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  Yes, she's warned me before, but I'm not about acknowledge that, so I go back on the offensive. It's where I operate best. "You know, every team has a bad boy. An enforcer. A rule breaker. Someone that gets ejected from games and takes suspensions to keep up the reputation that the team is tough. Nothing about what I've done so far has been detrimental to this team; you're only speculating that it might be. So I have to wonder if your riding my ass has something to do with the fact I'm dating your sister."

  "You know it doesn't, since we had this discussion before you met my sister," she points out with a cocked eyebrow.

  "Well, technically I had met your sister before we had our first discussion," I throw back at her. "But that's moot. Anything else you want to discuss?"

  "Not at this time," she says as she turns toward the family lounge. "We'll just have to wait and see if the league does anything."

  I don't respond as I pick up my gear bag and follow her, since I'm meeting Lexi there.

  "And I'm fining you five thousand dollars for that hit," she says as an afterthought but without turning to look at me.

  "Figures," I mutter under my breath.

  "Did you say something?" she asks pleasantly as she turns left into the family lounge, still not looking at me.

  "Nope," I mutter again, entering right behind her.

  Then there's Lexi and I forget all about Gray and the ten thousand ways she seems to always piss me off.

  Chapter 22

  Lexi

  I stand up from the couch the minute Gray walks into the family lounge, beaming a huge smile at her. This is a pleasant surprise and one I didn't expect, as she knew I'd come to the game with Roman and would be in his seats. I just assumed she'd go home after, since we were getting together tomorrow night at The Grind.

  Movement behind her catches my attention, and with smile still in place, I see Roman walking in, looking smoking hot in his suit. His eyes bore into mine as he stops just inside the doorway and leans a shoulder against the doorjamb, one hand holding the strap of his gear bag, which is resting on his shoulder, the other tucked casually into his pants pocket.

  And damn, how can just that simple movement make him look even more gorgeous than I normally think he is? I'm surprised I don't swoon on the floor right there.

  But then my stomach sort of drops when I realize that Roman is not smiling back at me. My gaze slides to Gray as she walks toward me, and while she looks happy and relaxed to see me, I note her shoulders are a bit stiff with tension.

  "Hey," I say as she reaches me, and then I'm surprised when she steps in for a quick hug.

  "Hey," she says back, but as we release she says in a low, frustrated voice, "Sorry to keep Roman for a few minutes. I'm clearly not happy with him and we had to have a word."

  I'm a little shocked by this statement, and why she would say that to me. I know she's no fan of his, but she also seemed to support my decision to see him. I glance over to Roman, still standing at the door, his face grave but patient while I talk to Gray.

  When I look back at my sister, I can't help but ask, "Not happy about the fight he had with that other player?"

  "Pretty much," she says softly, and in a tone that says I should be agreeing with her on this.

  But I don't know why she would, because I'm not sure what he did wrong.

  So I ask for clarification. "I don't understand, fighting's allowed in hockey."

  Gray gives me a patient look and explains. "Fighting is tolerated in hockey, and only when two players equally participate while play is alive, and even then it's penalized. That is not what happened tonight."

  "Oh," I say, my mind trying to replay what really happened out there. It all took place so fast that I'm not really sure. I just know that other player was near where I was sitting on the ice, sticking his tongue out I think at me but I wasn't sure. Then Roman was on top of him and I knew for sure. But I'd watched them have scuffles all night and figured there'd be a fight.

  "Roman cross-checked him from behind, which isn't only disallowed, it can come with a suspension," she explains further, and by the look on her face, I know she expects me to join her in her disappointment with Roman.

  But I'm not sure I can. We've talked about his style of play and how he pushes at the rules. It's what makes him good. And what also makes him feared...his unpredictability. It's who he is.

  "Look. I just wanted to say a quick hello," Gray says hastily, giving me another quick hug, but there's no mistaking the distaste in her voice when she adds, "I know you have plans tonight."

  What the hell? I thought she was on board with Roman and me, and I get that as a general manager, she might be mad at him right now, but she actually makes me feel stupid for being with him. Her tone of voice implies I should know better.

