Page 18 of Pucking Your Best Friend

She smiled wearily and sank deeper into the hug. Matt was always so…solid. Literally, a rock in the surf, although she suspected his muscles were harder than rock. In any case, he was always cheerful and composed, and today she would take a page from his book. “Yeah, maybe I should go for another swim. I’ve always wanted a pool,” she whispered. “I think my wish finally came true.”

She felt Matt’s laughter vibrating in his chest. “That’s the right attitude.”

Chapter 4

Matt didn’t often take women home simply because he found it rather unpleasant to throw them out the next morning. He preferred to walk out their door himself. He had bought the loft five years ago and could count the women who had slept there on one hand. He had been related to three of them.

Nevertheless, he would continue offering Maddie his guest room. He had almost over 1200 square feet of space and his cleaning lady wouldn’t mind getting paid another hour, with someone actually using the place. They would have to share the shower, but as he had said, he would be gone for away games half the time and usually showered at the rink after practice, anyway, so he didn’t see too much of a problem.

Maddie had been unusually quiet in the underground parking garage. She merely shook her head without saying a word as she got out of her old Fiat, which she had parked next to all the shiny BMWs, Porsches, and Mercedes. Yes, the residents of the high-rise were all on the rich side and her car fit in here as well as Matt in a tutu. Normally, Maddie would have made some sort of joke about how the contents of this underground parking garage were the most ostentatious thing since the invention of the gold tooth. But she merely stood silently next to him in the elevator and stared at the suitcase in her hand. The worst of the mess in her apartment had been cleaned, but the landlady had agreed that some work was in order. The insurance would cover it, but unfortunately, it would be easier to do if Maddie moved out for the duration.

God, he hated seeing her like this, so dejected and hurt. Maddie had the best smile, which she usually gave away like Jehovah’s Witnesses give away Bibles, and normally, an incredible amount of energy. Right now, however, she looked soexhausted that Matt would have liked to carry her straight to bed. But that would have been weird, wouldn’t it? He had no idea what the carrying rules were for platonic female friends. Maddie was his first such relationship.

“I should have become a hockey player,” she muttered as he opened the door for her and let her enter first. “It seems to be the only real job.”

Her gaze slid across the polished hardwood floor to the gigantic flat screen on the opposite wall to the even more gigantic couch and marble kitchen island where Matt usually just put his coffee.

“Ah. As a professional female player, you’d only earn a fraction of our salary,” he said apologetically and closed the door. “It’s not particularly fair.”

“What is?” she asked, her voice tired, and set the suitcase next to the door. She rubbed her eyes. “Isn’t it strange that we’ve been friends for more than a year and I’ve only been to your place twice?”

Hm. Was that right?

“Gosh, sometimes I forget you’re rich,” she said and walked toward the glass wall.

Matt snorted. “Nobody forgets that!”

“Well, I do.” She shrugged and turned to him. “You’re usually so…normal, not as ostentatious as the horrible underground parking garage. Although, what’s worse is that you don’t even wash your own clothes and the kitchen looks completely untouched.”

The corners of his mouth twitched. Maddie was back to her old self. It was nice that the day hadn’t completely beaten her. “Thank you. Your words warm my heart,” he said with feigned emotion, placing both hands on his chest.

She smiled, which filled her light brown eyes with warmth. “With pleasure. The parties you could throw,” she said, shakingher head and turning in a circle. “You’d even have a dance floor.” She gestured to the space between the couch and kitchen island.

“Oh, parties usually take place at Fox’s.” He was the captain of the Hawks and regularly hostedteam-building events. His house had a pool, a poker room, and a private basketball court. Matt considered such a huge property too much of a hassle — too many things to take care of. The loft was enough for him.

“So, you really never invite people over?” she asked, frowning.

“Nope. Only Dax comes every now and then.” He raised one shoulder. “But you’re welcome to invite people over.”

“Seriously?” Her eyebrows shot up.

“Sure. If you want. This is as much your home as it is mine, for the next few weeks.” He spread his arms. “I just want you to feel comfortable.”

She smiled broadly. “Does that mean I can make a mess in the kitchen, too? It’s a little creepy how clean it is.”

He grinned. “It’ll be happy to be used.”

“Like your washing machine. Why do you even have one if you take everything to the cleaners anyway?”

“Well, the laundry room seemed so empty without it.”

She snorted. “The laundry room. Of course.” She turned and gazed out the window at the glittering lights of the city.

“You can see all the way to the ocean,” she murmured.

“Yeah, that’s why I bought it, in the end.”

She looked up. “Because you like the ocean?”

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