Page 49 of Dirty Pucking Player

So easy.

He laughs. “For someone who gets laid so much, you sure don’t know very much about women.”

I grin at him. “I think those women I’ve been with would beg to differ.”

“You may know something about a woman’s body, but in terms of what they’re thinking and feeling, you’re pretty clueless, brother.”

“Maybe I am.” I shrug and sip my beer. “But I think Greer and I are on the same page.”

He scoffs and gives me an incredulous look. “What makes you think that?”

I was upfront about who and what I am with Greer from day one. She knows I’m not a relationship guy. I’m not the white knight or prince. I’m not the one to look for if she wants some whirlwind, long-term romance.

“She never gave any indication she was looking for anything more than just a good time.”

Caleb shakes his head and downs the rest of his beer. “You are in so much trouble, Bash.”

I want to believe he’s wrong and I can just keep things casual without it getting complicated. But something in my gut tells me he’s right.

Greer isn’t the type of girl a guy can sleep with without there being more.

That does leave me in quite the predicament because I don’t think it’s possible to stay away from that woman.

14

GREER

Sixty exhausting minutes of play have worn me the fuck out, and I wasn’t even on the ice. I flop down onto the hotel room bed and release a groan as I kick off my heels.

Who thought it was a good idea to wear heels to every game?

I could probably get away with wearing flats to be more comfortable, but I feel like it looks more professional to be heeled. Even though no one can really see them. It’s just become a habit. My coaches always made their players dress up game days, and they were always in suits and dress shoes. My being a woman shouldn’t change that. Nor should the fact that I’m the coach now.

No sneakers for me.

Just really sore feet.

Between the late flight here from San Diego after the loss there, and the brutal game tonight, I’m just mentally and physically done.

It was like for every step forward we took, they took four. And it was even harder because we’re still missing Bash. We managed to win the first couple games of his suspension, but then, it was like we fell apart. Everything we did looked sloppy and slow. Like we were a completely different team overnight.

And Bash’s suspension isn’t technically over until after tonight’s game.

Which means he’ll be arriving here in L.A. tomorrow in time for practice so we can use him against the Stingrays.

Thank fuck because we need him.

There are only a handful of games left before the end of the season, and with tonight’s win in their game and our loss, they’re only two points back. We can’t let them gain any more ground. Having Bash back will help—a lot.

As long as he can keep himself under control.

And while I don’t condone the actions that got him suspended, I can at least understand why he did it. He was defending me, in his own completely inappropriate way. I fought tooth and nail against having Bash Fury on this team, but now, I can’t wait to have him back—at least, on the ice.

On the personal front, I have no clue how to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him for the first time since we slept together. I thought a couple weeks would be enough time to figure out what I want to tell him, what I want to say and how to even begin to address this awkwardness our romp has created, but it all still feels like nothing more than a jumbled mass of confusing emotions.

My body and my head are warring worse than the Flyers and Penguins.

All I want right now is to have a drink and take a long, hot shower to relax away the tension in my back and shoulders. But that would mean moving from the bed, which I definitely don’t want to do even if I could drag myself up.

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