Page 5 of Over the Line

Anyone who followed hockey could pick out Liam St. Clair in a crowd. He was one of the superstars—a generational talent who’d led Pittsburgh to two Cups in his impressive career. I knew exactly what he looked like and had since Chris was in youth hockey.

Seeing someone on TV was one thing.

Seeing him in person and realizing the cameras didn’t do him a bit of justice? Whoa.

He was a little shorter than me—maybe five-nine or so?—with a bright smile that was ridiculously pretty in person. The cameras had never noticed the dusting of gray in his dark blond hair, but I sure did. His features were sharp in that way a lot of veteran players’ were, when the youthful roundness had melted away and their overall leanness made it into their faces.

And of course, he was wearing a perfectly tailored suit. One that may as well have been painted on his tight, lean physique.

Holy fuck, he was hot.

I did the best I could to keep that out of my expression, though, especially as my son flagged him down.

“Hey, Saints.” Chris gestured at me. “This is my dad, Garrett. He’ll be sitting up there with you for the next couple of games.”

St. Clair turned a charming smile on me and extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Liam. The guys all call me Saints.”

I laughed nervously as I shook his hand. “I know. It’s great to meet you.” I paused. “So, should I call you Liam or Saints?”

Oh, fuck me—that smile turned a little lopsided as he shrugged. “Either or. I answer to both.”

I had to aggressively remind myself that the smile and the sparkle in his eye were a result of media training. He didn’t know me from Adam and he didn’t care. He sure as hell wasn’t flirting. The man was openly gay, sure, but that didn’t mean he was into every man.

So I just nodded. “I’ll try to pick one or the other.”

His chuckle screwed with my balance. Then he elbowed Chris. “You must be proud of this one. He’s tearing it up out there.”

Chris blushed brighter than I’d ever seen, which honestly said a lot.

I smiled. “I definitely am. Always knew he had it in him, but he’s still been blowing us all away.”

Chris’s blush deepened, and he reminded me of his sixteen-year-old self when he’d been named MVP after a playoff game. He’d been so startled by the recognition, and his awestruck face had been seriously cute.

Liam gave him another nudge as he said to me, “Just wait. The best is yet to come for this one.” Before either of us could respond, he turned to Chris. “I need to go talk to Gil, but I’ll make sure your dad gets to the owner’s box.”

“Thanks, man.”

Liam flashed another quick smile, gave me a nod of acknowledgement, and went looking for the GM.

“Come on.” Chris nodded sharply in the other direction. “Let me show you around the ice level.”

I followed him, and as he gave me a tour, I tried to stay present. My mind, though, kept drifting back to the locker room. Back to Liam St. Clair.

In the years since my divorce, I’d dated a little and hooked up a little more, but no one had ignited much beyond a halfhearted spark of attraction. No one had thrown my balance off or scrambled my brain. I’d wondered for a while if it would ever happen at all, or if forty-something me wasn’t wired to be as powerfully drawn to someone as hormone-saturated teenaged me had been.

I didn’t have to wonder anymore, because holy shit.

Tonight, I was supposed to be watching my son play hockey.

And I would.

But I would also be sitting beside Liam St. Clair. The older, slightly graying version of him I hadn’t known existed until tonight.

How was I supposed to concentrate now?

CHAPTER 2

LIAM