Page 15 of The Coach

He bites the inside of his cheek. “You’re probably not wrong. I’m new. I have a reputation to build before I do anything too nefarious.”

I smile at him. “Did you have some nefarious plans?”

“With you?” he asks, looking over at me and winking. “Definitely.”

We come upon my building quickly, and I slow to a stop. “This is me.”

“Which floor?” he asks, glancing up at the building.

I tilt my head. “Ah ah, you don’t get that information until date number three.”

Tanner chuckles and steps closer, bringing his body heat with him. “Date number three, huh? This includes the men you have already slept with?”

I decide honesty is the best policy and say, “Given that you’re the first one-night stand I’ve had in about three years, I would say the rule still applies to you.”

Something like pleasure flashes in his eyes, and I smile at him, taking a step away.

“So.” I clear my throat before he can get any ideas. “We’ll keep it between us.”

“No one can know?” he asks, glancing around the semi-dark road. It was still fairly early, and after a game, everyone was likely at the bars. “How do I pick you up?”

“I’ll meet you.” I say, “If you can find my number, that is.”

He grabs his phone. “Good idea.” He opens his keypad and looks at me like he’s expecting something, but I just wink at him and take another step back.

“Nah, you’re gonna have to find it first.” Tanner’s face falls for a moment before he smirks at me and points his phone at me in challenge.

“You can bet your ass I’ll be finding that number.”

Then, before I can retreat all the way, he stalks toward me quickly, his hands going behind my neck and waist and pulling me in. His lips connect with mine for a quick, firm kiss, and he lets me go.

My eyes flutter open to see him satisfied with the move, and he waves, “Until next time.”

six

TANNER

Being on the ice again is always going to feel like coming home. I miss it every time I’m away for too long, crave the feeling of my blades slicing through the ice, the way my muscles are sore after being out for a good long session.

I wasn’t the typical coach compared to most. I look over at my assistant coaches standing on the sidelines. They didn’t feel the need to get out onto the ice to work with their players, and that was okay. In my entire career, I’d only had one coach who ever got out and did the work with us.

I remembered him the most. He had been the most inspiring, the most motivating, when he was showing us exactly what was expected of us. We respected him more, I felt, because he wasn’t just yelling orders and telling us what we needed to do. He was showing us.

I was currently working with Ezra Hansley, one of our goalies, who was going to be one of the main reasons we kicked everyone’s ass this season. He was fast, and I mean you didn’t see him move he was so fucking fast. I threw everything I had at him, slapping pucks at him at a rapid pace, and in that entire time—judging by the clock on the wall, we’d been at it for thirty minutes—he had only missed one shot.

He was good.

Between him and our other goalie, Gabriel Katz, we were going to dominate this year.

We call it quits, my assistant coaches walking out to the center with everyone gathered around. “Looking good today, but we could do better,” I say seriously, watching the players pant in exhaustion. I’d worked them hard, preparing for our next away game.

As much as I loved giving praise to the team, encouraging them and giving them positive feedback, I had to keep the boundaries tight.

“There will be no partying tonight,” I say, watching some faces fall with disappointment. “Tomorrow is an important day, and we leave before nine a.m. I want you sharp, rested, and ready to kick some Raptor ass.”

The team cheers, and Lincoln sounds off their end-of-practice chant before they head toward the locker rooms.

My coaches gather around me on the ice as a teacher leads her class onto the ice. We allow an after-school program to come in twice a week to allow kids to take ice skating lessons. There wasn’t another arena around for a few miles, so this was convenient to the families who lived near Rose Hill.

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