Page 75 of Hot Puck
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Mr. Redding, we’ll have that up to your room in ten minutes.”
“Ah, thanks.” I lower the phone to its cradle and contemplate Gem’s last name.
I know she didn’t change it when she married her ex. And I suspect she won’t change it when she marries me. Except now all I can think about is making her a Hawkins.
If this thing between us was real, if she had feelings for me like I do her, would she change her name if we got married? It would make taking care of the girls simpler if they shared a last name.
I want to ask her to do it. It’s dumb, I know that. We’re getting married on paper only—if we do—and we’re not telling anyone…
Yeah, dumb. Changing her name would be a huge banner proclaiming we were married.
We’ve spent weeks getting to know each other, sharing care of the girls, the joys of a winning season so far, and neither of us has mentioned her original suggestion until the other day.
Since then, it’s all I’ve thought about. If we go through with it, do I stand a chance of getting her to fall for me? In all the years she was married to her ex she never fell for him.
Then again, from what I know, they never lived in the same house, barely stepped into the same room together.
“What are you brooding about over there?” Gem’s voice jerks me out of my thoughts.
“What happened tonight? I know it had something to do with Cami.”
“Fucking motherfucking reporter.” Her words are soft, no force in them, which shows how tired she is and makes me more determined to take care of her.
“Eh…”
She lifts her head, her gaze locking with mine. “Remember the guy who outed Whitney?” I nod. “Well, it seems that fucker isn’t happy with the drama he already caused. A few days ago, someone broke into Cami’s apartment, the night she went home with Beckett and we had Whitney, and the police believe it was him.”
“Sounds like it was a good thing she didn’t go home that night.”
“Definitely. But tonight, he attacked her.” Her voice has gotten stronger—more fierce—with every word, the anger simmering inside her firing up again.
“Attacked her? I thought she collapsed on the way to the locker room.”
“She did.” Gem pushes herself off the sofa. “Let me get out of these clothes, get a quick shower before my food gets here, then I’ll tell you everything.”
“I don’t know if I can wait that long,” I mutter.
“Then come with me, I’ll tell you while I shower.”
I choke on my own spit.
She glances over her shoulder, her forehead scrunched in concern. “You all right?”
Shoving my hands in the pockets of my sweatpants, I pull them away from my groin in the hope of hiding the insta-boner I’m now sporting. Clearing my throat, I say, “Um, yeah.”
“Hmm…” It takes her barely a second to decide not to question me more. “Can you get me some ice water?”
“Sure.” The switch in subject gives me a reason to turn away and more time to mentally think of the most disgusting diaper Candace has ever produced to rid myself of my unwanted erection.
It’s not the first time Gem has had my body reacting this way. Although it is the first time it’s happened so quickly and right in front of her.
By the time I have two glasses of ice water in hand, I can hear the shower running in her bathroom. We’re in a three-bedroom suite. The twins have one room, me and Candace are sharing another, and Gem has the master with the attached bathroom.
Entering her bedroom, I ignore the open bag in case her underwear is visible and place one of the glasses on the bedside table.
