Page 84 of Behind the Net

“Good night, Pippa.” His voice is low, and there’s something in his eyes that makes me want to hug him.

“Good night.”

Inside my room, I lean against the closed door and gather my thoughts. Jamie doesn’t have room in his life for me—tonight was a huge reminder of that. It wasn’t Jamie’s fault; it was just bad timing, but I know he’s downstairs blaming himself for it. It’s going to keep happening, and he’s never going to choose me over his mom. He can’t. She needs him too much.

The whole situation has a neon warning sign over it that saysDANGER, blinking, with giant red arrows pointing to it. If I let it continue, I know exactly how it’ll end for me.

CHAPTER39

JAMIE

We’re playingCalgary again a few nights later. Alexei Volkov has the puck, but after he shoots, Miller crosschecks him. The puck hits the pipe, and the fans at the other end of the stadium jump to their feet, calling for a penalty. Play continues, and the booing begins.

When the Cougars’ goalie catches the next shot, the whistle blows, and the refs and the linesmen take a moment to discuss before breaking apart.

“No penalty,” the announcer calls, and the entire arena boos.

Miller grins at the fans, arms wide open as he skates down the ice. They’re furious, slamming fists on the glass, and he revels in it. He takes his glove off and flips them the middle finger, and the boos get louder.

Now the whistle blows, and he gets a penalty.

Jesus fucking Christ. I barely recognize him. He used to be so disciplined and focused, like me. He used to love hockey, even with his dad watching his every move and berating him after games about what he did wrong.

I grab my water bottle and make eye contact with Pippa. She smiles, and I nod back. Hazel’s with her tonight, drinking a beer and looking bored. The few times play has stopped near my net, Rory’s eyes went straight to them.

Pippa’s laughing at something Hazel said. She winks at me with a pretty smile, and my cock twitches. I thought the morning after would be awkward, but Pippa’s been completely normal. Almost as if nothing happened.

I should be relieved she isn’t upset. I should put it out of my head and move on. Instead, I can’t stop thinking about the other night.

She was right that we shouldn’t be messing around. What happened with my mom was a warning shot, a reminder of what can go wrong if I’m not there for her.

It doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.

I’m desperate to make Pippa come again, but if we start messing around, we won’t stop. I’ll make her mine, over and over, every morning, afternoon, and night. Probably in the middle of the night. She’s too fucking sweet, too soft, too special, and I can’t get enough of my pretty assistant. She’s so much more than the pretty girl from high school, and the closer we get, the more my resolve around her crumbles.

She deserves so much more than me, anyway. Someone who can make her their full focus, give her everything. I hate the idea of another guy in her life like that, but I want her to be happy.

Play resumes, and I tear my gaze away and pull myself back into the game.

* * *

After the game, I head up to the box. Pippa spots me right away and gives me a small wave as I walk over.

“Hi.” I clear my throat, glancing around. “Where’s Hazel?”

“She went to the washroom. She’ll be right back.” She smiles up at me. “Great game.”

“Thanks.”

Our eyes meet and my gaze drops to her lips. My blood is still pumping hard from the game, adrenaline flowing through my veins, and the only thing I want to do right now is drag her home and do more of what we did the other night.

“There she is,” Miller calls as he approaches Pippa. He gives her a big hug, lifting her off her feet, and she lets out a peal of laughter.

My nostrils flare and I fold my arms over my chest, glaring at them. “What are you doing here?”

He sets her down and tugs on the end of her ponytail. My fists clench, and I feel the urge to hit him. “Just saying hey to my pal Pippa.”

She grins at him. “Hey.”

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