s the one putting butts in seats so we can keep playing the game we all love so much.

Jake heads off toward the showers and I turn to Morrow. “Hey, have you talked to Poppy today?”

He glances to the open doorway where she just disappeared. “Nah, she showed up after I was already out on the ice for warmups.”

“What’s going on there?” I dare to ask. “Is this another Compton situation? Do I need to alert the night janitor?”

He ducks down and suddenly becomes very concerned with fiddling with his skate laces.

I lower my voice. “You can tell me, you know. If there’s something between you—”

“There’s nothing.” He sits up, glancing around the room before he turns to me. “Poppy is cool. She’s smart, and beautiful, and kind, and…we’re friends, alright?”

A heavy weight sinks in my chest, even as I force a smile. “Yeah, and I’m Bruce Banner.”

“We are, Nov. We…” He heaves a tired sigh. “She doesn’t date hockey players, okay?”

My eyes narrow. “So, you asked.”

“Let’s just say she volunteered the information.”

Sneaky fucker. What is he hiding? “She turned you down flat, eh?”

“She’s focusing on her career, and I can respect that.”

“Yeah, she turned you down flat,” I tease, feeling a little lighter.

He punches my arm and stands. “I’m hitting the showers. You going to the club tonight?”

As he talks, I hear the click of heels out in the hall. Poppy walks past the open doorway, phone up to her ear, still working for us even though the game is done.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m going.”

Oh,I’m going straight to hell is where I’m going. That’s where they send men who have depraved thoughts about their coworkers, right? Poppy St. James just stepped off the hotel elevator wearing a curve-hugging, electric-blue mini dress. Her blonde hair tumblesdown her back in a mess of curls. She did something different with her makeup too. It’s darker, edgier.

I’m just gonna say it inside my head:She looks positively fuckable.I’ve never said that about a PR director before. It’s an odd sensation, but not wholly unpleasant.

She strides across the lobby like she owns it, walking in a matching pair of strappy blue heels. Doc Price walks at her side, looking just as gorgeous in a black jumpsuit with a plunging neckline. Behind me, a couple of the guys let off wolf whistles.

Compton is already on his feet, moving straight to Doc’s side. I don’t even realize that I’m standing too. I follow Compton, letting him step around me with Doc on his arm.

Poppy is looking at her phone, tapping away with both thumbs. “Okay,” she calls to the lobby. “Ubers are a minute out!” With her head still down, she nearly walks right into me. “Oh! Sorry, honey, didn’t see you.” She finally registers that it’s me and her lips part in surprise. She looks me up and down, those sky-blue eyes wide. “Whoa. Lukas, you look…good.”

Is this a trick? Why am I suddenly second-guessing everything about this outfit? It’s just a white V-neck shirt and a pair of navy dress pants, but the shirt is tight, and I’m built like a house. I mean, IknowI look good, but I still brush a self-conscious hand over my chest. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

She huffs. “Nothing. That’s why I used a superlative.”

“Kind of a lukewarm one,” I mutter. Her eyes flash with annoyance, and I breathe a little sigh of relief. Maybe she’s fine.

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