Page 15 of The Sin Bin

She began wrapping his knuckles in gauze, her fingers brushing against his palm, his wrist, the sensitive skin between his fingers. Each touch sent tiny sparks along his nerve endings.

"You're good at this," he observed, voice rougher than he intended.

Lauren secured the bandage with medical tape, but didn't immediately release his hand. "Years of practice on patients who can't tell me where it hurts."

Their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them. Her fingers still rested lightly on his wrist, above the bandage, where his pulse thrummed steadily beneath her touch.

"I'm glad it's not broken," she said, her voice softer than before. "Your hand."

"Hockey players have hard heads," Jax replied, trying to lighten the suddenly charged atmosphere.

Lauren smiled, finally releasing his hand. As she did, her index finger traced an almost imperceptible line along his palm—so brief he might have imagined it, yet so deliberate it seemed impossible to mistake.

"I should go," she said, stepping back and packing away her supplies. "You probably have post-game things to do, and I have an early surgery tomorrow."

Jax nodded, oddly reluctant to end the moment. "Thanks for coming to the game," he said. "Even if parts of it were uncomfortable to watch."

"The game itself was more exciting than I expected," she offered. "When you're not... the skating and passing, I mean. That was impressive. I don't know a lot about the game."

"Maybe next time I can explain the rules," he suggested, the words out before he could consider them. "If you come to another game, I mean."

Lauren tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes meeting his with surprising directness. "Maybe I will." A small smile played at her lips. "Just keep those hands clean. Doctor's orders."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, raising his newly bandaged hand in a mock salute.

She laughed then, a genuine sound that transformed her face, making her look younger and freer than he'd seen before. "Goodnight, Jax," she said finally, turning to go.

"Goodnight, Lauren," he replied, watching as she walked to her car door, her figure silhouetted against the parking lot lights.

As she drove away, Jax looked down at his bandaged hand, still feeling the phantom touch of her fingers against his skin. A quiet voice in the back of his mind whispered that this small moment—her hands cradling his damaged ones with such care—might mean more than either of them realized.

Chapter Five

Lauren

February 11th– Countdown to playoffs

The animal shelter smelled of disinfectant and dog kibble, a combination Lauren had always found oddly comforting. She moved down the row of kennels, checking off each animal on her tablet as she completed their examinations. Her volunteer shifts were her refuge—a chance to practice simple, straightforward medicine without the high stakes of emergency cases.

Usually, at least. Today, her pulse refused to settle into its normal rhythm, her eyes darting to the clock far too frequently. He'd be here soon. She deliberately changed her volunteer hours to match Jax's. She entirely wasn't sure why. She told herself it was to check on Penalty and to see how he was with the rescue dogs. But it was more than that.

"You're jumpier than a cat in a dog park," Peg, the shelter manager, said. Nothing escaped her sharp eyes, least of all Lauren's uncharacteristic distraction.

"I'm good," Lauren said, focusing intently on the tabby cat she was examining.

Peg's knowing "hmm" said she wasn't buying it. "Hey Jax."

Lauren's head snapped up so quickly she nearly gave herself whiplash. And there he was, standing in the shelter doorway, looking somehow larger than she remembered. Without the hockey gear or the formal suit from their first meeting, Jax Thompson cut a different figure—no less imposing, but somehow more approachable in jeans and a simple Henley that stretched across his broad chest.

He wasn't alone. Two of his teammates flanked him—the compact Russian she'd met at the clinic and a slender Asian man with stylish glasses and a streak of blue in his dark hair.

"Hey Peg," Jax greeted her with a nod, then turned towards Lauren with a huge smile. "What are you doing here?"

Good question.

One that Peg was waiting for the answer too as well.

"Volunteering," Lauren said lamely.

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