Page 17 of No Shot (The Toronto Tundra #2)
“ I don ’ t know. I see some of the other guys and they work their asses off.
Take Theo, for example—it’s his whole life.
The kid eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey.
I just feel like I ’ m lacking that commitment, or drive maybe?
I ’ m trying to be better, though, I really am.
I ’ ve been running more, stepping it up with my visualization, spending extra time on plays, hell, I ’ ve even gone fifty-two days without, uh, the company of women. All to get my head in the game.”
She snorts, the sound coming off muffled as she quickly slaps a hand over her face to hide it. “ Nice, yeah, keep it up. Feel free to laugh at my existential crisis,” I joke.
“ Fifty-two whole days without getting laid? On behalf of all the women in Toronto, thank you for your sacrifice.”
“ Yeah, yeah, yeah. Little good it ’ s done for me though, I ’ ve been playing like shit.” Except for after our almost hook-up. Damn, maybe I do need to reassess the whole celibacy thing.
“ You ’ ll be fine, Penn. Everyone has off days, you ’ re just in your head.”
“ Off days? It ’ s been weeks, I haven ’ t even scored this year, and my contract is up at the end of the season.
” There it is, the tight knot in my stomach, the nagging worry I ’ ve been working hard to avoid.
I take a breath, willing away the thoughts that have been burying their way into my soul.
I ’ m going to get another contract. An extension is coming—it has to be.
Bri ’ s soft pink lips press together in a thin line before she bites at the corner of her mouth, looking off into the distance.
I can see the gears turning in her head as I try to focus on the conversation at hand.
Fucking difficult when I remember so vividly biting those plush lips and how sweet she tasted.
“ So you just need to score a goal, right?”
I chuckle. “ Yeah, I guess that ’ d be a start.”
“ Okay, so maybe you need some motivation.”
“ Yeah?” I ask, moving closer to her. “ Like what?”
“ I don ’ t know, a cookie?”
I shake my head. “ Mia makes me cookies all the time, no scoring necessary.”
“ Alright, how about knowing that scoring a goal will make you the pride and joy of Toronto?”
“ Nah, that ’ s just more pressure.”
She huffs, throwing her hands in the air. “ Well, I don ’ t know then, Penn! What motivates you?”
I tilt my head, peering down at her. She knows exactly what motivates me. This, right here. The tension between us, the way her breath hitches when our gazes meet. The way her chest flushes when she watches my eyes roam down her body.
“ Gross,” she replies, taking a half step back, trying to collect herself. I don ’ t even think she realized her body started moving toward me.
I step forward again, closing the distance she just placed between us. “ Yeah, not a word that ’ s ever been used to describe me. More like love guru… life changing… orgasmic.” Her eyes dart to my lips, her chest rising and falling faster than usual.
“ I-I need to finish studying now.” In a second, she ’ s darting down the stairs, leaving me standing alone with her wet clothes.
“ Not fair, we haven ’ t solved my problem yet,” I call after her, following her down the steps.
She ’ s flustered, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears. “ Ugh, I don ’ t know Penn. Celibacy doesn ’ t seem to be working for you. Maybe you do just need to get laid.” She walks over to the door, standing a little rigidly in place.
“ Offering?” I joke.
“ As if,” she huffs, regaining a bit more of her usual sass.
“ Come on, you ’ re just going to throw me to the wolves with the pride of Toronto on the line? What kind of neighbor are you?”
“ Hmm, let me think…” She taps her red polished nails against her lips. “ A neighbor who needs to study?” She opens the door and points to the hallway. “ Out.”
“ Sigh. Whatever happened to neighbors helping each other out? You know… the good old days. Lending each other a cup of sugar, feeding pet fish…”
Her foot taps against the marble flooring, and I begrudgingly start to make my way out the door. My apartment ’ s boring, this is a lot more fun. Sue me for trying to stall a bit.
“ Ever scored a hat trick?” Her question takes me by surprise. She didn ’ t strike me as the sporty type, let alone knowing a hockey term like that. Mind you, she is wicked smart. She probably went to that one game and immediately picked up everything there is to know about the sport.
“ Yuppp,” I reply confidently, standing up tall, chest puffed out. “ When I was five. I mean, Reid, Jack, and I played without a goalie back then, but…” I shoot her two-finger guns with a wink. “ Still counts.”
She cracks the slightest smirk before recovering. “ Fine, three goals tonight and I ’ ll suck you off.” She pushes a hand on my chest, and I stumble back through the threshold. “ Now gooo.”
I think I ’ m in shock. I try to repeat the words I swear I just heard come out of her mouth. I ’ m pretty sure I ’ m smiling, 'cus my cheeks hurt, but I continue blinking at the door well after she ’ s shut it in my face.
I ’ m about to play the best game of my fucking life.