Page 8 of Off Limits PUCK

Allie is many things, but a snitch and a liar do not make that list. What we just did was fully consensual. And based on her arousal still coating my cock, I know she was just as into it as I was.

Chapter five

Allie

“That is my recommendation,”I say firmly. I’m sitting with the team owners on the top floor of the arena where the executives’ offices are. I was just in the very bowels of the arena in the PT room having hot and sneaky sex with Jake about half an hour ago before I fled to the PT’s locker room to clean up before my daily meeting with the execs.

Coach isn’t here yet, and that worries me. I need him to back me up. I saw the tortured look on Jake’s face when I tried to preview to him what was coming—that it was very likely he would be benched; that I have tried and tried to figure out what is giving him continued pain, but have not successfully figured it out.

I knew even before we had sex that I would go to bat for him. I would never advise anything dangerous or special just for him tobe able to play. But I do believe there is a method we have not tried yet.

The team’s owner sits back and smirks at me. This is the first time his attitude has been condescending. I notice Coach enter the room, then. He holds up a hand in apology and takes his usual seat opposite me near the foot of the table.

“Coach, just in time,” the owner says. “This PT here thinks she has solved our star player’s pain problems.” He waves at me. “Please, go ahead and repeat what you just said to Coach.”

Coach fixes his gaze on me and there’s something new in his eyes—a slight hue of mistrust. I gulp. What did I do to lose that open-eyed look of praise he used to give me?

“I talked with Jake about his recovery from a different perspective today. We’ve been so focused on everything he is doing that we didn’t look into what he’s not doing.”

I take a breath, feeling the resistance from everyone in the room. I stand my ground.

“He has not taken even one day off since he was discharged from the hospital.”

“But Juan said—” Coach immediately interjects, then stops himself. “Never mind what Juan said.”

Coach and I exchange a look, his eyes softer now as they look at me. When he came into the room, I felt like I was a grandchild of his who disappointed him. It felt terrible.

“He has been in the gym five days a week. He has been jogging and doing sprints four days a week, both on his ‘off’ days from the gym and after the gym.”

Coach frowns. “I didn’t know this. Juan represented something very different to us about Jake’s routines. He said he was on bedrest for ten days. Then Juan only cleared Jake for lower body workouts under supervision. Nothing else.”

I know that Coach is aware of the meds Jake was taking at Juan’s recommendation. Sure, the team docs prescribed them, and they are at fault too, but Juan advocated for the pain meds. I choose not to add that detail to this discussion.

“I think the constant strain on a freshly torn muscle has caused extreme inflammation and is contributing to his pain. I think in the next five days before the game, he needs full rest. No working out.”

“Absolutely not,” the team owner counters. “He’s our star player. And you want us to send him on the ice cold, with a week of bedrest behind him?” He looks at me like I have lost my mind.

Coach doesn’t, though. “Honestly, Ron,” he says to the owner. “We have tried everything else. Literally everything.”

Ron huffs.

“He’s been to the best of the best and they’ve each given him different exercises. Let’s try rest. I’ll still put him on the ice, but not to scrimmage. Just to skate.”

Another man sitting with the executives scowls. “Jake is a type A man. You really think he’s going to be totally fine with skating like a first grader on the ice while everyone else practices? He won’t do it.” The man sits back and crosses his arms.

All eyes turn to Ron. He stands and paces. This is his team. His success depends on every player, of course, but a lot of the burden falls on Jake. He clasps his hands behind him.

When he turns around to face us, I relax. He looks at me first. My opinion has won. I can feel it.

“We’ll let him rest. But we need someone to babysit him to make sure he rests.”

“An in-home nurse?” Coach says, nodding. “We can find one from a local hospital or private company.”

Ron shakes his head. “No. I want our PT here to do it. And I want you,” he says to John Jones, the lead doctor, “to check on him every morning. No exceptions.” He claps his hands together like a CEO concluding a business deal. “Let’s try this. We’ll run him through the exercises the day before the game to see if anything has improved.”

The doc looks at me. “Good luck keeping Jake in one place for any length of time.” He stands to his feet, striding to the door.

I look at Coach. “Who’s going to tell him?” I ask, clearly not wanting to be the one to do so.

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