Page 49 of Not the Puck Bunny

And that was hot as hell.

He looked up at me and waved, smiling bigger than I'd seen him do before. If he wasn't careful, he'd lose his reputation as the team grump.

His smile faded when Nate shouldered him, shoving him back a couple of feet. He looked as though he might take a swing at the other player, but shook his head and shoved him back with his hands.

“That's the man who kissed you,” Cynthia said. “Isn't it? What's going on between you two? He came in here looking for you. He seemed very angry and concerned.” Her expression was cautious.

“We care about each other,” I said.

If she knew what we did on the couch in my office, her expression would be more than cautious.

“I'm not sure where it'll go.”

The whole thing was so new, I hadn't had time to spare a thought for the future. Did we have one? I liked him a lot, but what if my schedule was too much for him? What if he, like Xander, decided I was too busy and distant? Not to mention how busy he was with training, traveling and playing.

Caring about each other was one thing, making it work was another.

“He's not your usual type,” she pointed out.

“You mean he doesn't wear a suit to work,” I said. “A suit is just a different kind of uniform.”

She sniffed. “A perfectly tailored suit is completely different to,” she gestured down to the ice, “a sporting uniform. How long can he expect to keep doing this? What is he going to do after that? Does he have any other skills for a job that doesn't involve skating and punching?”

“I don't know, Mom. Maybe he's going to retire and sit on the beach all day counting the grains of sand.” He'd be bored in about six seconds.

“There's no need to be sarcastic, Andrea,” she said.

Apparently whatever headway we made was as far as we were going to get tonight.

“I'm concerned for you and your future. Don't jump in blind and then regret it because you didn't ask the right questions.”

“This isn't a corporate merger, or a hostile takeover,” I said.

“No, it might be the rest of your life,” she said.

She let out a long, weary sigh. Like somehow she was disappointed in my lack of ability to appreciate her point of view.

Correction, my lack of willingness to appreciate her telling me what to do and judging every little thing. My lack of cooperation in behaving exactly the way she expected me to, moment by moment.

I must be very fucking disappointing to her.

“It seems the game is over, you can drive me home.” And that was the end of the conversation as far as she was concerned.

“Okay, Mom.” I grabbed up my things and followed her out the door.

Before it closed behind me, I managed to send off a quick text.

Chapter Twenty

Cam

Blake floppedinto the seat beside me, his head cocked, gaze full of scrutiny.

“What?” He looked at me like I had something on my face. I kept my hands on my thighs. Knowing him he was trying to stir something up. I refused to bite.

“There's something different about you,” he said. His gaze dropped to my chin, then rose to the top of my head before returning to my eyes. He tipped his head from side to side and tried not to smile too big.

“Sure there is.” I grabbed my seatbelt and clicked the two sides together before adjusting it across my lap.

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