“Hmm,” I mutter turning for the kitchen.
Maybe she went to grab something to eat.
But the kitchen proves to be empty as well.
And the locker room, the conference rooms, the training suite and cool and hot plunge rooms. No one is here except for housekeeping and maintenance staff.
Then I hear a noise.
It’s familiar and not and it drives me out through the doors that lead to the rink.
I inhale sharply when I see her, skates on, stick in hand.
I climb up to the bench, lean against the boards, and watch her. She doesn’t have full mobility in the knee that ended her college career, but she’s graceful and powerful, using compact strides and stick-handling that isn’t showy. Still, it’s effective as she skates through the neutral zone, dances along the blue line then streaks in, fires a shot on goal.
It hits the top corner and then she moves in and swoops up the rebound.
But she’s doing it without really thinking, her movements automatic, almost robotic.
Another carry of the puck, another shot, this one misses wide and she scoops it up again, carries it to the face-off dot, weaving in and out, back and forth.
This time she hits that corner again, but she does it with a wince, limping slightly as she retrieves the puck then starts up again.
But this time, she stops, her gaze coming up, arrowing toward…
Me.
Her expression is unreadable for a long moment and I’m about to call out, to apologize for startling her, but then she smiles and skates my way.
“Knee bothering you?” I ask as she comes close.
One slender shoulder lifts and drops. “No more than normal.”
“You forget about Kylie?”
“No,” she says. “We hung out for a bit, but I remembered I left my computer, so I popped over to get it after the first episode.” She shrugs again, mouth curving. “Then I guess…I just had the itch to get out here and mess around.”
“Well, for all your messing around, that shot of yours looks pretty damned good, Red.”
She grins. “The knee holds up for that one.” She winces. “Though not for much longer.” A jerk of her chin. “I should get these skates off.”
“You want a ride back to Kylie’s?” I offer. “I can pick you up when you’re done.”
“We’re done for the night.” She climbs over the boards, starts for the hall and I follow her. “I’m probably just going to go home.”
My brows drag together. “You’re going to go home? What happened to coming to my place?”
She stills. “Oh, I just thought since you were flying out tomorrow and it’s late?—”
“I want you there.” A beat. “With me. For however long I can have you.”
Her eyes search mine for long enough that my nape begins to prickle, but then she smiles. “Even if it means missing sleep?”
“Oh”—I slip an arm around her middle—“it willdefinitelymean missing sleep.” I press my lips to her temple. “But it will also definitely be worth it.”
She chuckles. “Can’t say you’re wrong.” Then she’s shifting out of my hold, striding to her office. It only takes a couple of minutes to get her skates off, but she’s quiet during that time.
“You okay, Red?” I ask as she puts the guards on.