  But I don't say anything to her about it, because now isn't the time, and also, our relationship is new and I want it to stay on track. Maybe tomorrow night we'll be able to chat in a more relaxed atmosphere.

  "Well, thanks for coming by to see me," I tell her gratefully, giving her a hard return hug. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

  She pulls away, stares into my eyes with a gentle look...almost nostalgic. "Okay, see you tomorrow night. We'll have so much fun and I can't wait to hear you perform."

  "Same here," I say, and then watch as she leaves the family room. Roman doesn't give her a glance but pushes away from the doorjamb before she reaches him, walking by without a word.

  My gaze slides to his and he's looking at me with raised eyebrows as if silently asking, So...what did your sister have to say about me now?

  I turn and grab my purse from a small table where I had set it and cross the lounge to him, which is almost empty. When I reach Roman, I immediately step right into him and it feels natural and right. His arms come around me, although his gear bag makes it a bit awkward.

  As I hug him, I whisper, "You okay?"

  "I've had better days," he admits in a tired voice as he releases me. "Ready to go?"

  "Sure," I say as I hitch my purse strap up a bit and smile at him tentatively. "What do you want to do?"

  I ask because our plans hadn't been firmed up. We had discussed going out to a nearby hangout where the rest of the team goes, or going for a few drinks somewhere quiet. I'm fine with either, to be honest.

  "I'm kind of beat," he says as he takes my hand and leads me out of the lounge. When we hit the hallway, he says, "How about I just take you home and we call it a night?"

  I stop suddenly and pull my hand forcefully from his. He turns to look at me in surprise.

  "Oh no you don't, Roman Sykora," I snap at him as I cross my arms over my chest. "You are not going to pull away from me because you had a shitty game and probably a shitty encounter with my sister."

  I half expect him to get mad, but instead his lips curl slightly in amusement. "Oh yeah?"

  "Yes," I say softly, and then step back up to him. Resting a hand on his chest, I tell him, "I'm sorry you had a bad game. I don't think I really understand what happened tonight. All I know is you look unhappy, and Gray was clearly unhappy, and I'm now not happy because of that."

  "See, that's what I hate about this shit," Roman says in frustration. "Whatever this shit is between Gray and me shouldn't touch you."

  "Well, I'm not so sure about that," I say uncertainly.

  "She clearly said something disparaging about me just a few moments ago." The anger in his tone is unmistakable. "That's not her place to do that."

  Pressing my fingertips into his chest, I nod with an impish smile. "I absolutely agree with you. She's your boss and she shouldn't be telling me her problems with you. But I do think, since you and I are dating, you should feel free to tell me your frustrations, even if they deal with my sister. You know my job is much more than to entertain you with my ukulele and give you orgasms, right?"

  "Well, how could I ever want more than ukuleles and orgasms," he says on a snort. "I mean...do I really deserve more?"

  "You totally
deserve more," I say with a laugh, then go up on my tiptoes to give him a small, quick kiss. "So I think tonight we should go to your house--after a quick stop at Burger 21 for a late snack--then we'll get naked, I'll give you a massage while you tell me all your problems, and then I'll give you an orgasm."

  "I'd rather just have you sing to me with your ukulele," he says, but I know that is an absolute lie. As much as he loves my music, I know he'd enjoy a massage and some amazing sex after.

  "You can have whatever you want tonight," I murmur, and love the way his eyes flash hot, wondering how many filthy, dirty things about me just crossed his mind.

  "Do we really have to stop at Burger 21?" he asks on a low growl, one arm snaking around my waist.

  "Yes," I tell him primly. "I need nourishment for what I'm going to do to you."

  "Jesus fuck, you're just about perfect," Roman mutters as he releases his hold on me, takes me by the hand, and starts to drag me down the hall toward the exit to the players' parking lot.

  --

  "Are you relaxed?" I ask Roman as my fingers press down into his shoulders while I straddle his lower back.

