Page 101 of Brooklynaire

Becca: It’s good to diversify. I love your brain. And also yourtongue.

Nate: Unngh. Come upstairs. DENNIS AND EDNA SINNED. There’s your sexypalindrome.

Becca: I’m not upstairs with you because I’m not on the roster right now. I’m on the injured reserve list rightnow.

Nate: What? You’re injured? What happened? I thought you were limpingearlier.

Becca: No! I was using a sports metaphor. I’mfine.

Nate: Then…? Metaphor?What?

* * *

Nate

My phone rings in my hand. “Hello?”

“Hi.”

Just that one word in Rebecca’s breathy voice gets me hard. I’m such a goner for her. “Hi yourself. Now tell me what’s theproblem?”

“Nothing is wrong. It’s just…I have my period. Sex is off the table, that’sall.”

“Oh.” Everything makes more sensenow.

“Thank you for being dense once in a while. It makes you morenormal.”

“Normal is really overrated,” Igrumble.

“I suppose. Congratulations, Nate. I know you’re pumped up about this chance to smashDallas.”

“Thanks. But you know I always feel like a heel when people congratulate me.” I shift in the bed, wishing we were having this conversation inperson.

“Why?”

“I didn’t score any of those goals tonight. And I’m not the coach. I’m just the wallet behindit.”

Becca is silent for a second. “I know what you mean. But you built the team that made it happen. You and Hugh. And you did it for Brooklyn. The bars must be pretty packed tonight. The bartenders probably appreciate it most, now that I think aboutit.”

“Hmm.” It’s a generous viewpoint. But she’s right on a couple of counts. I wanted Brooklyn to have a hockey team, and our team gives back a lot to Brooklyncharities.

“Nate?”

“Yes,Bec?”

“Did it piss you off when I was talking toCastro?”

Oh. “You never piss me off. I don’t like to see his hands on you, though. If that makes me a caveman, I’m sorry. He has a thing foryou.”

“We’re justfriends.”

“I know. But he’d take that shot if hecould.”

“He propositioned meonce.”

This gets my full attention. “Really?”

“Yeah. Just once. I told him I could never date a player, and that was the end ofit.”