Page 11 of Ice Cold, Red Hot
When the place had calmed down and Nat seemed to have reassured herself that Griff was okay, I turned to her.
“What the hell was that?”
The game had resumed as if nothing had happened. As if two guys hadn’t just beat the shit out of each other in front of an entire stadium full of people.
“That’s hockey,” Nat said with a smile. She raised an eyebrow and bumped her shoulder against mine. “Kinda hot, huh?”
“I mean…” I didn’t know what I thought about what I had just seen. Everything in me was going haywire, thinking about the look on Shepherd’s face—the way he made eye contact with me, like he’d known I was sitting here the whole time.
“The funny thing is, Shepherd’s not even the enforcer.”
“Enforcer? What’s that?” It sounded like some kind of stormtrooper in aStar Warsmovie.
“The enforcer is the guy on the team who handles the fighting. That’s actually Griff’s job. But Ren has a tough time with… controlling himself.”
Nat giggled as she said this, and I did my best not to let my mind race back to this summer—when Shepherd had hadsometrouble controlling himself. When I had prided myself on my ability to make him lose control.
“So fighting is part of the game? Like, it’s in the rules?”
“I mean, he did get thrown out of the game.”
I refocused on the ice, where the Firehawks were attacking the puck into the net one final time to close out the game 4-2. When it was over, we stood, and I was surprised to see Dr. Gunning making her way through the stands to where I stood.
“Celeste, I’m glad to find you here.” She smiled at me, glanced at Nat, and then continued. “I’ve actually got to pick up some notes the athletic trainers for the hockey team are helping me compile—some of the research on sports psychology I told you about. Would you mind coming down to the locker room with me so I can make an introduction?”
Nat elbowed me and wiggled her eyebrows, as if I’d just been invited to the locker room to watch the team take showers. But Dr. Gunning’s presence had reminded me that, even though I might have come to the game recreationally, I was here at Coldwater towork. Not to watch Shepherd pound people into the ice. And not to get all hot in the lady bits when he gave me a certain meaningful glance.
I needed to find a way to steel myself against Shepherd Renshaw and the effect he had on me. The only way I could think to do that was to stay as far away from him as I possibly could.
Of course, going to the locker room after a hockey game was probably not the best way to avoid Shepherd Renshaw, captain of the hockey team.
Luckily, Shepherd was nowhere in sight as Dr. Gunning escorted me to the training room. It connected to the locker room, but most of the team would be busy dressing down,debriefing, and showering, which left the athletic trainers with a few minutes to talk.
Dr. Gunning introduced me to Joseph Weeden and Sonia Leeds, who were working with her on the sports psychology study she had suggested I might be interested in. Sonia produced a thumb drive and handed it to Dr. Gunning.
“It was nice to meet you both,” I told them as Dr. Gunning and I left the training room.
“These kinds of connections will be very important for you as we do our research, Celeste,” Dr. Gunning told me.
In the hallway outside the training room, she stopped suddenly. “Oh, I forgot—I need to ask a question. I’ll see you in my office tomorrow.”
Dr. Gunning disappeared back inside the training room, leaving me standing in the hallway, not quite sure which way was out. I was still considering my options when the locker room door opened, and Shepherd Renshaw stepped out.
CHAPTER 6
SHEPHERD
She was at the game.
I hadn’t expected to see her there, and yet, from the moment I stepped onto the ice, I could feel her. Could feel her eyes on me, could practically feel her heartbeat. What the fuck was that about?
I’d spent one week with the girl, but it was like she’d infected every part of me, wound her way beneath my skin, through my veins. It was like we were connected.
I think that was part of why I lost it on Rodriguez out there. Maybe. Or maybe losing it is just a regular part of who I am. Wasn’t like this was the first time it’s happened.
But I’d really only meant to hit him once.
And then… I just couldn’t stop. And knowing she was up there? Those dark eyes on me?
