Page 18 of Learn Your Lesson

“Of course. I can bring Ava home after school if that works?”

He nodded, and once again, I watched him release a long, relieved sigh. “Thank you, Chloe. I can’t… I can’t tell you how much this eases my mind, to know Ava will have you while I figure out what’s next.”

“It’s nothing,” I promised again.

I folded my hands in front of my waist, and Will slid his into the pockets of his slacks. His eyes searched mine for a moment, long enough that I had to tear my gaze away and look at the floor.

“I find it hard to believe,” he said. “That you have the time for this, that I’m not taking you from your friends or…”

He didn’t sayboyfriendthis time, and I smiled when I caught the way his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

“I lead the life of an eighty-year-old cat lady, Mr. Perry,” I said, trying to laugh with the joke at my own expense. “Trust me — you’re doing me a favor giving me something to do other than start and quit a new hobby this week.”

He almost chuckled, though it was more of a chuff of a breath that left his chest. Then, we were both silent again, his eyes on mine.

At least, until they slid over the length of me, taking in the outfit I’d carefully planned for this occasion.

I didn’t have a hockey jersey, but Ididhave a sewing machine and a recurring existential crisis around midnight every night. Thus why I was currently wearing a cobalt blue velvet skirt with a white blouse tucked into it, along with an ocean blue scarf, nude tights, and my favorite Sofft Shauna heels.

My skin burned in every place his gaze touched, and when he dragged it back up to my eyes, I nearly combusted at the cocky arch of his brow.

“Nice skirt.”

I was pretty sure my voice was locked in my throat, caged in by sandpaper and a wine cork. Thankfully, I didn’t have time to speak before Ava was running toward us, and she ran right past her father until she was standing in front of me with her hands clasped behind her.

“Thank you for tonight, Miss Knott,” she said, peeking up at me. “I really liked watching the game with you.”

I bent until I was at her level, smiling and tucking her wild curls behind one ear. “Thankyou, my little angel bug. I’ll see you tomorrow while your dad is at practice, and you can explain more of the rules to me. Sound good?”

Again, I could see how she wanted to grin, but instead, she just nodded once and looked proudly up at her father. “See? Told you I taught her everything.”

Will reached down for her hand, and I willed my ovaries to not combust at the sight.

“I had no doubts, Pumpkin,” he said. His eyes found me, and he tilted his head toward the parking lot. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

I waved him off as I stood upright again. “That won’t be necessary.”

“I apologize if that came out like a question,” he said, and the way he was looking at me, I knew better than to argue.

I bit my lip against a smile, letting him lead the way, and even though he and Ava were parked in the players’ lot, he walked me all the way to the lot at Sparkman Wharf, making sure I was inside with the engine started before he and Ava waved goodbye.

And I sat there with my hands on the wheel and my heart racing, even long after he’d gone.

Tough Guy

Will

“For fuck’s sake.”

I gritted my teeth, skating hard and fast across the ice to where Aleks Suter had one of our rookies pinned up against the glass, his forearm pressing hard into the kid’s neck. He was spitting something at him in German, and I didn’t have to speak the language to know he wasn’t complimenting the pigeon on a nice shot.

It had been a hell of a week. With a string of home games and an away game in Boston tomorrow, the whole team was tired. We needed a day off — whether to rest or blow off steam — but we weren’t going to get it until Friday.

Which meant until then, I had to deal with this jerkoff and the rest of my exhausted team.

I slid to a stop when I made it to them, grabbing the back of Suter’s practice jersey and yanking him backward. I had to immediately step between him and our teammate to stop him from advancing again.

“You fuck up my shot again, and I’ll wring your fucking neck,” Aleks threatened.