Page 12 of Saving You

“Oh yeah? I hear Liv is a lot of fun to watch hockey with. You’ve got a good buddy there.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

I look up, my breath catching when my gaze meets Bailey’s. My eyes trail her body as I take her in. Dark-blue skinny jeans hug her every curve in a way that has me wantingto smack her ass to see if it jiggles in them. A green T-shirt is pulled snugly against her chest, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail that has me wanting to wrap it around my hand as I fuck her from behind. I hold back a groan.

Bailey is not someone I should be lusting over, but she’s the only woman to ever cause this visceral reaction in me.

“Hey, Bailey.”

She smiles at me. “Officer Sutton.”

“Bailey, please, call me Caleb.”

She clears her throat and nods. “Charlie, why don’t we go and find some hot chocolate before the game,” she says.

“But, Mommy, I want to go with Caleb.”

I run a hand over her hair. “I can take her and show her the ice and the gear if you want to grab some hot chocolate. I’ve got time before I need to be ready.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose—” she starts, but I cut her off.

“It’s not a problem. Little Bear, you’re with me.”

Charlie jumps and cheers. As I reach down to grab my bag, I’m reminded we aren’t the only ones here as my eyes meet Grayson’s and his shit-eating grin.

I throw my bag over my shoulder and introduce Bailey and Charlotte to the guys. “Bailey and Charlotte, these are my friends, Grayson and Matt. Matt’s Liv’s brother.” I point to each as I introduce them. “Guys, this is Bailey and Charlotte.”

They give a tip of their chins and say, “Hi.”

Charlie puts her hand in mine, and I smile down at her. “You ready to go check out the ice?”

She nods her head so fast, I’m not sure how she doesn’t get sick.

I crouch and make sure her jacket is zipped and her toque is secure. “It’s cold in there. Do you have gloves if you need them?”

She shows me her gloves, and I lead her through the sliding doors and into the cold area of the rink.

There are four rinks inside this building, each in a corner. We walk up the centre hallway towards the one we’re using today. I peek my head into the dressing room and see everyone’s dressed.

“Little girl coming through,” I call as I push the door open and lead Charlotte inside to show her where I get ready.

I place my bag on the floor and unzip it. Pulling out my skates, I show them to her. “These are my skates. I keep a cover on the blades because they’re very sharp. If you’re not careful, you can really hurt yourself.”

She watches with rapt attention as I continue.

“This part comes up high over your ankle to protect you from pucks and sticks. It also makes it so you can’t hurt your ankle as easily.” I reach into my bag and grab a roll of stick tape. “I use this to tape my stick. The tape protects the blade and allows me to hold on to the top.”

She examines the blade and the grip I’ve made.

“Do you want to help me re-tape my stick?”

She excitedly says “yes.” I position her between my legs so she can help, and she pulls the existing tape off the blade and then helps place a piece along the bottom of it. I show her how I wrap it around the blade, heel to toe, leaving no open space. After a couple of wraps, I let her take over, and she does a surprisingly good job. She does this adorable thing where she sticks her tongue out and bites it as she concentrates.

“That’s so good. Maybe I should always have you tape my stick,” I say, and she grins at me, so proud of herself.

Josh, Matt, and Grayson walk into the dressing room, and I figure it’s time to get Charlotte out of here so the guys can change.

---