  "Not really," he mutters.

  "What's wrong?" I ask as I dig into his muscles with my thumbs.

  "You're sitting on top of me naked, I've got a hard-on that smashed between me and the mattress, and I'm horny," he says sarcastically. "That's what's wrong."

  I giggle and then coo at him while I work his muscles. "Poor baby. Just try to relax and let me make you feel better."

  "I'd feel much better if you let me roll over and then rode my cock," he grumbles, although I can hear the teasing in his voice.

  "I love it when you talk dirty to me," I murmur, my voice sounding extra raspy because I truly am turned on.

  "Then let's fuck," he suggests brightly, lifting his head from the pillow and craning it so he can look at me.

  With an exaggerated sigh, I flop off of him. Lying on the mattress so we're face-to-face, I tell him gently but firmly, "First tell me what happened with Gray."

  Roman rolls to his side to face me and snakes an arm around my waist. With a jerk, he pulls me to him, and yes, indeed, he does have a hard-on, which is warm and thick pressed into my belly. My head swims for a moment, and I completely forget what I just asked him.

  "Are you sure you want to hear this?" he asks me skeptically, his nose just inches from mine.

  I'm still aware of his hard cock and the way it feels against my skin, so it takes me a moment to focus. Finally, I say, "Yes. I want to hear it. I want you to be able to vent to me."

  "No repercussions?" he asks quietly.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, if I say something about your sister that you don't like, are you going to take it out on me? We're kind of in murky waters here."

  Tilting my head, I lean into him and press my lips against his. When I pull back, I whisper, "No repercussions. I'm just your girlfriend right now...not Gray's sister."

  Roman's eyes bore into mine, perhaps trying to see if I'm bluffing, but he must believe me because he lays it right out. "Gray's pissed for that hit I put on Nick Schultz, especially since it was all kinds of illegal and is suspension material. She didn't care to hear my reasons and said there was no excuse for it. I pointed out that the way I play is standard for enforcers in this league. She didn't want to hear it. Oh, and she fined me five thousand dollars."

  I jerk in surprise. "She can do that? Fine you money?"

  "Yup," he says. "But that's not something I'm mad about. It's not the first time I've been fined and not the last."

  "Then what's really bothering you, because if I remember our conversation about the first time she chewed out your ass, it doesn't sound much different this time."

  "It's not," he agrees. "Not really, except I did ask her point-blank if she was coming down on me because she didn't like me dating you."

  "And she denied that," I guess.

  Roman nods. "She also didn't care for my reasoning for going after Schultz, which sort of speaks to the fact she's keeping business from personal."

  "You went after him merely because he stuck his tongue out at me?" I ask in wonder.

  "We had some minor skirmishes during the entire game," Roman says.

  "I know. I watched you two whacking at and lipping each other," I tell him.

  "Yeah, that shit goes on all the time. Every game. But then he started talking about you. He--"

  "Me? He doesn't even know me," I butt in.

  Roman chuckles. "He's apparently observant and must have seen me interact with you during warm-up, or maybe he caught me looking at you when play was dead."

  My chest fills with pride and happiness as I think back to the several times that I'd catch Roman's eyes on me. It was a pure ego booster and I wanted to stand up and yell out that he was my man.

  "Anyway," Roman continues. "He said something lewd--"

  "Like what?" I blurt, because I'm fascinated another player would use me to rile Roman up.

  "Never mind what he said," Roman clips out. "But then he skated up to you and did that gesture--"

  "What gesture?" I ask with a smirk.

  "Jesus, Lexi," he grumbles. "Did you even watch the game at all?"

  I smile sweetly at him and slide my arm around his waist so my fingers can rub along his back. "I was watching you. What else was there to see?"

  "So fucking cute," Roman mutters, kisses me quickly, and continues. "But anyway...he made a lewd gesture that I won't describe to you and I'd just had enough. I had to teach him a lesson."

  "You defended me?" I ask in wonder, my voice sounding all sappy and mushy.

