I STOOD UNDER THE POUNDING, hot stream of water in the shower and tried not to groan. I felt foggy from the meds, which had worn off by about four in the morning, leaving me so stiff and sore it hurt to lift my arms above my head.
I got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my waist, and wiped the steam off the mirror. I had no idea how I was going to skate today, but regardless, I would try.
A knock sounded at my hotel-room door. I swung open the door, drinking in the sight of Krista. She wore a navy dress that could win an award for how it showcased her hips and legs.
“Hi.”
Her eyes were glued to my ribs. “Levi, oh my god.”
“It’s fine.” I worked to not wince as I stepped back to let her in.
She walked in like she owned the place and then turned to look at me. “You’re moving slow.”
“I just need to limber up.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think you should play today.”
I muffled a groan as I walked over to my suitcase. “I’m playing. A few minor bruises aren’t going to stop me.”
“I need you to tell me what’s been going on.”
“I’m about to drop this towel, so if you want to protect your innocence, you should turn around,” I warned her. She spun around, giving me her back.
I slowly pulled on some clothes and bit down on my groan as I sat on the bed to pull on my socks. “At least we don’t have a bike ride today.”
She walked over so she could watch me. “No, you have two scrimmage games and then another fitness test.”
I’m going to fucking die. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Tell me what’s been going on,” she demanded.
“No.”
She grabbed me by the chin and lifted my face so I was looking at her.
My dick got instantly hard.
Her big blue eyes were filled with such concern. “Levi, I swear I’m going to lose my shit if you’re not straight with me.”
I grabbed her wrist. “You worry too much.”
She wrestled her hand free. “I already feel guilty.”
“What do you feel guilty about?”
“We’re getting off-topic.”
“Tell me, and I’ll tell you.”
She let out a long sigh. “I’m usually more attentive. I’ve been unfairly withholding my support from you. I thought it was for the best if we didn’t spend too much time together.”
“You thought we’d sleep together.”
Her voice was clear. “It was a distinct possibility.”
“Still is.”
“Which is why we don’t spend alone time together in a hotel.” She lowered her voice. “How is the other stuff going? Are people still trying to rattle you?”
“Maybe.”
“Like what?”
“The usual. They’re messing with my gear.”
She looked concerned. “We need to escalate this up to Mark’s level.”
“I can handle it,” I reassured her, as I stood up to look for my hoodie. It hurt to move. “It’s no big deal.”
“You got jumped yesterday. This is a big deal.”
It was a big deal when someone was trying to mess with my game, but I wanted to handle it my way. I lied. “It’s not a big deal. Leave it.”
Her cheeks were flushed with emotion. “That’s not what I recommend.”
My gaze dropped down to her red lips. I wanted to kiss that mouth. “Is today the baby shower?”
Something passed over her face. “Don’t worry about that.”
I studied her closer. “Are you okay?”
She crossed her arms and avoided my gaze. “Let’s focus on you, okay? Are you sure you want to play?”
“I’m playing,” I said with finality. Even if it kills me.
I KEPT to myself in the locker room while we suited up for our first game. At this point, I had no idea who had attacked me, so I felt like an idiot trying to befriend anyone.
When we got out onto the ice, my first few strides felt so awful I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. Searing pain radiated up my legs and hips into my back.
My eyes went up to the stands, seeking out Krista. She was talking to Mark Ashford, but as if she could sense me, she turned and looked down at me. It made me push harder through the throbbing pain.
I felt marginally better after we warmed up, but I was still hurting. I worked to skate through the pain. Gordon announced that Brody and I were going to switch lines. Which meant I would be playing defense with a Vancouver Wolves veteran. This was my big chance to show them what I was capable of when I played with someone who understood hockey. But now the disadvantage was my injuries.
We started the scrimmage, and the pain made me drip with sweat. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, and it was excruciating to play to my fullest, but I forced myself to push past it and give it my all. The guy I was playing with was a natural, and we were up three points.
I didn’t see Brody come up behind me, and he used his entire body and speed to sack me against the boards. It felt like I had been hit by a dump truck. The pain was so insane I could only bend over, my stick across my knees and my head down, as I worked not to pass out. For one long, terrible moment, I feared I was going to throw up, but I pushed through it while black stars tingled in my line of vision.
