He pulls back just enough to look at me, his green eyes blazing. "Is that a challenge?"
My heart slams against my ribs, every nerve in my body is screaming at me to close the distance, to grab him, to finish what we started in his apartment. This isn't a fantasy. This is real life. And everything is complicated.
"It's a statement of fact," I manage. "I could finish it. I'm choosing not to."
"Why?"
"You know why."
For a long moment, he doesn't move, just stares at me with an intensity that makes my knees weak. Then he steps back, giving me space.
"Goodnight, Joelle."
I fumble for the door handle and yank it open. "Night. Ice. Twenty minutes."
"I heard you the first time."
I slip out into the hallway and pull the door shut behind me, then lean against the wall, trying to catch my breath.
My phone buzzes.
Emmett: Next time you put your foot on my dick, you’d better be prepared to deal with the consequences.
I stare at the screen.
Joelle: There won't be a next time.
Emmett: Liar.
I shove my phone in my pocket and walk next door to my room on shaky legs.He's right. I am a liar.
25
JOELLE
"Remind me again why I'm here?" I ask Collette as we walk into the Mavericks’ training facility.
"Because you love me, and it's called helping the community. Besides, you're medical staff. If some kid face-plants, you can patch them up."
"That's not really in my job description." It is, but still.
"It is today." She flashes me a grin. "Welcome to the Mavericks Youth Hockey Clinic, featuring your favorite players teaching tiny humans how to skate."
The rink is already chaos, kids everywhere, ranging from maybe five to twelve years old. All in oversized helmets and borrowed gear, parents line the bleachers with their phones out.
A banner hangs over the boards.
Mavericks Give Back
Youth Hockey Clinic
Several players are already on the ice. Felix is helping a little girl who can barely stand on her skates, holding both her hands while she wobbles. Sully has a group of older kids running drills.Bouch is pretending to be a goalie while tiny forwards take shots at him with foam pucks.
And Emmett ...
Emmett is crouched down at center ice. Eye level with a boy who can't be more than six. The kid is crying, his helmet askew, clearly having just taken a tumble. Emmett's got one hand on the kid's shoulder, talking to him softly. Even from here, I can see the patience in his posture.
"Earth to Joelle." Collette waves a hand in front of my face.
