“I saw. That was also hot.” When I frown and steal a glance at her, I find her blushing. “I, um, might’ve subscribed to ESPN+ so I could watch all the Stars games. This isn’t just about you, by the way. It’s so I can see my brother play too.”
“Of course.” I smile. “I could’ve given you a ticket so you could watch it in person.”
“Grant always leaves me tickets. I like watching from my couch better.” Hannah straddles me, a leg over both of my thighs. I put my hands on her hips, inching her shirt up to her waist. “That way, no one can see me drool over you.”
“You flatter me,” I murmur, reaching up to cup her cheek. She turns her chin, kissing my palm. “While I have you here, I need to talk to you about two things.”
“Uh oh. Are you mad that I offered to help Liv with her bowling skills so next time we play, we’ll both kick your ass?”
“No.” My smile grows. Knowing she and my daughter get along makes me happy as hell. “Do you want the bad news or the good news first?”
“Bad first. Always.”
“I’m not going to be able to make it to your competition next month.” I swallow, dreading this conversation. “The league changed our puck drop in Boston from one p.m. to four p.m. that day. Something about an arena conflict with an NBA game?” I stroke my thumb along her skin, disappointed. “I’m so sorry, Hannah. I know how much this means to you, and I hate that I can’t be there to support you.”
“That’s okay.” Her smile falters. She plays with the ends of her hair, not looking at me. “It’s no big deal. I know you have other priorities, and a local figure skating competition can’t be high on the list. It’s not like you’re my boy?—”
“I’m almost forty.” When her eyebrows wrinkle, I keep going. “I like you. Very much. I like sleeping with you. I like spending time with you. I like that you’re there to keep me from having a panic attack when Liv almost hits a pedestrian.”
“She was two football fields away,” Hannah argues. “Personally, after three driving sessions, I think she’s gettingmuchbetter.”
“Debatable.”
“Why are you telling me how old you are?”
“Because I want you to know this?” I gesture between us. “It’s not just physical for me. You’re important to me, and I…” I swallow, nervous. It’s been years since I asked this question, and my heart rate kicks up a notch. “I want to know if you’ll have dinner with me.”
“Oh.” Hannah rolls her lips together. The spark is back in her eyes. A dimple shows up on her left cheek, and the more time I spend with her, the more I want to do this every day. “I’d love that, Brody.” She hesitates, running her fingers through my hair. “But I think we need to have a conversation about how this could impact people around us.”
“What do you mean?”
“If my brother found out. Or Liv. Or the league. Would you get in trouble for dating me?”
“Not with the league, though.” I clear my throat. “Liv would be okay with it. She’d probably be fucking ecstatic. As for Grant…”
“I don’t know how he’d react, to be honest. I told you he doesn’t know about my bisexuality because my personal life shouldn’t be brought into conversations with his professional life. This… it mixes the two.” Hannah climbs off me, curling up under my arm with her cheek on my chest. “He’s very protective of the people he loves. Maybe we… I don’t know. Keep enjoying this privately, and cross that bridge when we get there?”
“Not a bad idea.” I run my finger down the line of her arm then back up. I think about the offseason only a few short months away. Things will calm down by then. There’s not as much media coverage or reporters digging into team dynamics to see if there’s a rift that might cause a feud heading into the playoffs. “The guys do think I’m seeing someone though.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Ethan caught me smiling at a text you sent me a couple weeks back. And that night we left the gala together, they asked if I canceled practice because of a woman.”
“Wow. Who knew you smiling would be such a hot topic?” Hannah drums her fingers on my chest. “You smile plenty around me.”
Because you make me happy.
Because no one else has ever made me feel this way.
Because I miss you when you’re not around.
“Must mean you’re special. What do you think about dinner?” I ask, and she kisses my jaw.
“It’s a date,” she says, and I feel on top of the fucking world.
THIRTY-TWO
BRODY