  He rolls his eyes at me. "Of course I defended you. And I told Gray that's what I did, but it didn't matter to her."

  Oh, well that kind of hurts. "She didn't care?"

  "I'm sure she cares about you," he admits somewhat grudgingly. "But she didn't think what Schultz did warranted my reaction."

  My gaze drops down to his chest while I chew on this information. It presents a sticky situation for sure.

  "Do you agree with Gray?" Romans asks quietly. "That my reaction wasn't warranted?"

  My eyes shoot back up to his. "I can't speak for how that made you feel, Roman. But if you tell me that you have no regrets over your actions knowing what the consequences are, then I don't see how your reaction could be anything but warranted."

  I hadn't realized how tense Roman was awaiting my answer, but the minute it's out, he relaxes all over and squeezes me tight. "Thank you for saying that."

  "My pleasure," I say as I wiggle my body, burrowing in closer. I tilt my head, press my lips to the side of his jaw, and lightly graze his stubble as I murmur, "But I think we're done talking about this."

  "What are we going to do next?" he asks gruffly, but because his hand slides down to palm my ass, he knows the answer to that.

  "Turn over on your back, and I'll show you," I whisper back. "I'll make sure your night ends on a good note."

  I see a flash of a smile on Roman's face before his mouth is on mine and his tongue dives deep. He rolls to his back, taking me with him, and then we both end the night on a good note.

  Chapter 23

  Brian

  I honestly can't remember a night when I've had more fun.

  Well, night before last with Georgia was pretty spectacular, and I've found out that I still got it going on between the sheets. I'm pretty sure Richard Gere, Bruce Willis, and Pierce Brosnan have taken a backseat to me, at least in Georgia's eyes. I wanted to see her again last night, but she was covering Lexi's shift at The Grind so she could go to the game and watch Roman. I didn't mind too much, as she promised to come to a game next week with me, and I can't believe how much I'm looking forward to having her in the owner's box with me.

  By my side.

  My lips stretch into an involuntary grin as I think about Georgia--that crazy, crazy woman--and how much I just really like her. I only wish I'd met her sooner, because damn...she
makes me feel young and alive and happier than I've been in a long time.

  Lexi's on the stage now, finishing up her first set of the evening. Georgia reserved one of the pub tables right in front and we moved the stools so we all grouped around just half of the circular top so everyone could have a good view of our newest member of the Brannon family.

  "Here you go, sugar," I hear Georgia say near my ear, then she's putting a fresh cup of tea in front of me. She also lets her shoulder linger against mine, then I'm positively rattled when her hand snakes around my back and down to the top half of my butt, which she squeezes lightly.

  My eyes shoot to my left, and I see Gray watching me with a smirk. I ignore her and turn back to Georgia, tipping my head her way. "Thank you," I tell her softly.

  She winks at me and says, "Anything for you."

  And Christ, my heart damn near trips over itself.

  Georgia sashays away and I turn back to watch Lexi as she does a rendition of "Landslide," by Fleetwood Mac, and it's as beautiful as all the others she's sung tonight. She has a voice very similar to Stevie Nicks, and I'm impressed with her wide array of songs that are clearly not from her generation.

  But I'm beyond touched that her entire set tonight is by Fleetwood Mac, and that's in tribute to me, as I told her over dinner one night they were one of my favorite bands. Lexi looks at our table, her eyes scanning first to Gray, then to me, then over to Ryker, before coming back to me with a smile that says, I'm so glad you're here.

  "She's really fantastic," Gray says as she leans in toward me and nudges my shoulder. "I had no clue talent like that ran in our blood."

  I chuckle and put my arm around Gray's shoulder. Leaning in, I kiss her on the side of her head. "Honey...pretty sure she got that from her mom, not me."

  Gray laughs, then shrugs and says, "Oh well, she got your nose and chin."

  "I suppose we could put some ice skates on her and throw her onto the ice to see how she does," Ryker says.

  "Well, her knowledge of ice hockey is rudimentary," Gray points out. "Only what she's gleaned from watching games. We'll need to give her some schooling."