Page 96 of Cross Check

Did you get back okay?

I roll onto my side, the delicious ache between my legs subsiding. I answer him with one hand, the other still resting on my breast as my breathing evens out.

Me

I’m all tucked in.

GE

Good night?

Me

10/10.

GE

Glad I could be a part of it.

I might be guilty as sin because of what I just did, but no one has to know he is my muse. Secrets are that for a reason, and using Grant Everett as my inspiration for an orgasm is one I’m never going to share with anyone.

Especially him.

THIRTY-ONE

AMELIA

MARCH, FOUR SEASONS AGO

I pause the game film I’m watching and nearly fall out of my chair when I notice Jude standing in the doorway of my office.

“What the hell, Jude?” I put a hand over my heart, heaving out a deep breath. “You can’t stand somewhere in complete silence and stare at someone.”

“Sorry.” His mouth twists into a wry grin. “Do you have a minute?”

“If this is about Jeffries kicking ass during those sled pushes in the weight room, I have several minutes.”

“It’s not, but we’ll circle back to that later. I’ve been thinking about tweaking the second line, and he’d make a good addition to the group.” Jude hooks his thumb over his shoulder. “Walk with me?”

“Sure.” I pop to my feet and slip on my team jacket. “Are we going to talk about why you’re being secretive?”

“Am I being secretive?”

“After six years with you, I know you’re not a bullshitter.” We pass through the empty locker room and make a left through a door that doesn’t lead to the ice. “If there was a problem, you’d let me know. But right now, you’re not giving me anything to go off of.”

“Must mean there’s not a problem.” He chuckles and taps his team ID on the keypad when we get to an elevator. “How did the defensive pairs drills go?”

“Really well. Anderson fixed his weak wrist—temporarily, at least—and Simmons was showing a lot of speed out there for a guy coming off an injury. He’ll be ready to make his way back to the first line in a week or two tops.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Jude presses the button for the fifth floor and glances at me. “Did you see Wisco hired a new coach for the women’s team?”

“I did.” I prop my sneaker against the metal wall behind me, and the elevator jolts upward. “Barry James is tough, but he’s exactly what they need. Three straight years without a Frozen Four appearance is not the kind of streak you want.”

“I played with him at Michigan back in the day.” Jude rubs his jaw. “Good guy. Real hard-ass. I remember some mornings he’d drag us out of bed at five so we could get a run in before weightlifting or morning skate. Hated him back then. Now that I’m coaching, I understand why he did it.”

“The wisdom that comes with getting old.”

“Speaking of getting older, my daughter has her C-section scheduled for next Tuesday, the same day as our game against Atlanta. Are you good with filling in for me while I’m gone?”