Page 44 of One Last Shot

“Certainly you’re not suggesting you’re going to raise her to be a submissive weakling just ’cause she’s a girl? Because I can give you a hundred examples of what happens to women who aren’t empowered to stand up for themselves and to take control of their own emotions and bodies. And that’s not what you want for Stella.” It’s the only reasonable way to raise a girl in this world.

“No, I don’t want her to be a submissive weakling.” He sighs and I wonder if, like me, he’s curled up in his hotel room. Or maybe he’s getting ready to go out with his team. They had a narrow win tonight, maybe he wants to celebrate. “But maybe the kid had it coming.” I hear running water, like he’s turned on a faucet, and I’m trying to picture what he’s doing. Brushing his teeth before going out?

“I hope he keeps his hands off her from now on. If not, he can deal with me.”

“Whoa,” he says with a sigh, “I draw the line atyoubeating up a kid. No matter what a little shit he is.”

“All right,” I admit, “me beating up a little kid isprobablynot okay. But it makes my blood boil to think of her having to put up with him, or him laying a hand on her. She doesn’t deserve that.”

His pause is longer this time. Finally he says, “I’m glad you’re there with her. I’m glad she’s learning these lessons from you. Sometimes I think maybe I’m shit when it comes to this whole parenting thing, and yet you’re such a natural at it.”

“I’m sure there’s a learning curve, give yourself some credit. You went from being a single guy to having a six-year-old, and she’s still pretty great, so you can’t be messing it up too much. And I knownothingabout parenting, so if it seems like I do, then I’m just getting really lucky that what Stella needs right now is within my skillset to deliver.”

“I think maybeyouneed to give yourself some credit.” The running water turns off.

I burrow deeper into the pillows as I watch the mist that’s turned into a steady drizzle slide down the roof and walls of the solarium on the other side of my room. The moon is already obscured again by the clouds.

“What are your plans tonight?” I ask him as I glance at the clock on my bedside table. It’s 11:00 p.m. and I’m exhausted from my big afternoon of telling off Stella’s principal, taking her to ballet, befriending Sofia, going out for an ice cream dinner, then getting Stella home tonight, fed real food, showered, watching some of the game with her, getting her in bed, and then watching the end of the game. And I still have a good hour or two of work I need to catch up on since I wrapped up early today. No wonder parents are always so tired!

“Sleeping. But first, areallyhotbath.”

“Is areally hotbath where multiple puck bunnies show up in your hotel room for a bath with you?” I tease.

His laugh is more of a snort by the sounds of it. “A really hot bath is one where the water is so scalding I’m having a hard time forcing myself to get in the tub.”

Oh shit.So what he’s telling me right now is that he’s standing there naked while talking to me. And now it’s impossible not to picture the scene in my mind. His hard body ...no, not going there.

Seeing him in his towel after his shower on Monday was enough to keep me up half the night fantasizing about that body. I knew he was muscular, but he’s even bigger than I thought. His wide shoulders and broad chest are nothing but well-defined muscle, and don’t even get me started on that eight-pack he’s sporting. I can’t stop thinking about how things might have gone if I’d had the nerve to walk over to that glass door and open it. He can act like he doesn’t want me, but in the moments when he forgets to put that mask of indifference on, I see the desire pooling in his eyes. But he’s still lying to himself, and I’m still not sure why.

Or maybe it’s just been too long since I’ve had sex and that’s why I can’t stop picturing him without clothes on?

“Why did you make the water so hot?” Why does my voice sound so breathy? I clear my throat to stop that nonsense.

“Our trainer insisted I needed to soak in the hottest water I could stand.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Suddenly I’m sitting up straight. It was a tough game tonight, but he didn’t appear to get hurt. Spent a shit ton of time in the penalty box, though.

“I’m getting old.”

“You’re thirty-three.” Can he hear my eye roll through the phone? I hope so.

“Which means I’ve been doing this to my body for twenty-five years. My hip’s just been a bit stiff lately. Nothing big, but I’m doing some PT to keep it loose.”

On the other end of the phone, there’s a noise that’s somewhere between a groan and a sigh, which I imagine means he’s lowered himself into the water.Do not think about his naked body,I remind myself.

“Did everything else go okay today?” he asks, and it sounds like he’s talking through clenched teeth.

“Everything’s fine.” I don’t tell him about the sleepover Sofia and I promised Stella and Harper. We can cover that tomorrow when he’s back.

“All right. Thanks again for everything, and for checking in with me while I’m gone. Tell Stella I can’t wait to see her when she gets home from school tomorrow.”

“I will,” I tell him. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” he says, and the line goes dead.

CHAPTER13

ALEKSANDR

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