I’m set to call this whole nutty plan off, but just as I’m about to push off the door and stride off into the sunset—well, drive off actually—I hear a man clearing his throat.
Jumping away from the SUV, I spin around to face the back, where the sound came from. “Oh shit.”
As I’m walking through the players’ garage toward my Navigator, I notice a chick with long blonde hair leaning against my driver’s side door.
Thoughshe looks pretty from afar, I still can’t help but think,Oh hell, not this again.
It’s not the first time something like this has happened—a woman waiting for me at my vehicle. How they always find out what I drive baffles me. That takes some serious research. In any case, though, this usually occurs at bars or clubs, never here at the arena.
I wonder how this one got past the attendant.
I begin to feel slightly irritated, until I get closer and realize it’s fucking Madison Ellery leaning against my Nav.
Whoa, what’s the chance?
It’s like I’ve been blessed by the fates.
My irritation instantly changes over to excitement and a bit of curiosity as to why she’s here. Clearly, she snuck in, and also clearly, she’s here to see me.
Great!
Now I don’t have to figure out a way to meet her.
It’s like this is meant to be—here she is, a present dropped from the sky.
Funny thing is, she looks so lost in thought that she doesn’t even notice me approaching from the back of the vehicle. I’mstill far enough away that I decide to have a little fun with this.
Stepping out of view, I approach the car from the far side, out of her sightline. Only when I reach the corner of the back bumper do I make my presence known by clearing my throat.
Madison jumps away from the door and spins around to face me. “Oh shit,” she says.
“My sentiments exactly,” I reply smoothly.
As she bites her lip, looking cute as can be, I act unaffected. Truth is, I’m stunned by her absolute beauty up-close and personal like this.
But I’m not giving that away; I’m playing it cool.
Shrugging like it’s no big deal that someone I don’t really know is standing by my driver’s side door, I casually pop open the hatch, then proceed to place my hockey bag and two sticks into the back.
Lowering the hatch, I step around to the side of the car and raise a questioning brow as I say in a chill tone, “I’m assuming, considering the fact that you’re here in the players’ garage—an off-limits area, by the way—that Billy was once again neglecting his post.”
Not fazed in the least, Madison leans back against my Nav again. She checks out her long lavender nails, like she has nothing better to do, then finally says, “If Billy is the attendant, then yes, he was not at his post. Maybe he had to run to the bathroom or something.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I reply. And then I add with a smirk, “So you walked right in, eh?”
Lowering her hand and meeting my gaze—and damn, if her big green eyes aren’t absolutely stunning—she replies nonchalantly, “Drove in, actually.”
I raise a brow. “Oh, really?”
“Mmm-hmm. I’m parked right over there.” She jerks her thumb toward a bright blue Acura sedan.
Chuckling, I remark, “You just made yourself right at home, didn’t you?”
Madison crosses her arms over her cute black-and-violet Bears jersey and huffs. “Well, I kind of had to,” she says. “Seeing as this appeared to be my only chance to meet you in person. God knows Claire wasn’t going to make that happen.”
Ahhh, so we’re getting down to what’s really going on here.
Crossing my arms to match her stance, I reply, “So, you wanted to meet me?”
