Page 30 of Here Be Dragons
The smile on Shane's face was strained and didn't reach his eyes. His voice sounded tight like he was trying to keep it in check and not convey what he really wanted to say. Ava understood. She felt the same way.
"I just wanted to thank you for your work on this contract," he said. "I really don't think we'd be starting the season now if it weren't for you."
"Well, that was my job."
"And now it's over."
"It's over."
He gave her a sheepish grin and reached for his suitcase, unzipping a pocket on the front of it.
"Before I forget, I wanted to return something." He reached into the pocket and pulled out a pair of lace panties. "You left these behind in my room the other night, and I found them this morning when I was checking under my bed."
She couldn't help but laugh as she took her underwear from the hook of his finger. "I was actually looking for these," she said. "You didn't want to keep them?"
Shane seemed stunned for a moment, but then shook his head and found his composure again. "I just thought I should return them."
"Thank you."
She walked over and tossed them in before closing up her suitcase and zipping it shut.
It was quiet and yet there was still a tension between them, a crackle of energy. It was probably best that this thing was over. Dating any hockey player would be a bad idea. Dating the captain of her brother's biggest rival? That would be pretty messed up, even if it was the captain who stood up for her at breakfast this morning.
She had to give Jack credit. As they were waiting for the press conference to start in the ballroom earlier, he leaned over and asked her if she was alright with sitting a few feet away from Jason.
"If you need it, Jordan and Shane can defend you," he said. "You know, Shane is a good guy. Any owner would love to have a leader like that on their team." Then Jack leaned closer to her. "But you didn't hear that from me."
"Of course not," she replied with a smile.
But Jack was right. Shane was the leader any owner would want in a locker room. Ava also knew he was the man any woman would want in her bed. Few men could tell Ava Foster what to do -- very few. Shane was one of them.
Ava looked over at the man in her hotel room now and gave him a small smile. He turned away. It was just another reminder that this was the end for them, and she wished things were different. That wasn't something she felt about most men she had been with.
"So I guess this is the end then."
She said it in a way that she hoped didn't sound too heavy or emotional. It was just the way it was, right? But the way Shane responded told her that he felt as conflicted as she did.
"I guess this is it."
He took a deep breath and stared out at the window behind her, the bay stretching out past the small balcony. Then he took a step towards her and another. Normally, she would try and meet him halfway if not more than halfway. Normally, she was the woman who could match a man step for step. But this time, she waited. This time, she planted her feet and waited for him to come to her. She wasn't sure if it was a power move or she was giving in. She really didn't care.
All Ava cared about was his warm lips as they pressed against hers, his arm snaking around her back to pull her close to him. She let out a soft moan as he towered over her, being the man that she wished so many other men would be when they were with her. Shane had never been intimidated by her job or her need for control. Maybe that's why she liked the feeling of giving in to him and letting him take what he wanted from her.
It was in that moment that she really realized that he was unlike any other man that she had been with before.
But it didn't really matter, did it? He was going to be leaving this place, or rather,theywere going to be leaving this place. This would have to be it.
Shane gently pulled away from her and she opened her eyes to see him. His eyes were still closed, his face bittersweet. Then he looked down and smiled at her.
"Do you wish we could just stay here and not deal with the real world again?"
She couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips. "There are moments," she said quietly.
"Like this one?" he said in a voice that was quiet but desperate.
"Like this one."
Ava was never the sentimental type when it came to men. Men would come and go and she never cared about what happened next. But damn did she sound sentimental when she responded to him like that.
