Page 27 of Hard Hitter
O’Doul fumbled one hand onto the nightstand to silence the phone, then he took stock. In the first place, it was warmer in the bed than he was used to. But the weight of her hand on his chest was pleasant, as was the softness of her breasts pressed against his biceps.
All in all, having another sleeping person in his bed was less odd than he would have thought. But the contact of her sweet body gave his own a few ideas. If he ever did have someone in his life, maybe they’d wake up slowly together like this, pressed together... That happy thought made his cock begin to grow nice and heavy.
It was time to cut that idea off at the knees, obviously.
In one cautious motion, O’Doul rolled toward the edge of the bed and out of Ari’s grasp. He ducked into the bathroom to take a leak and brush his teeth. When he came out, Ari was sitting up in his bed, looking sheepish. “Hi,” she said sleepily.
“Hi yourself. You a coffee drinker?” Did yoga instructors approve of caffeine?
“The stronger the better,” she said.
“I knew I liked you. I’ll make some. We have about thirty minutes until the car comes. The shower is all yours.”
“Thank you,” she said, scrambling out of bed, then straightening the sheets.
He left her to it, heading into the kitchen to grind the coffee beans. He found a package of English muffins in his refrigerator. Splitting two of them, he set them into the toaster, then rooted in the refrigerator again to find a stick of butter in its sleek, modern Scandinavian butter dish.
When he heard the shower running, he took the opportunity to open his closet and pull on his shirt and trouser pants. Flying in a suit and tie wasn’t his favorite part of the NHL lifestyle. But a guy had to do what a guy had to do, and after more than a decade in the NHL, he was pretty used to it. He grabbed the first tie off the rack and slung it around his neck.
The coffee was done and the toast was buttered when Ari emerged from his bathroom in a soft knit dress, towel-drying her hair. “You have the most amazing shower,” she said with a shy smile.
“It’s my favorite thing about this apartment,” he agreed. “I don’t know why the builder decided to put in three separate sprays, but I like it. Milk for your coffee?”
“If you have it.”
He reached into the fridge and brought out a carton. “Always.” He poured a dollop into both mugs.
She picked up one of the two plates he’d set out and took a bite of English muffin. “Patrick, thank you.”
“It’s nothing,” he said, ducking into the refrigerator again.
“Not true,” she insisted, waiting for him to meet her gaze. “Yesterday was a total shit show. I know it was just a coincidence that you were the one to witness it. But I really appreciate all the help. You have no idea.”
“Well.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t mention it. Just glad I got there when I did.” His Katt Phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. “Our car is downstairs. You need anything before we go?” He took a bite of his toast.
“I’ll just need another minute to grab my things.”
A few minutes later they were on their way down to the lobby. O’Doul wondered who they’d meet down there, and what they might say. Anyone who saw them together this morning would get the wrong idea. He couldn’t imagine that Ari needed to add gossip to her list of problems. But there was nobody in the lobby except a sleepy concierge.
Outside he opened the car door for Ari, then lifted both their bags into the driver’s trunk. Just as he was sliding into the car, he saw Leo and Georgia emerge from the building’s entrance, heading for another hired car parked just behind theirs. Leo was distracted by their luggage, but Georgia gave him a wave. And then he watched her eyes widen in surprise when Ari slid across the seat to make room for him.
The last thing he saw before the car slid away from the curb was her amused smile.
EIGHT
MONDAY, MARCH 14TH
“I’m not buying it,” Georgia said. The two of them had taken seats in the largely empty Canadian stadium. While the team sweated through practice on the rink below them, they ate dumplings from a food truck outside the stadium.
“Suit yourself, but it didn’t happen,” Ari insisted, nibbling a dumpling from her chopsticks. “These are really good, by the way. I love spicy peanut oil.”
“You’re changing the subject,” Georgia accused.
“If you say so.” She finished the dumpling, leaving Georgia to gape at her.
“Wait.Really?You didn’t hook up?”
Ari shook her head. “I was having a rough day. My, uh, ex was giving me a hard time.”
