“Sorry, I got mobbed there for a minute.” I study her, thinking about how it’s been the last few nights. “Are you getting hoarse?”
“Yeah, we were screaming so much for you guys. I’m surprised I didn’t lose my voice.”
Everything about that is hot. It’s been so easy and relaxed these last few days. We’ve talked about so many things. Now it’s charged and electric. I can’t keep my thoughts under control. I want to touch her body, slide my hand up the inside of her thigh, claim her.
“You really are a star.” She gives my shoulder a light shove. “I counted, and every third female in that arena was wearing your number tonight.”
My eyes move across the oversized white jersey covering her small body. “Only one mattered to me.”
Her eyebrow arches curiously. “Oh, yeah? Which one?”
What the hell? Am I going to show my entire hand, just like that? I’ve only had one drink.
Clearing my throat, I shift in the booth, glancing across the table at Owen and Gina. They both have smug expressions on their faces, like they won a bet or something.
“Maddie,” I quickly recover. “She said she’d wear my jersey tonight. I thought I saw her in it…”
“You are so full of shit.” Gina shoves my leg with her foot under the table, and I lean forward, pretending to be injured. “Maddie only wears herDaddyjersey to the games, and you know it.”
“She said she would for me. Did she forget?” I hold out my hand, but Gina balls up a napkin and throws it at me.
“If it makes you feel any better, Haddy surprised me with this one.” Dove holds out the jersey she’s wearing, and I’m a little less excited knowing Haddy made her wear it… Until her cute nose wrinkles and she smiles up at me. “I hope you don’t mind me joining Mav Nation. Now I know what all the fuss is about.”
“Mav Nation, ay?” I take the pint glass Owen just poured for me. “I like the sound of that.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Gina teases.
“Sure!” Dove looks over at her, scooting closer and putting her hand on my arm. “We’re supporting all the guys.”
“What do you think of hockey, Dove?” Owen asks. “It was your first game, right?”
“Yes!” She gulps the sip of beer she just took, setting her glass down quickly. “I couldn’t believe when that fight broke out.” Her slim hand grips my forearm again, and she jumps around to face me. “They just let that guy hit you—and you’re the star player!”
“I get a lot of attention.” I shrug. “It makes me a target more than anything.”
“I would think the coach would want to protect you,” she continues. “Don’t you need your star players to win games?”
“There’s a lot of talent on the team.” I glance at Owen, who returns my uneasy look.
“What’s that face about?” Gina doesn’t miss a thing.
Owen clears his throat. “We got a new coach this week, and we’re all kind of…adjusting.”
“You didn’t tell me that!” She frowns up at her fiancé.
“It happened really fast,” he explains. “Yesterday was his first day.”
“What happened to Coach B?”
“His dad’s been sick a while,” Owen says. “He would comment on it from time to time, so it wasn’t a complete surprise… But this new guy is not what we’re used to.”
“I’m sorry.” Dove frowns. “It must be unsettling to have such a big change in the middle of the season like that.”
“Yeah.” I’m not sure if she’s talking about Coach B or us… or both, more like it.
A girl walks up to the table at that point. She’s tall with long, black hair and tanned skin. She’s dressed in a tight black dress that shows off her hourglass figure. Her eyes are wide, and she smiles up at me as she leans forward in a way that shows me her entire cleavage.
“I don’t believe it!” She puts her hand on my forearm. “Maverick Murphy in the flesh. It’s like a dream come true.”
