Page 12 of Total Shutdown

She shakes her head on a giggle.

“Plus, I like to do a lot of that stuff to the guy as well, and, yeah, they’re not always that hot on it.” I push my half-empty coffee mug away from me. “I mean, can you imagine me pulling out the whip and feathers and asking him to lie there while I had my fill?”

Kendra’s giggle morphs into a belly laugh. “No, I guess not. But I will say this: I think you were his first time in a while. Jack told me he doesn’t get with women often.”

I run a hand through my hair. “Yeah, he told me. We also agreed it was a night to release some sexual tension for the both of us and never to speak about it again.” I pin her with a look. “Which is why you can’t say anything to anyone.”

Kendra zips her lips shut. “I am a locked vault, Babe.”

I nod once, deciding it’s best to change course. “So, what are you doing after this?”

She pulls out her cell and checks the screen. “Actually heading back to the ground. They managed to get the pitch playable, so I have an hour of practice, and then I’m running a coaching session with Jenna straight afterward.”

“The one for your new Girls in Sports Foundation?” I ask.

She hums and repockets her phone, looking kind of sheepish.

“What?” I press.

She just smiles, her usually rosy cheeks turning pinker.

“Well, this particular coaching session isn’t exclusively for girls; we had a few boys show interest too …” She trails off, a smile still plastered on her face. “Ezra will be there.”

It takes me a second to connect the dots, but then it hits me. “Wait. As in Sawyer’s son?”

She nods tentatively.

“Yep. Apparently, he’s really withdrawn around people, so Sawyer is trying to get him into sports. He figured soccer might be something new for him. Sawyer told me he likes it in PE.”

I drop my face into my hands, groaning. I can’t say I’m embarrassed about anything; I’m just not used to sharing these parts of myself with anyone.

“You have to bring your best poker face.”

She stands from her chair and rounds the table, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“Don’t worry, Babe; this girl won’t say a thing about what she knows … or that you wanted to spank his ass hard right after tickling it with a feather.”

CHAPTERFIVE

SAWYER

Ifucking hate Colorado.

I hate even more that we lost by the smallest margin and the winning goal was down to me. This place makes me lose my damn mind every time we travel here, but tonight, I was barely present on the ice.

“I need to get out of this arena and back to the hotel.”

Jack pulls up alongside me, removing his mouthguard, looking kind of doubtful. “I mean, we can definitely head back to the hotel and hide and order room service.” He tips his head over his shoulder. “But first, they need you in the mixed zone.”

Fuck.

At my expression, he taps a gloved hand against my helmet. “Just play nice with the reporters. We don’t need a repeat of last time.”

The dynamics between me and my center would lead anyone to conclude that I was the rookie and he was the captain. But I have an excuse for my bad mood and disdain for this place each season—this is where I was when Sophie passed away. The pulmonary embolism in her lung had taken her quickly while I was deep into the second period in this very arena. Playing here fills me with a sense of unease and anxiety as I wait for the next thing to go wrong.

“I need to get out of my gear and into the weight room ASAP,” I tell him.

I’m off the ice and heading for the locker room in seconds, Jack following close behind.