Page 110 of The Nanny Goal

I would love to hear…

Those words keep echoing through my mind as I get the girls to help me assemble another rainbow veggie tray, and then we make grilled cheese sandwiches—gourmet for the grown-ups, and classic for Inessa and Charlie—for dinner.

“Do you two ever send the guys anything on the road?” I ask abruptly, just as we’re settling onto the couches to watch the game. “Does the gift giving go in both directions?”

“Not really,” Shannon says. “But I do like to have surprises waiting for him when he returns.”

Becca taps her chin thoughtfully. “I send Hayden tittie pics right before a team meeting, does that count?”

“That definitely counts,” Shannon and I say at the same time.

CHAPTER35

ALEXEI

I get a weird cramp in the warm-ups for our first game on this road trip, so I’m pulled and the net is given to the back-up goalie. We lose, although he does a good job and holds it to a one-goal difference.

Once we get back to the hotel, Dr. Forge checks on me and decides I need an IV infusion. I’m sitting in the conference room the team is using, my left arm hooked up, chatting with him about my mom’s recovery, when I get a text message from Emery.

I tap into it immediately out of habit—and immediately flip my hand down, because there’s a photo.

“Sorry, could you give me a moment,” I say to Grant. “Message from home.”

“Yeah, sure.” He checks the hanging IV bag. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

I wait until he’s out of the room, then look again—and I groan.

Emery is in the pantry, reading the book I ordered for her, eating a chocolate I sent her…and she’s not wearing a top.

Her chest is flushed, pink stain spilling onto her pointy, perfect tits. I want to devour her whole.

I stroke the screen for a moment, wishing I was more alone than I am right now, and then I tap the screen.

“You naughty girl,” I growl when she answers.

She giggles in my ear.

“I am not alone for very long.” I drag in a frustrated breath. “I’m hooked up to an IV, and I have a hard-on. Are you happy?”

“Alexei!” Her tone shifts abruptly. Concern floods her voice. “Why do you have an IV?”

“It’s just a precaution. Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”

“I’m literally putting my shirt back on.”

“No, no, that’s not what I need right now.” I’m laughing. “Please, sunshine. I loved the photo. Send me more, but give me twenty minutes. All right?”

“You’re okay?”

“I’m okay.”

“Good.” And there’s so much sweetness in that one word, I’m going to have to send her books and chocolates every day for the rest of time.

* * *

I rebound, health-wise, but my winning streak ends in the next game. Two sniping goals get past me and we just can’t respond.

I get mad in the third period and draw a penalty that someone else has to serve for me. We kill that off, and I keep the goals against just to the two, but it’s…not great.

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