Page 45 of Off-Ice Misconduct
“Please.”
He tosses his bag down and loops an old set of wraps onto his hands. The left side of my mouth quirks into a half smile. “Those are the ones I got for you.”
“Of course, big brother. You know I fucking idolize you—that’s not a secret.”
I roll my eyes. “You don’t need to idolize me.”
He does a bob and weave, combined with a little shadowboxing. “Well, I do. You taught me everything I know.”
Tate’s green eyes sparkle, and he smiles wide enough that his dimple shows. It’s exactly what I wanted—thatsmile. It’s a smile I’ll never have, but I don’t need, so long as Tate’s happy.
“What’s got you so pissed, huh?”
I frown. Should I tell him the truth? He already knows I’m into Ace—he saw the security footage—but he doesn’t know I’m torn up about him. What am I supposed to do? Ask him if it’s all alright for me to jeopardize his career? I’ve already crossed so many lines. I have to end things with Ace before we get caught.
“It’s nothing. Come show me your footwork, and I’ll pick it apart until you have it right.”
“Hardass,” he mutters.
Working on Tate’s form gives my knuckles a break, and it brings back memories.
Teach me to be a badass like you, Luke.
I didn’t want him to have to be a badass, though, except for on the ice. Sometimes off-ice badassness was necessary, though. Tate couldn’t afford to be soft either.
We train until I’ve soaked through a second shirt. It’s taken the edge off, but it’s once again failed to wipe away McKinnon.
“So, uh, are you still sweet on McKinnon?” he asks, sucking down water, catching his breath.
My jaw tenses, teeth clenched. “I’m not sweet on him.”
He waves a hand. “Whatever the fuck you wanna call it, I can’t stop thinking about it. That’s gonna land badly on the team. If my job doesn’t matter to you, think of the kids.”
Hot anger sizzles through my veins, but on the surface, I broadcast calm, forcing my muscles to relax. “Don’t worry your pretty head. It’s over between McKinnon and me.”
It never really got started.
“I mean, you can’t always follow your dick, right? Not unless your dick points to something useful.”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean by that?”
He sighs. “Money’s not coming in as fast as I’d like it to.”
“You haven’t even had the first game of the season yet, Tate.”
“I know, but I can’t take any chances. As per tradition, our first exhibition game is against North Point this weekend. But there are only so many games between us and them, so I have to make my move now.”
A terrible feeling walks over my skin. “What are you planning, Tatum?”
“You can stow the full name, that shit hasn’t worked on me since I was eight.”
Not true. It always works, which is why I do it. He just likes to think he’s grown out of being affected by the parental quality my voice takes on when I speak to him. “Spill.”
“I’m getting a new McKinnon.”
“What?”
“I mean, honestly, I doubt there will ever be another McKinnon in my lifetime,” he says with a bit of awe. “But with the right PR, I can make people believe he is. North Point’s hockey captain. I’m gonna lure him away from North Point even if I have to seduce that beautiful sack of muscles.”
