Page 40 of Breaking the Pucking Rules (LA Vipers #1)

CASEY

“ I did it. I got the job,” I whisper excitedly to Dad, aware that I’ve just totally interrupted his conversation with Eddie Phillips, the team doctor.

Dropping whatever they were discussing, Dad turns to me with a wide smile on his face.

“Of course you did, Care Bear. I didn’t doubt it for a second.”

Internally, I squeal in excitement.

I thought I was going to throw up when the number came up on my cell. I was already enough of a mess after a fitful night’s sleep full of dirty thoughts about a certain player.

Emotionally, I’m beyond fragile right now. If they turned me down, I’m pretty sure I’d have spent the day sobbing in the bathroom.

I should have just messaged him. An answer about where his head is would have been easier than all the what-ifs.

Doesn’t mean I did, though.

Where’s the woman from the masquerade ball? The woman who took the bull by the horns and went after what she wanted?

She’s hiding scared, that’s where she is.

She had a taste of what she wanted, and now she’s afraid to put her head above the parapet in case it gets shot off.

What am I talking about? Of course it’s going to get shot off.

That night, all I wanted was a few hours.

Now?

I want everything.

Damn him.

Kodie Rivers has always had the power to turn me into a crazy woman.

Well, here she is.

“I’m so proud of you,” Dad says, releasing me from his embrace, but I’m only half paying attention. Movement on the other side of the restaurant catches my eye, and I glance over to find Kodie storming toward the exit. His shoulders are slumped, his head down. He looks defeated.

My heart slams against my ribs, my previous excitement draining out of me.

Every single one of my instincts screams for me to chase after him.

But I can’t.

And now, it’s not just because he’s one of my father’s players, but I’m one of his daughter’s coaches. Everything has just got even more complicated.

“Thanks, Dad,” I muse, turning my attention back to him. “I’m so sorry, I totally interrupted.”

“It’s okay,” he assures me. “Dinner tonight to celebrate?”

“Sounds great. Let me know when you’ll be finished,” I say, stretching up on my toes to kiss his cheek before spinning around and marching in the direction Kodie disappeared in.

The second I’m around the corner, I pick up speed, hoping to catch up to him.

Heavy footsteps echo down the hallway, letting me know I’m close. “Kodie, wait,” I whisper-hiss, desperate to stop him but also terrified someone will hear.

Thankfully, as I turn the next corner, I find that he’s stopped. But I quickly discover it isn’t for me; instead, he’s staring down at his cell.

I slow my pace as he swipes the screen and lifts it to his ear.

“Yes, this is him. Is everything okay?” He asks in a rush, fear lacing his voice. My heart jumps into my throat.

I may not know Kodie all that well, but there’s only one person on the planet who could make him react like that.

Sutton.

“Okay, good. No, no. I’m glad you called me.” He pauses, listening before huffing out a laugh. “Of course she did. Okay, if anything changes, call me. If I don’t answer, call the arena. Someone will get me.” He nods despite the person not being able to see him. “Okay, thank you. Bye.”

He takes a step back, colliding with the wall.

“Shit,” he hisses, combing his fingers through his hair.

“I-is everything okay?” I ask quietly as I continue my approach.

He startles despite my soft voice, and I cringe.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…I wasn’t eavesdropping, I promise. I was just?—”

“It’s okay,” he says, cutting off my rambling.

“Are you sure? Is Sutton okay?”

He lets out a laugh as he rubs the back of his neck.

“Yeah. She got into a fight with a kid at school.”

“A fight?” I balk.

“Adrian Scott,” he mutters through clenched teeth. “Ever heard of Theodore Scott?”

I think for a moment. “AHL?” I ask making Kodie’s brows shoot up. “Injured before he was called up to the NHL. Wait…wasn’t he on your rival team at college?”

Kodie stares at me with an open mouth.

“H-how do you know that?”

I shrug, my cheeks burning. “Stalker, remember?”

“ I barely remember some of the guys I played with at college.”

My blush quickly spreads down my neck. Why the hell did I say that?

He drags his hand down his face, getting over his shock.

“But yeah, Adrian is his kid. He and Sutton…they don’t get on.”

I can’t help but chuckle as memories from my own childhood come back to me. “Adrian probably feels like he has something to prove.”

“Yeah, like how to not be an asshole like his father. He isn’t doing a very good job.”

“I may have only met Sutton a couple of times, but something tells me that she can hold her own.”

“And that would be why school just called me to say she has a bump on the head but is refusing point-blank to allow them to pull me out of practice to collect her.”

