Page 48 of Hard Hitter
Instead of answering, she beat a trail back to her seat, sat down and closed her eyes. A wave of nausea rolled throughher stomach. Hugh hadn’t said a word about the kiss, of course. But that didn’t mean he had no opinion. Now he would see her asthatemployee, the one who fooled around with players. Would he tell Henry, too?Ugh. She could justkillPatrick for sharing that picture.
She spent the flight glued to her seat, hiding from everyone. Then she spent the afternoon in the bowels of the rink in Raleigh, avoiding people in general and Patrick specifically. He wasn’t on her therapy list that day, which helped.
There was a team dinner at an Italian joint that night, but Ari didn’t go. She slunk off by herself and took a hot yoga class at the health club adjacent to the hotel. After a quick shower, she treated herself to dinner at a falafel joint.
Back in the hotel lobby, she intended to go right upstairs and avoid the team. But no such luck. The players were milling around the glitzy fountain, discussing their plans for the evening.
“Let’s pick a place with dancing this time,” Castro suggested.
“Curfew is in an hour and a half,” Beringer said. “Let’s just pick someplace close.”
Ari skirted them all and headed for the elevator bank. Where Patrick O’Doul stood waiting.Crap!
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said, his eyes kind.
Don’t call me that, she almost snapped. “Hi,” she said instead. She was still mad at his breech of their private business.
He was worried, though, her conscience whispered. But still! He could have handled it differently.
The elevator doors parted and he waited for her to step inside. She pressed the button for her floor. “What floor?” she asked him.
“Seven.”
She dropped her hand because seven was already lit. “I guess we’re going to the same place.”
Were they ever. While Ari was letting herself into room number 709, Patrick was swiping into 710.
“We’re neighbors,” he said.
“I see that.” It came out a little more abrupt than she’d meant it to, and his face fell.
She went inside and hurled her bag at the bed and then climbed onto it. A minute later she heard a tap on the door adjoining the rooms. “Ari?”
Oh, boy. She got up and opened her side, but she didn’t step out of the way to let him in. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry about the picture.” He reached forward and squeezed her hand. “I know you hate that Hugh saw it. I think it’s fine, but...”
“It’s notfine. I don’t want to be everyone’s gossip nugget.”
“I get that,” he said quickly. “I’d never have shown that photo to Hugh without your permission.”
She just stared at him. “Then whydidyou?”
“I didn’t. This envelope got dropped off at the office with my name on it—no return address. We get that shit sometimes. Instead of passing it to me, they gave it to the security team. They opened it and showed it to Hugh.”
“Oh.”
Oh.
Hell. She felt stupid now.
Patrick’s eyes went soft. “I’m sorry if you’re embarrassed. But I won’t apologize for kissing you. I can’t, because I’m not sorry.”
And, damn him, he stepped into the cramped space between their doors and kissed heragain. His lips were soft and firm, and he tasted like mint and sex. She wished he didn’t taste so freaking good. It just wasn’t fair.
Ari made an unhappy noise, and then kissed him back.
With a chuckle, Patrick caught her chin in his hand. “Can I come in?”
