He laughs. “You’re the hardest worker in this building and everyone knows it.”
I smile. “It’s nice to be appreciated. Thank you.”
“We all appreciate you, Felicity. Spoiler alert, even Duggan,” he says as the elevator doors slide open and—surprise—Nolan is right there in front of me. Jeremiah grins. “Speak of the devil.”
“I think you mean Grinch,” I quip, and I swear I see a teeny smile pulling up the corners of Nolan’s sexy mouth. He’s got these really perfect lips with a perfect cupid’s bow and a great dimple in his chin and…I need to stop thinking about him like that. I make a big point of giving him a wide berth in the hallway while I pass by like he’s contagious or something. His smirk grows even bigger at that, so big and sexy I feel it in my panties. I hate the way my body betrays me around him. Ugh.
Jeremiah walks beside me. “See you soon, Duggan. I’m just taking Felicity to see the trainer.”
“Is she okay?” Nolan asks, like he cares.
“Slipped on some ice. Landed on her wrist,” Jeremiah explains.
“Well, can she move it?” He asks Jeremiah and I pivot to face him.
“She is right in front of you, and she says I’m fine thanks,” I reply and turn to look up at Jeremiah. “I’ll go see Phil. I’ll keep you posted.”
I pat his shoulder and try not to wince when my wrist aches even harder, and then I head down the hall on my own. I hear Jeremiah say. “She’s not your biggest fan.”
And I smile.
Twenty minutes later, the team’s head trainer, Phil, is wrapping my wrist in a tensor bandage and my day has gone from bad to worse. It’s a harsh sprain. Argh. And now I’m on the verge of being late for a very important strategy meeting with my boss. “All done. Now you’ll want to take the wrap off tonight and ice it. Then sleep with it wrapped again.”
“Okay. Thanks!” I hop up from the chair I’m sitting on and scurry down the hall. The locker room is buzzing. Players moving in and out. It’s an optional skate day, so not all of them are here, but there’s enough that I won’t be able to sneak in and hide the whiskey without being seen.
“Felicity!” Jeremiah’s voice echoes down the hall, and I see him lumbering toward me in full gear. His eyes land on my wrist. “Uh-oh.”
“Just a sprain,” I say and then lower my voice. “But I need your help. Can you keep a secret?”
“I’m fort Knox,” He promises. “I know stuff about each guy on the team their own mother’s probably don’t.”
I laugh. “Like what?”
He smiles. “I can’t tell you or else I wouldn’t be Fort Knox would I?”
“Point taken.” I glance down the hall in both directions. “I need you to take this shopping bag into the locker room and take the Secret Santa gift inside and stick it in Nolan’s locker.”
His eyes double in size. “You’re Nolan’s secret Santa?”
I nod and he does something unexpected. He bursts out laughing. In fact, he’s laughing so hard he has to put his hand on the wall to keep himself from tipping over.
“Why is that so funny?”
“I’m sorry it’s just…” Jeremiah pauses and regains his composure. “He hates this whole thing and you love it and…I just…I can’t believe you got the Grinch.”
“Yeah, well, consider me Cindy-Lou Who,” I reply defiantly. “I’m going to change his opinion of Christmas if it’s the last thing I do.”
I hand him the bag. Even though he’s staring at me with nothing but doubt on his face, he nods. “Okay Felicity. Good luck!”
He takes the bag and lumbers off into the locker room. As I wait for the elevator, impatiently checking my phone and punching the button for a second time even though I know it’s on its way down, Nolan Duggan emerges from the tunnel that leads to the ice. He pauses, balancing on his skates and stick and stares at me. I pretend I don’t notice, but I always feel his eyes on me no matter what I’m doing.
“How’s the wrist?”
“I’ll live. Sorry to disappoint,” I snark back.
“I don’t want you dead, Felicity,” he says. “What’s the fun in that?”
And then he winks. He freaking winks at me. This man will be the death of me.
