Skating on Thin Ice: Seattle Sockeyes (Game On in Seattle Book 1) (17 page)

“Yes, he does.” She hoped she wasn’t revealing a fact about Ethan’s character that Ethan wouldn’t appreciate.

“You’re not going to give me any info that’ll help my group’s cause, are you, Lauren? That ass has you wrapped around his finger, and he’s using you.”

Lauren bristled, poised to defend the man she loved.

Her head reeled. Her stomach twisted. Her heart slammed in her chest.

What the fuck?
Loved?

She couldn’t love Ethan. Hell, she’d loved before and been taken on a ride she’d never forget. This girl didn’t do stupid twice. Or did she? Maybe she already had. She’d slept with him, signed a contract without even knowing who was really employing her, and she’d given him her heart.

Her father studied her as if trying to read her mind. She sat up straighter, slipped into businesslike-bitch mode, and looked him in the eyes. “So tell me, Dad. What position would I have with the team if your group bought it?” Nothing like laying it on the line with the old man.

Lon didn’t answer right away. Instead he looked at a spot over her head as if her cheap print of flowers hanging on the wall were a priceless piece of art. He fidgeted, glanced at his watch, and fidgeted some more.

“Dad?” she nudged him for a response.

“You’d keep the position you have, of course.”

“Would that be the position that my title indicates I have or the one I really have?”

“Lauren, I can’t speak to that. I don’t have any money invested in this group. I’m the front man, but it’s not my money.”

“That answers my question, Dad.”

“Honey, you have to understand my group is composed of men who’ve lived and breathed hockey their entire lives. They’ll have a say in who does what with the organization, but don’t worry, I’ve made sure that there’s a place saved just for you.”

Lauren saw the handwriting on the wall. This group would be even worse than the current group of good ol’ boys. “What happens to the coaching staff?”

“You know how I feel about them, hon. They aren’t quite championship caliber. The team we field will have the best coach money can buy.”

Yeah, and he’d be a traditionalist. There’d be no place for a woman in his hierarchy. Even if her father forced that hierarchy to accept her, they wouldn’t put her in any kind of position with any say in the organization.

But Ethan would.

Lauren closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself against her father’s wrath, and told the truth. “I’m going to work for Ethan’s group if they get the team, Dad. I’m sorry. I hope you don’t see it as a betrayal because it’s not. He’s promised me what I’ve longed for all these years, an actual say in the running of the team.” And a shitload of money, but if she told her father that right now, he’d assume Ethan was essentially paying her to sleep with him.

He wasn’t. Absolutely was not. She believed in Ethan. She had to. Her future rode on his broad shoulders.

Her father’s eyes hardened, causing her stomach to clench, but she held strong. Lon stood and walked to the door, his back stiff, his stride tight. He turned to her as he opened the door. “I hope to God you know what you’re doing, Lauren, and that man is worth losing the respect of the staff and your family.” Without another word, he walked out and shut the door with an ominous click.

Lauren stared at the closed door for what seemed a lifetime but was actually fifteen minutes. A lone tear escaped down her cheek. She swiped at it, picked up her phone, and called her aunt—the one person in the world who could make sense of all this without passing judgment, probably because she’d had judgment passed on her too many times.

Aunt Jo answered on the fifth ring, just before Lauren was about to give up. “Hey, my beautiful niece, what’s up?”

“I need your wise counsel.”

Aunt Jo chuckled. “Counsel I can give. Wise, not so sure, but hit me; I’ll do my best.”

Lauren ran through the events of the past month, not leaving much untold, well, except for the getting naked part. Aunt Jo, true to form, listened and made no comment until Lauren finished.

“So what are your concerns?”

“Am I selling out my family for money? Am I being an idiot like I was with Max?”

“I can’t tell you that. You know the answer in your heart, just like you knew Max was a bad idea.”

“But I did it anyway just to show my father I could do what I wanted.”

Her aunt chuckled. “Your father is living in an old world, one which will pass him by in short order. You’re part of the future, Lauren. Make sure you contribute to it; don’t add to its postponement. You’re a savvy hockey person with an eye for talent and for details. You know what makes a winner, but to date no one has given you credit for that knowledge, that gift you have, but your Ethan.”

