Page 68 of Over the Line

I’d been so wrapped up in seeing the guys say hello to their kids, I’d all but forgotten there was someone in this building who had me in a chokehold.

Then he skated past the gate, and suddenly…

God. Liam.

He didn’t see me. He was handling a puck and maneuvering between teammates, and he didn’t pay attention to those of us beyond the glass. Fine by me—that gave me a chance to drink him in and try to find my equilibrium.

Wow. That wasn’t just the hot hockey player who kept catching my eye. I’d hung out with him. I’d made out with him in his kitchen, however briefly. I’d texted and FaceTimed with him at every opportunity since.

All the air rushed out of my lungs. I’d slept with people before and been able to act completely normal around them the next day. Hell, I’d hooked up with a co-worker a couple of years ago; not always the smartest thing to do, but neither of us had been the other’s superior, and we’d been completely professional come Monday.

On the other hand, I’d been able to behave like a consummate professional around her before we’d hooked up. We hadn’t been circling or pining after each other. Friday night drinks had turned into Friday night and Saturday night in her bed, and then we’d moved on with our lives. I don’t think any of our coworkers had ever even caught on.

Liam? I hadn’t been able to breathe right around him since day one. Going back to normal wasn’t going to happen because I had never been normal around him.

And now I’ve had a taste but I can’t touch you again. Fuck my life.

On the ice, Liam swung around at the blue line, waded through some of his teammates, and tucked the puck beneath the goalie’s left pad. He kept on skating, following the curve of the boards around toward the Zamboni gate.

As he glided by, he glanced through the gate, and I felt it the instant he locked eyes with me. I thought he almost lost an edge.

My heart stopped. His lips parted. So did mine.

I didn’t lose my grip on Mito, of course. He stayed firmly attached to my side, his little fist holding a handful of my suit jacket.

But apart from holding on to him and keeping myself upright, my entire focus had concentrated itself right… there. On that amazing man whose kiss was never far from my mind, and who’d left me horny for more.

Do you have any idea how much I want you?

Thank God, Liam found the willpower or professionalism or—I don’t know, something, and he broke eye contact and kept skating. He probably went looking for another puck.

I pushed out a harsh breath, realizing a second too late it was probably louder than it should’ve been.

No one seemed to notice, though. The kids were all banging on the glass and shouting at their dads. The moms were all focused on the kids and the players. No one—no family members, no fans, and thank God, no cameras—seemed at all interested in me.

Liam still skated the way he always did, making it look as easy as breathing, but whenever he stopped, he seemed off-balance. Rattled, maybe. He seemed to be struggling to focus on the puck, on his teammates, on the warmup routine.

It reminded me a little of how he’d been at that first practice after I’d moved to Pittsburgh. When he’d seen me in the stands, and then afterward, he hadn’t really been playing like himself. Had that been because of… me? Because that was before we’d ever touched.

Before we’d shared a long look in his car after he’d driven me home on Thanksgiving.

Before he’d invited me to his place to “watch hockey.”

He paused by the boards on the opposite corner, watching some of his teammates.

And then…

Tentatively…

He slid his gaze toward me.

For a second time, our eyes locked.

He gulped. So did I.

Oh, God, I was so fucked.

CHAPTER 18