Page 48 of Hot Stuff
This time in the afternoon at home would be a comfortable low to mid-seventies. Here it’s barely hitting fifty.
“You cold?” Walker asks. Letting go of my hand, he slips his arm over my shoulders and pulls me in against his side. “I swear, it’s not far. Another few minutes tops.”
“Not cold. But I’m definitely not used to the temp being this low in March.” I can’t help but snuggle closer to his warmth.
“I guess I’ll have to get used to that. You don’t get snow either, do you?”
“We do…but I wouldn’t really say it snows. Not like you’re used to.”
“This is going to be a mind-trip having the Rogues in a city that doesn’t snow.” He steers us around a pile of trash. “Going from the heat into the arena is going to be a shock every damn time.”
“It is, but we’re taking that into account and the areas surrounding the rinks will gradually get cooler from the outside in.”
“I haven’t even thought about the logistics of getting a rink up and running in the south. Sure, I’ve played in cities down there, but that’s only a couple of days at most.” He shakes his head. “This is going to take some adjusting.”
“I’m sure you’ll be ready by the time we play our first game in the league.”
“This is me.” He smiles at the doorman who holds the door for us. “Hey, Henry, how’re things?”
“Good, sir. You have a package.”
Walker’s steps falter. “Who’s it from?”
“A Mrs. Cantrell. She delivered it personally. Left her number for you to call. She’d like to meet with you as soon as possible, sir.” Henry eyes me as though he’s not sure he should be saying this in front of me.
“Right. Okay, thanks. This is Oakley—she can come and go whenever she wants. Oak, this is Henry.”
“Ma’am.” Henry tips his head. “Pleasure.”
“Nice to meet you, Henry. How heavy is the package? Can I get it or should I take the grocery bag from Walker and let him take it?”
“Oh, I’ve already delivered it to the apartment.”
“I’m in for the night and not expecting anyone,” Walker says.
“I’ll call before allowing any surprise visitors up, sir.”
“Thanks, Henry. Have a great night.”
“You too, sir.”
“He seems very attentive,” I say as we step into the elevator.
“I’m close with all the doormen, and after I broke things off with you know who and things got a little crazy, I had to make those acquaintances closer.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t thought about the fact Kristina had been in Walker’s home.
The thought of her in his space doesn’t sit well, although I have no reason to be jealous or angry about it. I hadn’t met him then.
“Don’t worry, I ditched the bed and bedding when I broke up with her, plus she’d only been her a few times in the years we were together.”
“And yet she switched her postal address to here?” I was beginning to think the woman was cracked. Walker’s mention of things turning crazy fits right in with this new information.
“That’s weird, right?”
I look at him as we reach his floor. “Yeah. Although I think the word you used was crazy.”
He places his arm across the open elevator doors and ushers me out. “Go left,” he directs as he follows me. “I’d like to say things went to batshit crazy yesterday.”