“He’s not my Ethan.”

“For the next short while, it sounds like he is.”

“I don’t know.”

“Lauren, abandoning the old and comfortable takes guts. Following a new path, one that rings true with you is worth the risk if you believe it is, no matter the outcome.”

“The money is guaranteed. I can get out of debt.”

“That’s a plus, but this isn’t about the money, and we both know that. It’s about respect for who and what you are, and I know a helluva lot about that. Your father didn’t accept me and my personal choices for years. The only reason he tolerated me is because he had three kids to take care of with a job that required a lot of travelling, and I was available to do the dirty work, not that I didn’t adore being part of the family because I did, and I love my kids.”

“I know. Dad was never a hands-on father, not when Mom lived with us and not after she left. His marriage and his family were hockey. As long as the three of us translated into hockey somehow, we could be in his sphere.”

“It was toughest on you, Lauren.”

“I never could quite measure up to his expectations because I wasn’t born with a dick and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be what the boys were.”

“But you could be as good in a different way.” Jo hesitated, and continued cautiously, as if choosing her words carefully. “I love my brother to death. He’s gruff, behind-the-times, and stubborn beyond belief, but I still love him, just as you do. Sometimes, the best thing for all parties is the hardest thing. You need to get out from under his shadow and find out who Lauren is. It sounds as if Ethan respects you for your knowledge and skills, not for who your father and brothers are.”

“I think he does.” Lauren took a deep breath and plunged in with the rest. “But I’ve slept with him. That changes everything.”

Jo was so quiet for so long, Lauren suspected she’d hung up. “Obviously, you’re attracted to him and he to you. Is there more to it than that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I’m falling in love with him. I never thought I’d be able to after Max, yet this is different. More mature. Not just based on a physical attraction.”

“You’d be surprised how your thinking changes when the right person drops into your lap.”

“I don’t know if he’s the right person or the very wrong person, but I’m in deeper than I ever planned to be.”

“Good thing you’re a strong swimmer. Instead of swimming for a safe but boring shore, head for that distant island paradise. Take the risk. You never know where it might lead.” Her aunt’s words vibrated through her.

Lauren considered her words for a moment. “Thanks, Aunt Jo. I appreciate your advice.”

“You’re welcome. I’m only a phone call away.”

They said their goodbyes and Lauren hung up, still not certain if the paradise she swam toward was real or a mirage. Regardless, she’d committed to it, and she’d keep swimming in that direction, in the hopes if she needed one, Ethan would send a lifeboat to rescue her.

Choosing Ethan wouldn’t bode well for her family relationships in the future, but surely they’d get over it. Her brothers and father had made choices in their lives that put family second to their careers. Just because she was a woman didn’t mean that she should always put family first, even if they did see it that way.

Ethan was her future, even if she wasn’t certain to what extent, but who the hell was Ethan?

Crossing to her laptop sitting on the small desk in the living room, Lauren sat down and flipped it open. It hummed to life. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she ran through the terms she needed to Google:
UDub, Ethan Williams, Ethan Parker, PSHA.

Her heart lodged in her throat while her stomach churned.

She shut down the laptop without typing one character.

Whoever Ethan really was—savior or sinner—she didn’t want to know. Not yet.

* * * *

Ethan glanced around Lauren’s apartment complex. No one was out and about. The sun was setting and the place was damn quiet. He raised his hand and rapped on the door.

Holding his breath, he waited.

He’d tried to stay away but couldn’t. Lauren drew him to her like a magnet to iron, and he needed her like he’d never needed another woman. His usual caution towards women warned him against falling too hard for this one. He’d been taken for a fool before, assuming Danielle had been trustworthy and cared about him for who he was. What made him think his judgment regarding any woman’s true intentions had improved over the past few years? Hell, it wasn’t but a few years ago, Danielle did her damnedest to ruin his reputation and take some of his hard-earned money with her. He’d paid her off just to shut her up, which really irritated him since he hadn’t done any of the things she’d accused him of doing, but he had slept with her when she’d been in his employ, and that’d been enough. Now he was making that same mistake twice, only with Lauren it didn’t feel like a mistake.

