“It’s not optimism.” His voice was firm, but not sharp. “I don’t make any business decisions without careful analysis. If I didn’t think we could make this team into something special, I never would have bought it.”
For the first time since the awful preseason began, I felt a flash of hope. Andy had already proved he was willing to spare no expense in providing us with an amazing home arena and practice facility, each housing every bell and whistle a player could ever dream of. If he was that committed to making the right front office and on-ice decisions, maybe we really would be ok.
“We’re gonna play hard, Andy,” I promised him. “Some of these guys are young, but there’s a hell of a lot of potential in that locker room.”
“Good,” he said. And then he actually slapped me on the back. It was such a friendly gesture I was stunned for a moment. “Well,” I said, gesturing vaguely to the house. “I was just headed in to find a john, so…”
“Those doors lead to the kitchen,” he said, nodding to where Gracie had disappeared. “Powder room is the first door on the right.”
“Thanks, man.”
I turned to go but stopped in my tracks at his next words. “She’s been through a lot the last few months,” he said, voice low.
I turned back to him, appraising his expression. He didn’t seem particularly angry, just stared at me with that same intense look in his eyes.
“The last thing she needs is to get fucked around.”
I don’t bother to pretend like I don’t know who he’s talking about—that would be an insult to both of our intelligence.
“I have no plans to fuck her around.”
His eyes seemed to bore into mine. “You might not plan to,” he finally said. “But that doesn’t mean she won’t get hurt.”
I was starting to get pissed now. “I would never hurt Grace.”
He opened his mouth than shut it again, seeming to think better of whatever he was going to say. Eventually he gave me one sharp nod. “See that you don’t,” he said, then abruptly turned.
I watched him walk away for a long moment. He didn’t expressly forbid me from seeing his sister—not that I would have listened, boss or not. But I couldn’t help but think that bringing her up only moments after discussing the team’s future was meant to send some kind of message. Would he really have me traded if he found out about us?
I shook my head, turning back to the door. Maybe Gracie was right, and keeping this whole thing under wraps was the way to go. And that probably meant that I should turn right around and go back to Jay and the guys, not sneak off to find her in some bathroom.
But my feet were already moving even as my brain grappled with indecision. It was like my body knew she was waiting for me, like she was calling to me.
Shaking off all the uncertainty, I marched into the house in search of the only person I wanted to see.
CHAPTER 19
Iwould be lying if I said I didn’t expect him to follow me. From the hungry look he’d been shooting me for the past twenty minutes and the way he stood so close to me out there, making sure to touch some small part of me the whole time we were together, I assumed he would have been on board with a little privacy.
I took my time in the restroom, washing my hands twice before applying some lotion I found in a little basket of goodies on the sink. There was mouthwash in there too, and I giggled to myself as I took a swig. It wouldn’t hurt to have minty breath when Liam came looking.
I glanced down at my watch, wondering how long I had been in there. It seemed like a long time. Maybe I’d misjudged things. Maybe he wasn’t coming after all.
Not quite ready to give up, I dug a travel brush from my purse and pulled my hair out of the knot at the top of my head. Re-doing it wouldn’t do a whole lot to keep the inevitable frizz away, but it should give me at least a few moments of smoothness.
And it gave me an excuse to stay in the bathroom for just a bit longer.
When Liam still didn’t come by the time I’d finished pinning up my hair, I decided it was time to admit defeat. Maybe he got caught up talking to someone, or maybe he couldn’t leave Josie.
Or maybe, despite all his teasing about doing exactly that, he didn’t really want to risk his position by sneaking off for a quickie with the boss’s sister.
I slipped out of the bathroom, trying not to feel rejected, and walked straight into a wall of muscle.
“Shit,” I gasped, clutching at strong arms to keep my balance.
“Sorry,” Liam said, laughter in his voice. “I guess I was in a hurry.” Finally sure I wasn’t about to fall on my ass, I chanced a glance up at his face to see him smiling down at me. “I was hoping to catch this really hot girl before she came back outside.”
“Took you long enough,” I muttered.
