Page 29 of Slap Shot
As the team headed off the ice, Oliver was satisfied with his performance. His timing was sharp, his decisions were crisp, and he'd dominated in a way that would make opponents take notice.
In the locker room, the usual post-practice banter resumed, but Oliver detected a subtle shift in how his teammates were treating him. The jokes about his mystery woman had evolved into something more respectful, acknowledgment that whateverwas happening in his personal life was making him a better player, not a distracted one.
"Chenny was dialed in today," Jax commented, unlacing his skates. "Haven't seen him play that sharp since the playoffs."
"Is because he has motivation now," Dmitri added with a knowing grin. "Beautiful woman will make man play better hockey. My uncle Sergei always say: 'When heart is full, hands are steady.' You prove theory correct today, my friend."
"That's not how relationships work," Oliver said, but he was smiling.
"Is exactly how relationships work. A good woman would make me want to be hero on ice so she think I am strong Russian bear instead of skinny boy from Volgograd." Dmitri puffed out his chest dramatically. "Love is best performance enhancement drug."
Oliver's phone buzzed with a text as he pulled off his jersey. Heather's name on the screen filled him with another type of satisfaction.
Amazing practice today. Loved watching you. Ready to catch some hackers tonight? My place this time.
He stared at the message, remembering the feel of her skin under his hands, the way she'd looked at him with complete trust after he'd proven his innocence.
"Earth to Chenny," Kane called. "You're smiling at your phone like you just got offered a ten-year contract extension."
"Just team business," Oliver replied, pocketing the device.
"Right," Kane laughed. "Team business that makes you look like you conquered the world."
As Oliver showered and changed, he reflected on how much had shifted in the past twenty-four hours. Yesterday he'd been frustrated and hurt by Heather's accusations. Today he understood why she'd needed to question him, and more importantly, she'd shown him that she was willing to admitwhen she was wrong. That kind of intellectual honesty was rare, and it made him want her even more.
As he headed out of the facility, Charlie falling into step beside him, Oliver caught himself looking forward to the evening ahead with an anticipation that had everything to do with brilliant green eyes and the promise of working beside someone who finally saw him as an ally instead of a threat.
Chapter Nine
Heather
Heather had been ignoring her phone for two hours, but Ivy Hodges wasn't giving up. The damn thing kept buzzing against her coffee table like an angry bee, and each missed call made her stomach clench tighter.
She knew exactly what HR wanted to discuss. The question was whether she was ready for that particular shit storm.
On the sixth call, she finally caved.
"Hi, Ivy."
"Well, there you are." Ivy's voice had that fake-sweet tone that meant someone was about to get reamed. "I was starting to think you'd fallen off the face of the earth."
"Just busy with the security investigation." Heather tucked her legs under her on the couch, bracing for impact. "What's up?"
"You know exactly what's up. We talked about this. I thought I made myself clear about management wanting corporate employees to stop bothering the players."
There it was. Heather's pulse kicked into overdrive. "Jack specifically told me to use Oliver for this investigation."
"For that one night when the medical files leaked and everyone was in crisis mode. Not as your permanent IT consultant." Ivy's voice turned sharp. "And certainly not for cozy dinner dates at Antonio's."
Fuck. Someone had seen them. Heather's mouth went dry. "That was a work meeting."
"Was it? Because from what I heard, it looked pretty romantic for a work meeting. And then there's the late-night ice skating session, the extended time in the equipment room..." Ivy let that hang in the air. "People talk."
Ugh. “We’re close to finding this hacker.”
"If you don’t feel you’re up to this by yourself, we should reconsider your position in this company.”
Heather felt trapped, cornered by gossip and assumptions. "I can handle this.”
