Page 16 of Enticing the Enforcer

She was watching?

I look down at the message again. One little line has just opened the door to a hundred possibilities.

And suddenly, the last thing I want is a forgettable night with someone whose name I won’t remember.

“I should get back to my team,” I tell the girl, stepping away.

She pouts. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” I slide my phone back in my pocket. “Something just came up.”

When it’s clear I’m not going to budge, she turns on her heel and heads over to a group of my teammates hanging by the bar. I cross the room and slide back into the booth.

“Did she blow you off?” Reid asks with a snicker.

“No,” I state firmly. “She was DTF. I just realized that I’ve got a lifetime to screw around with puck bunnies and only a few more nights like this with you guys.”

Reese grins. “You love us.”

“So much,” Axel adds, throwing his tattooed arm over my shoulder and giving me a side hug.

“It’s okay, big guy,” Reid winks, “we love you too.”

Two days later,I’m sitting on the edge of a bench in the locker room, scrolling my phone as my teammates get ready for the game. Puck drop is in forty-five minutes. The energy in the room, a combination of pent up adrenaline and nerves, is overwhelming. One step closer to that Frozen Four title, baby.

Me? I don’t do nervous, so I busy myself scrolling back over the messages from the last forty-eight hours, a stupid grin tugging at my mouth.

Jparks23:Does that mean you were watching?

IngFlock:Popped my hockey cherry.

I’d stared at that for a full minute before firing back.

Jparks23:How was it? For a first time.

IngFlock:Not as awkward as I expected. Little rough around the edges, but I was screaming by the end.

Jparks23:Wish I could’ve been there to see it.

The messages have spanned the past few days. The two of us firing off little shots while I’ve navigated practices, workouts and watching the other games. Ingrid was busy traveling by tour bus across the midwest.

Jparks23:When’s your next show?

IngFlock:Tomorrow. Minneapolis. Too bad you can’t come and popyourcherry.

Jparks23:Oh, sweetheart, I popped my Ingrid Flockton cherry a long time ago.

IngFlock:You’ve been to a concert?

Jparks23:Not that kind of cherry.

IngFlock:I’m listening…

Jparks23:I lost my virginity to one of your songs.

There was a pause long enough for me to wonder if I’d gone too far. Fuck.

IngFlock:Which song?