Page 44 of The Rebound Plan

I want to chase her for hours.

I want to catch her and hike her up against my body, until her thighs wrap around my waist. I want to pull aside the tight little crotch of her swimsuit and stroke her pussy in the cold lake, and then stretch her out on the dock and feast between her legs until she’s warm and wet and ready to take the long, hard length of me inside her.

I spill a fast and guilty release down the drain, my chest heaving as her laugh echoes through my mind.

So I’m not getting over hertoday.

But that was the right idea, thatisthe right idea.

I lather up with body wash immediately, a desperate and vain attempt to move on fromthatchoice.

At least we have skating this afternoon. That will be a distraction.

Whether it is a good or bad one remains to be seen.

CHAPTER 17

SHANNON

I know a lot about my husband’s teammates. And I watch all of Max’s games, so I see them play frequently.

But until this afternoon, I don’t think I’ve everstudiedanother hockey player the way I’m watching Russell right now.

It’s impossible not to see him. He’s the biggest man on the ice. The slowest, too, most of the time, until someone gets within a foot of him, and then suddenly he’s in front of them, forechecking them so hard they go flying.

Over and over again.

The way he does it is a bit of magic, and even though they’re all familiar with his play, he manages to surprise them often.

There’s a lot more to what they’re doing today. The skills coach, Thea, has cameras set up around the rink to record them, and right now they’re taking a bit of a break between sessions by doing a little show and tell with favourite shots and moves. It’s an intense session to watch.

It’s all impressive. But my favourite part so far has been Russ being a beast on demand.

“They look great, don’t they?” Becca Kincaid bounces next to me. “But I think they always do. I even thought they looked great in the playoffs.”

When her fiancé had met the ire of fans and media alike head-on, taking the brunt of the blame for Hamilton’s quick exit in the first round.

“Hayden really does look great,” I reassure her. “He’s a talented player, and he’s just going to get better.”

She glances around. We’re alone right now in the stands of the community arena. Emery is skating with the guys, and Kiley, Harper, and Ani went in search of tea and coffee, because after a morning in the sun, the ice rink is extra cold for those of us not skating hard. I’m glad I grabbed Max’s black Highlanders hoodie and a winter beanie.

Becca lowers her voice. “Can I ask you about your opinion on this Ice League that is launching?”

Tension coils between my shoulder blades. “What have you heard?”

“Just what’s circulating online. Hayden says that Kieran told them to just ignore it.”

“That’s probably for a reason,” I say carefully. Maybe that’s why Max hasn’t brought it up to me, too, although it’s not like him to take advice from Kieran. “I try to keep out of the business side of things.”

“Okay.” She chews on her lower lip. “There’s just so much speculation about it online.”

“My best advice is to mute any accounts that get in your head. Staying offline is even better, but I could never.”

Her eyes light up. “Really? Because same. I’m an Insta addict.”

“I get it. Just curate what you see in the first place, that’s the only way I’ve ever been able to manage it without going crazy with the what-ifs. And stay grounded in stuff like this.” I gesture to the practice on the ice. “Look at how committed they are to this upcoming season as a team. Who cares about a rival league? Not the Hamilton Highlanders, that’s for sure.”

“Thank you.” Becca’s quiet for a minute, and in that moment Hayden skates hard for one of the cameras set up close to us, then when he finishes his drill, he veers off and gives her a happy wave. She laughs and waves back. “I think he’s going to want this camera set up for himself.”

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