Page 46 of The Hockey Contract

Our conversation continued longer than usual, with my mother offering more dinner party advice than I needed but seeming so pleased to be asked that I couldn't cut her off.

At Finn and Willow's apartment that evening, I watched Sienna charm our hosts with the same ease she'd shown at the team gathering. She'd brought an elaborate chocolate torte that earned Willow's immediate admiration, and complimented their home with genuine warmth.

"That painting is gorgeous," she said, admiring a colorful abstract on their living room wall. "The colors really bring the room together."

"Thanks!" Willow beamed. "It's by a local artist I met through my literacy program. I'll give you her information—she's doing an exhibition next month."

Throughout dinner, conversation flowed naturally—Finn sharing team gossip, Willow discussing her nonprofit work, Sienna contributing bakery stories that had everyone laughing. I found myself speaking more than usual, drawn out by Sienna's occasional prompts and the comfortable atmosphere.

As we lingered over dessert and coffee, Willow said with a playful smile, "I never get tired of your story about how you two met—it's like something straight out of a movie! But tell me, when did you truly fall in love? The coffee spill meet-cute is adorable, yet I want to know the exact moment you knew."

The question dropped abruptly, shattering the pleasant atmosphere. Sienna and I exchanged a quick glance—we had a rehearsed answer, but suddenly it felt woefully inadequate. Although Finn knew our secret, a chill ran through me as I realized he hadn't yet revealed our charade to Willow.

To my surprise, Sienna took the lead smoothly.

"It wasn't one big moment," she said, her voice soft but confident. "It was a collection of small ones. The way he'd come to the bakery pretending he wanted pastries but really just to talk. How he remembers exactly how I take my coffee without being told. The fact that beneath all that 'Ice Man' reputation, he notices everything—like when a customer is having a bad day, or when I'm worried about the bakery."

She looked at me, her expression so convincing I almost believed her myself.

"I think what really got me was his focus," she continued. "When Jax cares about something, he gives it his complete attention. On the ice, in conversation, everything. When that focus shifted to me..." She shrugged, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "How could I not fall for that?"

The room fell silent. I stared at Sienna, caught off guard by the specific details she'd woven into our fictional relationship—details that felt personal, observed, real in a way our rehearsed story never had.

"That's beautiful," Willow said, breaking the moment. "Don't you think, Finn?"

"Absolutely," Finn agreed, his sharp eyes darting between us. He raised his glass with a knowing smile. "To Jax and Sienna—may what begins as convenience grow into something real."

I lifted my glass, forcing a smile. His cryptic toast would fool Willow, but the message to us was clear.

The conversation moved on, but I remained distracted, wondering about Sienna's earlier words. Was she just acting well, or had she truly seen parts of me others missed?

The thought was still with me hours later as we walked home, having decided to leave the car since we'd both had several glasses of wine. The night was clear and cool, stars visible despite the city lights. We walked in comfortable silence for a while, the wine and good food creating a peaceful bubble around us.

When we reached a busier intersection, I found myself reaching for Sienna's hand. I told myself it was for appearance's sake—we were a married couple, after all, and people in the neighborhood might recognize us. But when her small, warm hand fit perfectly into mine, I knew the excuse was flimsy at best.

She glanced up at me, surprised but not pulling away. "Someone watching us?"

"Just maintaining our cover," I replied, nodding vaguely at a couple across the street who weren't actually looking our way at all.

"Of course," she said, a small smile playing at her lips. "Very professional."

We continued walking hand in hand, and I found myself slowing our pace, in no hurry to reach home and break this unexpected connection. Her hand in mine felt right somehow, as if it belonged there.

As Sienna's thumb absently stroked the back of my hand, sending a shiver of warmth up my arm, the line between business and pleasure had never felt more dangerously blurred.

Chapter 15: Sienna

I'd settled into a routine that was beginning to feel alarmingly comfortable. Each morning, I woke early to bake something fresh for Jax before heading to the bakery. Each evening, we shared dinner and talked about our days with a growing ease that made it increasingly difficult to remember this was all temporary.

I'd learned Jax's small tells—the slight furrow between his brows when he was reviewing game footage, the way he absently rubbed the back of his neck when tired, how his rare but genuine laugh involved his whole face, not just his mouth. Dangerous knowledge for someone who wasn't supposed to get attached.

Today, though, I had news too exciting to worry about boundaries. I burst through the front door, not bothering to hide my enthusiasm.

"Jax? Are you home?"

"Office," came his deep voice from down the hall.

I found him in his home office, eyes fixed on his laptop where he was reviewing hockey footage, brow furrowed in concentration. He glanced up when I entered, and something in his expression softened slightly.

---