The whistle blew, and Gordon called me over to the bench. “You’re done for the day, Ziegler.”
Shock rippled through me. “No. Come on, Coach. That was just a bad hit. I got winded.”
“Not my orders. You’re done.”
Without giving me a second glance, he looked at Brody. “Hillman, you’re being slotted into Ziegler’s place.”
Brody smirked at me before hopping over the boards.
I stood there, breathing hard. This was it. I was being cut. My hockey dreams were over. Without looking at anyone, I skated off the ice and walked to the locker room. I knew it had been a long shot to get here, but I felt like a failure. I had let Krista and myself down.
I sat on the bench and stared blindly at my locker.
“You’re in extreme pain,” said a voice from behind me.
I recognized Mark Ashford’s voice. Suddenly I was pissed. “I can play. You need to let me play.”
“We’ve seen enough to make our decision, and there is no point in making you push through that kind of pain for no reason.”
My body ached as I stood up and faced him. “Is this it? Am I being cut?”
“You will officially get our decision via your agent.”
I took my helmet off my head and whipped it across the room. A loud crack sounded when it connected with the cement wall. I didn’t handle failure well. My entire life, hockey had been the one place where I had always been the best. Then one day I found myself outside of the game, and I didn’t know how to get back in.
“I want this more than anything,” I said to him.
“Your efforts were commendable.” He gave me a short nod. “Get some rest.”
I FELT numb as I showered. I knew I would feel bad about things when it sank in, but right now I was in too much physical pain to care. I walked out of the locker room. Outside, Krista was waiting for me.
“He’s going to cut me,” I said bluntly. “I’m sorry.”
She rolled her eyes. “Did he tell you that?”
“No, but he cut my game short.”
“You did good out there.”
I did my best, but I didn’t think it would be enough. “We’ll see.”
She studied me. “You’re in pain.”
That was an understatement. “I’m fine.”
She lifted those blue eyes to mine. “I know I said I would be here all day, but I have an emergency that can’t wait, so I’m heading back to Vancouver. You need to stay here and watch the rest of the games. You need to learn the players and their styles.”
I wanted to ask her what the point was, but I refrained. I swung my bag over my shoulder and almost groaned with the effort. “You’re heading back now? What about the baby shower?”
She glowered at me. “Fuck the baby shower.”
We started to walk. “That bad?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Something had happened and I wanted to know, but I also knew that pushing her wouldn’t get me any answers. “Okay.”
She paused at the bottom of the steps. “Do you want me to stay?”
Yes. “You just told me you had an emergency to handle.”
She stared up at me. “This situation can’t wait, but I would stay if you wanted me to.”
Why was she so damn cute? “No way. You should go.”
“I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”
We stood there for a long moment, and then we both spoke at once.
“You go first,” I said.
She lifted her chin. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you more.”
“You’ve been great. What are you talking about?”
She shook her head. “I’ve disappointed myself, but things will change.”
Either that, or I would be sent packing. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”
“What did you want to say?”
I looked around before speaking. “I just wanted to thank you for taking a shot with me. I really appreciate the effort.”
She looked up at me through her thick eyelashes. “Don’t be all dramatic, Levi. It’s not over yet.”
That pulled a painful laugh out of me. “Okay.”
“I’ll call you in a couple of days. Now go watch those players and start learning how they all work.”
“What am I supposed to do when this is over?”
“You rest and get better.”
THREE DAYS LATER, I got a text from Krista.
Krista: Come to my office at noon today.
Me: ?
Krista: We need to talk.
I WALKED into her office and found her sitting at her desk, looking like a queen in her domain. When she saw me, she stood up. My mouth watered as I caught sight of her lush figure in a low-cut pink dress.
“You’re early.”
“Only by ten minutes.”
She eyed me speculatively. “You look better.”
I felt better. “I’m fine. I had a full workout today.”
She made a noise. “I have news.”
I swallowed hard. She didn’t look happy. She looked serious. This was it. This was the moment I would get cut. “Tell me.”
“You made it onto the Vancouver Wolves roster, but it’s only a conditional offer until December.”