So here he stood, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a tentative smile on his face, hoping against hope she wouldn’t boot his ass to the parking lot.

Lauren opened the door, as if she expected him, her smile as tentative as his. Her eyes zeroed in on the flowers and her hands flew upward to cover her mouth. He wasn’t sure if her reaction was a good thing or a bad thing.

“May I come in?” He asked with stiff politeness.

“Yes, you may,” she parroted back, but a smile tugged at one corner of her mouth, and her eyes sparkled, giving him a shot of confidence. She
was
happy to see him on her doorstep, and he sure as hell was happy to see her, every part of him, especially one significant part.

Ethan entered the small, but tidy little apartment and glanced around. She wasn’t much for decorating. A few nondescript scenery prints hung on the walls here and there. Her furniture consisted of a worn couch and an equally worn overstuffed leather chair, along with bistro table in the dining area. Obviously, the woman didn’t spend much time here.

A very fat, fluffy gray cat lolled on the chair and opened one green eye to watch him, as if to say, don’t you dare take my chair, buddy.

Ethan turned his attention back to Lauren who stood quietly beside him. “I didn’t know you had a cat?”

“I don’t. Not exactly. He’s my neighbors, but he likes me better.”

“Smart cat.” He held the bouquet out to her. “These are for you.”

She took them from him and inhaled deeply. “They smell wonderful, but you didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to.” He leaned against the counter as she put the flowers in water and sat them on the table. He watched as her compact, athletic body—one he’d seen naked two nights ago—moved with an easy grace across the room.

Ethan caught her around the waist and pulled her to him, kissing her with a hunger only she could satisfy. She buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him right back with such intensity he swore their mouths would be bruised—like he gave a shit.

Finally, panting, he drew back slightly and gazed into her eyes. That simple act of looking through that window into a person’s soul struck him deep down inside. In a profound moment of clarity, he knew, as sure as he knew his own name, that Lauren was special to him and to his future, and he’d protect what they had with a fierceness he’d only reserved for family in the past.

She was an essential part of his plan, personal and professional, and he’d be damned if he’d let her go, even if rocky times were ahead. Somehow he’d find the way to show her that despite his deception, he meant well and deserved to be forgiven.

Tonight would be a start, a prelude to the storm about to crash down on them as soon as the Giants played their final game, which could be as early as tomorrow and as late as a month or so. The Sleezers were champing at the bit to cash Ethan’s big check, and they wouldn’t wait a millisecond longer than necessary.

Lauren brought a finger up to his lips. “What are you thinking? You seem so serious.”

“I’m always serious. That’s why I’ve been Brad’s straight man all these years going back to high school.”

“There’s nothing wrong with serious, but you should laugh more.”

He tucked a lock of brown hair behind her ear. “I’ve laughed more this past month with you than I have in years. I guess I take life too seriously.”

“Ditto.” She smiled up at him, and he grinned like a fool.

“We both need to live a little less seriously. We could start tonight. In bed. You and me. An encore presentation.”

“I love encores.”

“I love you naked.”

“You’re not so hard on the eyes yourself.” She slid her hands up under his T-shirt and along his ribcage. “I think you’re wearing entirely too many clothes for a hot night like this.”

“I think you’re right.” He lifted his arms over his head and let her pull off his T-shirt. She tossed it aside as she walked him backward to the couch and stopped when the back of his knees bumped the seat. Lauren put her hands on his belt, and he sucked in a deep breath, holding it while she unbuckled his belt and slid his jeans past his hips and down his thighs. Ethan kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his jeans.

She leisurely perused his body, and he stood completely still. Her gaze felt so hot it was almost as if she were touching him. Then she did touch him, and his knees buckled. He sat down hard on the couch, while she knelt in front of him. Placing her hands on his inner thighs, she gently spread them to make room between his legs. Lauren ran her hands up his thighs and cupped his balls through his underwear, gently squeezing them. Ethan groaned, like the happy groan of a man on his way to heaven.