Page 202 of Breaking the Pucking Rules
Trouble: You want me on my knees for you, baby?
Kodie: You have no idea.
Our filthy messages continue until there’s movement at the front of the bus.
“There you are,” Linc mutters. “Should have known you’d be getting frisky somewhere.”
“Jesus. One video call and I’ve got a rep.”
“Nah, I’m just yanking your chain. You know I’m fucking stoked for you.”
He drops into the seat beside me and taps my knee like a patronizing jerk.
Everyone else joins, and only a few minutes later, we head off.
The last thing I want to do is go for a drink, but Linc is right. If I want to keep everything under the radar, I can’t give them a reason to look harder.
Despite wanting to be alone with Casey, hanging out with the guys isn’t actually a chore. I may not have spent much time getting to know everyone last year—I was too focused on keeping my head down and doing a good job—but the Vipers are a great group. Eclectic as fuck, but then, from my experience, that makes the best team. It may have only been a few weeks since I was instructed by Coach to make more of an effort, but already, these guys feel like family.
Beside me, Fletch’s cell lights up on the table.
“Right, I’m calling it a night,” he says, standing and slipping it into his pocket. “I've got a hot woman waiting on me to wish her good night.”
A couple of the guys groan, ribbing him about his ball and chain, but he takes it all with a smile.
“Same,” I say, draining what’s left of my beer and following him out.
Linc notices from where he’s chatting up two bunnies and gives me a little wave, his brows wiggling.
“Jesus,” I mutter.
“Everything okay?” Fletch asks, turning back to see what’s going on.
“Just Linc being Linc.”
Fletch chuckles. “Ah, the good old days.”
“How do you do it?” I blurt without really thinking it through.
“Do what?”
Reaching up, I rub the back of my neck nervously. “Juggle hockey and a serious relationship.”
“Dude, you have better experience with that shit than I do.”
“I’ve never had a serious relationship,” I confess.
“I was talking about Sutton,” he explains. “You know more than anyone how hard juggling two lives can be. At least with Reese, she understands. This was my life before she came along. She was never under any illusion that she’d be able to change me. She knew she had to fit in. It’s different with a kid.”
“And she’s okay with it? All the traveling?”
“She has to be. There isn’t really any other option. We were all born to play hockey. It’s in our blood. Until we’re told we physically can’t play anymore, everything else in life comes second to the game. You know this as well as I do.”
“Yeah,” I muse.
He studies me as we step into the elevator. “Have you found someone, Rivers?”
“I-I— I’ve found something,” I confess. “I wasn’t looking. I don’t need anyone. My life is already busy enough, but?—”