Which meant I was filling in for the injured defenseman. It was more than I expected. “Brody got signed?”
She walked from around her desk until she stood before me. “Brody got offered the same conditional offer. You’re competing for the one permanent defense position. In January, one of you will be let go, and one of you will be offered a contract.”
Relief flooded my body. I felt like the universe was offering me one last shot at my dream. I laughed. “Are you serious?”
“You did it.”
I studied her. She didn’t seem as happy as I thought she would be. “Why aren’t you happier?”
“Because this means you’ll have to continue to deal with Brody and his bullshit.”
“I can handle him.”
“I need you to be more up-front with me.”
Someone knocked on the door. We both turned around to see a man standing at the door holding a huge bouquet of flowers. “I have a delivery for Krista Taylor.”
I stepped back and watched as she accepted them. The delivery man disappeared, and she set them on the desk. Who was sending her flowers? Was she dating someone?
She spoke as she ripped open the card. “I think Brody is the one who attacked you in the parking lot.”
I thought the same thing, but I wasn’t about to make accusations against a team member without evidence. “You don’t know that.”
“Well, I suspect it, and I think he’s going to be trouble for you. I need you to keep me in the loop.” She stared at the card for a long moment, and then she made an angry noise. She picked up the flowers and dumped them in the garbage.
“You okay?” I asked, hoping she would tell me why she was throwing out her flowers.
“Why don’t men ever get the hint?”
I watched as she ripped the card in half and tossed it in the garbage too. “What happens now?”
“Mark’s office has sent over a temporary contract.”
I motioned with my head towards the flowers. “You need some help getting rid of someone?” I would love nothing more than to chat with this guy. “I can help you out with that.”
She ignored me as she sat down at her desk and focused on her computer. “I need you to sign the contract and then report for practice tomorrow morning. Your first exhibition game is in three days.”
“Where?”
“Texas.” She moved from around her desk. “I just printed off the contract. I’ll be right back.”
I waited until she was out of the office before I moved to the garbage can. I knew it was an asshole move, but I needed to know who was harassing Krista.
We need to talk—E
That didn’t tell me a lot. I tossed it back in the garbage and waited for her to come back.
She came bustling in. “Come sit down. You should read this over, but this is a standard contract that has been looked over already by both my lawyers and Mark’s lawyers.”
I meant to keep my mouth shut, but the words blurted out. “Who’s E?”
She paused and looked at me. “Did you read the card in my garbage?”
I shrugged in answer.
“He’s no one you need to concern yourself with.”
“You sure about that?”
She gave me a pointed look. “I want you to befriend Mica. He’s the big Russian, and he’s one of mine. He’s a great player, and he’s a connector. He’s friends with everyone.”
I knew who he was. I’d seen him joking around with Brody. “I’m not sure if he’s interested.”
“You need to get over yourself. Start making friends. Or this is going to be a very long four months.”
I knew she was right, but it wouldn’t be easy competing with Brody. “Fine.”
“Sign here.”
I bent down and scrawled my signature.
“You’re entitled to a signing bonus.” She handed me a piece of paper.
My eyes widened as I looked at the amount. “This is unexpected.”
“We need to find you a place to live.”
“What about the place I’m in?”
She blinked. “That’s temporary.”
“Four months is pretty temporary.”
She looked flustered. “I guess. I thought you’d want to spread your wings.”
I laughed. “You want me to leave your building?”
“Do I need to worry about you showing up at my door in the middle of the night?”
Our eyes held. “Is that an invitation?”
She lifted her chin. “Certainly not. Do you want me to call the landlord and haggle a deal for you?”
I wished I could see her more often. “Thanks. Want to eat dinner sometime?”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look up. “Not a good idea.”
“Why not? I think it’s a great idea.”
That got me a smile. She looked up at me. “When you look at me, what are you thinking?”
I dropped my gaze to her mouth. “The truth?”
“The truth.”
I wanted to rub my face against her neck and smell her. I wanted to taste her silky-smooth skin and listen to her gasps while she squirmed against my body. I wanted to feel her fingers yank at my hair while I buried my face between her legs.
“Mostly I’m focused on hockey.” I worked to keep my face straight.
“Huh,” she said. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“When?”
“I said I’d think about it.”
