Page 58 of The Closed Off Captain

Chapter 27

Chloe

Before I can say anything, there’s a loud knock on our door. “I’m coming in; make sure nobody’s naked.”

“Greyson Coftman!” I hear Mrs. Coftman yell from further away, and I can’t help but smile.

Gunner doesn’t look away from me. “Go away.”

The door opens a moment later. “Nope. I warned you. Hey, future sis. How’d you like my game?”

I turn around with a smile on my face, and his smile slips away. “It was amazing. Great game, Greyson.”

“What happened to your face?”

“Your brother can tell you that fun story. You played a great game. An assist and a goal?”

He grins again and before I realize what he’s doing he pulls me into a bear hug and lifts me clean off my feet.

“Grey,” Gunner barks at him.

“Wow, you’re so light,” he says as he sets me down. “Gunner, you need to fatten her up.”

“Um, thank you?” I manage and glance over at Gunner. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes, but I watch the genuine smile that comes over his face. My stomach tightens in response, and I find myself looking away, lest he see me gawking at him.

“She’s perfect just the way she is.”

I busy myself with my bag and try to ignore Gunner’s words. I know he’s just playing it up for his family, though Greyson already knows the truth about us. I frown as I dig through my bag for what I need tonight. I can’t believe the bomb hedropped on me tonight. I had no idea that Jenny was a close family friend. I just thought she was somebody he knew from high school. My frown increases; that’s what he led me to believe anyway. As soon as we’re alone, we will be having a serious conversation with him about Jenny Prenderson. The brothers are busy catching up, so I slip into the bathroom and change into my pajamas. I brought my most covering set—a pair of silk shorts and a button down top. I can’t sleep in anything more than light covering, even in winter. It bothers me and makes my skin itch. In the winter, I just sleep with lots of blankets. I zip up my sweatshirt over my pajama set and take my time removing my make-up and brushing my teeth. When I come out of the bathroom, Gunner glances over at me for a moment. He doesn’t say anything, but his eyes say so much. When he finishes looking at me, he meets my eyes. My entire body tightens in response to the look in his eyes. It’s not heat, and it’s not lust. It’s more. It’s almost like...I shake my head and don’t even let myself go there.He’s just playing the part.I don’t look over at him again as I get ready for bed. For so long, I wanted him to look at me a certain way, and now that he is, it’s throwing me off. But I need to get my head in the game. That’s all this is, after all.

“Get out of here; we need to sleep.” Gunner pushes Greyson towards the door.

“All right; all right. No funny business tonight; I’m right up the hall, and I want to be able to sleep.” I laugh in spite of myself, and Gunner shoves him towards the door again. Greyson turns back. “Night, Chloe.”

I smile. “Night, Greyson.”

They wrestle a little bit more until Gunner gets him out in the hall and closes and locks the door behind him. He shakes his head ruefully. “He’s a little wound after his game.”

“It’s fine.” I glance at the bed. “Which side do you want?”

“I’ll take the floor,” he says in a quiet voice.

“It’s fine. We’ve already done this a few times if you recall. We’re grown adults. I’ll take this side.” I snag my laptop after I’m settled against the headboard.

“I’m going to go check with my mom; see if she needs anything.”

I sigh. “I know what you’re doing. It’s fine, Gunner. You don’t have to disappear like you did when we were in the hotel. You can sleep here; I promise I won’t attack you. I’m going to be working for a little while. Even if you leave, when you come back, I’ll still be working.” I pat the bed next to me. “Come on.” He doesn’t hesitate after that. In one smooth move, he reaches up and grabs the back of his t-shirt and pulls it up and off. That’s my cue to look away and get back to my work. Thankfully, he disappears into the bathroom, and I have a chance to prepare myself for sharing the bed with him. My work sucks me in quickly. I’m multi-tasking—listening to sports news while trying to schedule an interview for Aiden—when I hear a name that catches my attention.

His name is Charlie Greene. He’s a popular referee in the AHL circle.

I recognize him as a referee we’ve worked with often.

So get this, Andy, he’s reffed a lot of games for the Green Thunder. People are saying that he lets a lot of stuff go—calls that should be made, penalties. And that’s not all. Some are saying that he’s being paid by the Green Thunder team to make bad calls. The American Hockey League of Officials Association has not responded yet to attempts for a statement.

Well, that’s certainly going to be an interesting story to follow. Next up, Davante Reed is in the spotlight for...

My phone rings, and I wonder which member of the Green Thunder staff is calling first. I pick it up and grimace. The door to the bathroom opens, and Gunner steps out. I notice absently that his hair is wet. I wave my phone at him. “I’ve got to godeal with some stuff. I’m going to sit out in the living room.” He frowns, but I answer the phone before he says anything. “Hey, Coach.”

“Did you see that?”

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