Page 108 of Hot for the Hockey Player
The shower shut off.That was probably the shortest shower in the history of Damon’s showers.Another indication that he was really enjoying working with Maverick.“Just bring a chair from the dining room into my office and you guys can do your show in there.It’s nice and quiet.”
He sipped his coffee and leaned against the counter.“Thank you.”
Laurel glanced between us a few times, then grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl.“Do all people in love look at each other like you two look at each other?”
I’d just taken a sip of my coffee and nearly choked on it.“I-in … in love?We’re not … we’re not—”
“People who care deeply for each other, particularly in newer relationships, tend to have stars in their eyes,” Maverick said, completely unfazed, whereas I was struggling to breathe.“When you have your first boyfriend—or girlfriend—I’m sure you’ll look at them the same way.It’s like you can’t believe this amazing person likes you back and wants to be with you.You’re kind of just looking at them with this level of surprise, or disbelief.”He lifted one shoulder casually and sipped his coffee.“We might be a little too soon to use the ‘L’ word, but I care about your mom—and you guys—an awful lot.”
That answer seemed to satisfy my curious child, and she bobbed her head, then headed to the living room, turning on the television.
“Thank you,” I mouthed to him, my heart still raging from that near miss of a coronary.
His sexy half-crooked mouth did all kinds of things to my belly.“No problem.Though, can we make one thing clear?”
I swallowed.“Um … okay.”
“You’re my girlfriend.I’m your boyfriend.We are dating.This is serious, and even though we said it was going to be temporary, I don’t want us to act like it is.People do long distance all the time.Players do long distance all the time and make it work.Let’s not dismiss what this has the potential of being, okay?”
My jaw went slack, and I nearly dropped my coffee mug.
He snorted as he walked past me into the dining room.“Just food for thought.”Then he pecked me on the cheek and went to join Laurel on the couch where she was watchingStranger Things.
Curiosity became an annoying, niggling beast when Maverick and Damon closed the door to my office and I could hear the murmurs of them, with Roman Woodman echoing through the door.Laurel was in her room reading, and I decided today was the perfect day to wash the walls and baseboards—starting with the wall and baseboards right outside my office.
“Men who are obsessed with a woman’s body count just need to grow up,” came the voice of a man who was definitely not Maverick or my son.
“I know right?”Maverick agreed.
“Just grow up,” the guy replied.This was obviously Roman Woodman.“They’re worried about how many people she’s been with, like some kind of emotional TSA agent checking her passport at the gate of her self-worth.”
Wow, this Roman guy was not only well-spoken, but bang-on.
“Totally.”
“Body count is not a character flaw.It’s not a criminal record, it’s not a scarlet letter.It’s proof she lived a life before you.And you want to criminalize, you want to penalize and dehumanize her for it?Get your head out of your ass,Chad.”
Maverick and Damon both snickered.
“Exactly.Men say they want an experienced woman.Someone fun, confident, sexy, knows what she likes, but where do these men want her to get all that wisdom from?They even shame women for reading romance,” Maverick said.I could just picture him shaking his head in total disapproval, and it made me smile.
“Ilovethat my girlfriend reads romance,” Roman added.“Gets her totally in the mood.”He cleared his throat.“Sorry, kid.”
“All good,” Damon murmured.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about Damon being around such adult topics of conversation, and yet, it was also healthy adult conversation.So, maybe it wasn’t too bad.
“These guys want Michelin Star skills with zero restaurant history.How does that make sense?”
More laughter.
“The same guys saying body count matters are the ones who probably couldn’t find the clit with Google Maps, or a rally co-driver literally telling them to go left, left, right, left, right.”Maverick burst out laughing, which prompted Roman to laugh too.“Guys are mad when she has experience.Why?It means that when she choosesyou, it’s not because she doesn’t know better, it’s because shedoesknow better andstillpicked you.Take her choosing you overallthe other men she’s been with as the mother of all compliments.Because statistically, shehashad better than you.”
“Absolutely,” Maverick replied.“Body count isn’t a number, it’s a collection of lessons.Survival badges.I’ve never judged a woman for how many, or how few, men she’s been with.All I hope is thatIpleased her when we were together.”
Damon cleared his throat.I could tell my son’s awkward throat clearing noise like a mother penguin could identify her chick’s squawk in a rookery of half a million.
“Sorry,” Maverick murmured.