“Shit, is she okay? I can go and?—’

“She’s fine,” he interrupts before I can offer my services.

I don’t know what I’m doing. I have a job I should be doing; I don’t have time to play babysitter to Kodie’s possibly concussed daughter.

But also, if he needed me to, I’d look after her in a heartbeat.

“I’m sure her teammates hit her harder than Adrian ever could. ”

I snort a laugh.

“Sutton is awesome. She’s a real credit to you.”

Kodie’s breath catches. “Thank you. We’re both just…trying our best.”

“Is everything okay? Back there, you looked a little?—”

“Everything’s fine. Just the season starting, a stretch of road games. You know how it is.”

“Yeah,” I muse, searching for the lie.

“I should get back. Tomlinson will be on my ass if I’m late for training,” he says, referring to his offensive coach.

“Yeah, me too.”

His eyes bounce between mine before dropping to my mouth.

Without instruction from my brain, my tongue sneaks out and wets my bottom lip.

Desire pools between my thighs as I think of all the things he can do with his mouth.

“Kodie?” I blurt as he takes a step back.

“Yeah?” he rasps, his voice deeper than it was a few moments ago.

“Are we…is everything okay after…” I kick myself the second the words pass my lips. I sound like a needy girlfriend, and I hate it. I’m just…low-key freaking out, and I need to know there’s still hope here. Maybe not for a relationship or anything serious, but for something. Anything.

I’m not ready to say goodbye to Kodie Rivers yet. Nowhere fucking close.

“I really need to go,” he says, turning around and walking away.

“Fuck,” I breathe the second he’s out of earshot.

Could I have fucked that up any more?

“ Y ou’re starting tomorrow night?” Parker asks from the other end of my couch. There’s a giant meat feast pizza between us and bottles of beer on the coffee table.

“Yep,” I confirm as I reach for another slice.

Last night, Dad took me to my favorite Italian restaurant to celebrate my new position, and tonight Parker wanted her turn.

Only, I point-blank refused to go out again.

I wanted a night in with fast food and beer.

Parker pouted for all of two minutes before she agreed.

She turned up less than thirty minutes later, already wearing her pajamas for a night in.

“They want me to find my footing before their current assistant coach leaves.”

“Fair enough. Case, I’m so buzzed for you. Those little girls are going to freaking love you.” I don’t realize I react to her comment, but she must read something on my face. “What’s wrong?”

I let out a breath. “You do realize Kodie’s daughter plays on the team I’m going to be coaching, right?” Her mouth opens and closes as she processes.

“I think I knew that. I just…fucking hell, Case. Could you possibly make this any more complicated?” I shrug. “Does he know? ”

I shake my head. “I should have told him. He deserves to know. But?—”

“Casey,” Parker warns.

“I know. I know. I spoke to him yesterday, but he was so…off. He’d just had a call from the school about Sutton being in a fight, and he said he was stressed with the season starting. But it seemed like more.”

“Because you’re a Kodie Rivers expert?” Parker asks, quirking a brow.

“More than you are,” I mutter under my breath.

“They leave tomorrow morning?” she asks, changing the subject.

“Yep.”

“For two weeks?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you going to message him? Remind him of everything he’s missing back home?”

“Parker,” I groan.

“What? You know you want to.”

“Yeah but—” I slam my lips shut.

“But?”

“But he hasn’t messaged since Saturday night. He got his fill. What if he’s done?”

“Casey, that man is nowhere near done with you. He’s just freaking out. He doesn’t want to want you, but he does.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“Why isn’t it? Right now, you’re doing exactly what he wants you to do. You’re being distant and allowing him to think you’re not interested. He’s probably thinking the exact same thing you are of him. He’s probably at home right now, assuming that you’ve had your fill.”

“I haven’t,” I cry.

“You know that. I know that. But does Kodie?”

I mean, I’d like to hope so, considering how hot we are together. But then again, I did tell him that I only do one-nightstands. I promised him that I’m not a bunny who wants to trap him into something.

“Message him,” she encourages. “Let him know you’re going to miss him. Tell him you’ll be at the other end of the phone should he need to celebrate or commiserate while he’s away.”

“He’ll share a room with one of the guys. I doubt that’ll be?—’

“If he wants to sext you, he’ll find a way, Casey. He just needs to know it’s an option.”

“I don’t know.”

“I do,” she says, reaching out and snatching my cell before I have a chance to stop her.

“Parker, what the hell are you doing?” I shriek as she begins typing.

The second I lunge for her; she hops off the couch and skips to the other side of the room.

“There. Done. You can thank me later.”