Page 2 of She Wolf

She looks at me waiting for me to say something, but fucking hell, my synapses are misfiring and I’m no longer in control of my thoughts or my tongue. So, I cough because that always works when you’re trying to style it out.

“Hi. Hey...I’m Grey, well, Gunner Grey,” I manage, holding out my hand for her to shake because if nothing else, I’m polite.

She takes it and I immediately wish she hadn’t, because now I never want to let go. My bow tie starts to feel like it’s choking me, and heat starts to prick at the back of my neck.

All this over a handshake?I must be more tired than I thought.

Coralie’s hand is soft and small compared to my big rough paws. She smiles, and it feels like I’ve been sucker-punched square in the chest, making me drop her hand like a hot potato.

Smooth, Gunner, real smooth.

“Alliteration? I like it. Where you from Gunner?” I like the way she says my name. I like it a lot. I’ve had it for twenty-three years and never once has it sounded like that.

Taking a sip of my drink, I attempt to act as casual as I can, while my poor brain deals with the blood it’s trying to redirect from certain areas and simultaneously trying to string a successful sentence together.

“Umm, Canada originally but traded from St Louis to here.” I tell her and then noticing her glass is empty I ask,

“Can I get you a drink?” just as Madden says, “Want a refill?” Her reply is a smile that lights up her whole face.Jesus.

“Wow, gentlemen in hockey, who knew?”

I chuckle and we both walk her over to the bar. The music changes up and slows down in tempo. Wondering if I should ask her to dance, I inwardly cringe, because no, that would be ridiculous. I don’t dance, not at all. I’m a defenseman and the opposite of light on my feet.

Our new coach joins us, signaling his arrival with a hard clap on my shoulder. Tall and stocky like most ex-players, he has a commanding presence. His hair is starting to grey, and he has a wisdom in his eyes that can only be garnered by a lifetime on the ice.

Having won two Stanley cups as a player and two as a coach, he’s the kind of man you want to work hard for. It helped knowing it would be him I would be playing for and softened the blow of being traded.

“Boys,” he says as he tips his imaginary hat at us.

“Coach Kelly,” Madden and I reply at the same time.

“And is this the lovely Coralie I’ve heard so much about? Wow. You really are identical.” His eyes flit between the two of them and they all laugh, but I’m confused.

“You’re twins?” I ask bluntly.

“Yep. I’m eleven minutes older.”

“Something this one never lets me forget,” Coralie says playfully rolling her eyes.

Now that I’ve got a hold of myself, I succeed in putting two and two together.

“Isn’t that your number?”

“Yes, it is, but it has a double meaning. Our uncle was in the second tower of the World Trade Center when it came down. He was FDNY and they lost his whole team. I’m eleven and one of our brothers wears nine, the other, fifty-one—his firehouse.”

I nod. If that’s the kind of guy Madden is, I think we’ll get along just fine. “That’s a nice way to honor him.”

“It sure is,” agrees coach Kelly. “Right boys. I need you to stay an hour more and then you can get out of here. But that had better be soda you two are drinking.” He points to our tumblers and we both nod.

Coach leaves us to it, but not before telling us what time to be at practice. We nod in understanding because another thing about coach Kelly is he’s a notorious hard-ass—firm but fair and no one has a bad word to say about him.

I study Madden and Coralie standing beside each other as she speaks animatedly about meeting his new coach and I’ve got to say, I cannot see the similarities at all.

Sure, they both have blue eyes, but Madden’s are cool and nowhere near as luminous as Coralie’s. Her hair is a bit darker and she’s shorter too, by like a lot. I’ve got at least six inches on her, maybe more.

She’s got these lips that are the perfect shape, plump and full, slicked in shiny gloss—verykissable. His are, whatever.

Needing to get a grip on my thoughts, I turn slightly, grabbing the bartender’s attention to order us another drink, telling myself I’ll head over to speak with more players soon.

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