Page 101 of Hot for the Hockey Player
“I like how you make me feel.”
That didn’t really answer my question, but the wary look in her eyes told me not to ask again, so I dropped it.This was all still really new, and we were figuring things out.She was probably going to go to bed overthinking all of it, but hopefully not so much that she decided to end things.
“I like how you make me feel too,” I said before gently brushing my lips against hers.
“I should probably get dressed and get inside.”
Nodding, I helped her climb off my lap as I held onto the base of the condom.Grabbing a piece of Kleenex from under the passenger seat, I tied off the condom, wrapped it in the tissue, and shoved it into my pocket before fastening my pants.Gabrielle was nearly dressed by the time I did all that.“Damn, you’re speedy,” I said just as she tugged her soft, mossy-green sweater over her head.
All she did was smirk and pull her hair out from under the sweater.
“So I’m going to take Damon with me to Man’s house tomorrow to interview him for my podcast,” I said as she slid into her Crocs now that she was completely dressed.“You don’t mind?”
She shook her head.“I think it’s a great idea to have him help you with this.He seems really excited.You know he said to me today that because he’s homeschooled and self-paced now, if he works through the summer and really pushes himself, he could graduate at sixteen.This, coming from the kid who just two weeks ago, I had to bribe with screen time just to get him to finish his math homework.”
“I think you made the right choice pulling him from the school.”
She nodded, her hand wrapped around the door handle.“Me too.Thank you for pushing me to see that he needed help.”
I cupped my hand around her neck and jaw, pulling her back toward me.“I’ll do anything for you.I mean that.”Then, in a gesture more intimate than I think I intended, I pressed my forehead against hers.I could feel her tense up a little, and I quickly released my hand and moved back.“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded and opened the door.“Tomorrow.Have a good night.”Then she hopped out, and I followed since I needed to get into the front seat anyway.I watched her walk up the porch steps and crossed my fingers that she’d turn around and at least give me a wave.
She did.And I released that trapped bubble of air in my lungs in a long, loudwhoosh.
“Take it slow, Roy.Take it slow.You don’t want to spook her, and she’s got a lot more to lose than you.Don’t push,” I told myself as I pushed the start button and reversed the truck to turn around.Just before I put the vehicle into drive, I glanced toward her kitchen window.The light was on, but I couldn’t see her.
Then the light went out, which was my cue to head home.
So I did, with thoughts of nothing but Gabrielle and what kind of a future we could possibly have, here on her island, whirling around in my head.And honestly, they all seemed great.Better than great.Every scenario that came to mind seemed fucking fantastic.
Only, none of them involved me playing hockey anymore.
What the hell did that mean?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Maverick
Gabriellewasinheroffice with the door closed when I picked up Damon to head to Man’s house.Damon said she was working on “lawyer stuff” today, which meant she wasn’t to be disturbed.
Even though I obviously wanted to see her, I knew better than to bother a busy woman.So I just accompanied Damon back to my truck.
“Have you ever met Man before?”I asked as we headed down the road with the rows of grapevines on either side of us.
Damon shook his shaggy brown head.“No.His name is actually ‘Man’?”
“Manpreet.Actually, it’s Dr.Patel.Dr.Manpreet Patel, but he wants everyone to call himMan.”
The kid just nodded and glanced out the window.Lucky for me, he had all the necessary equipment we would need for the podcast.Microphones, headphones, the recording software.I honestly thought I’d be able to just record it all on my phone, but Damon schooled me when I picked him up and he hoisted his backpack over his back and said he had all the equipment.
“Why do you have all that recording stuff?”I asked, letting the curiosity get the better of me.
He shrugged his boney shoulder beneath his baggy black hoodie.“I record stuff sometimes.”
“Record?Like what?”
“Music.”
