Page 223 of Power Play

“I’ve had a concentrated lesson.”

“Get him on the bus.”

Ryan’s hand settled against the small of my back while Mateo walked toward the luggage compartment. I looked toward the tinted windows where shapes moved behind the glass.

The team was watching.

Ryan noticed the moment I became aware of them, and his hand loosened slightly at my waist. He didn’t push me away. He gave me enough room to choose whether I wanted to stay.

Three days ago, the awareness of that audience would have crawled over my skin until I stepped back automatically.

This time, I looked at the backward cap sitting crooked on his head and reached up to straighten it.

Ryan went still beneath my hands.

“Your hat was crooked.”

“Bullshit.”

“It was.”

“The whole team is watching you touch me, mi hada.”

“I know.”

The change in his face was immediate, small enough that anyone else might have missed it and powerful enough to tear through me. I kept both hands on him.

Ryan leaned down until his forehead brushed mine. “Still no dramatic Facebook announcement?”

“Absolutely not.”

“But everybody on that bus knows you’re my girlfriend.”

I looked toward the windows and then back at him. “They’re about to.”

His smile broke across his face. “Good answer.”

I tugged the front of his Frost shirt until his mouth came closer and kissed him first.

I kissed Ryan on the sidewalk with Mateo loading his duffel, Frost players watching through the windows, and no attempt to pretend I was anything other than the woman kissing her boyfriend goodbye.

His arm tightened around me almost instantly. The kiss deepened enough to make me forget why a bus full of hockey players had ever seemed threatening.

Someone inside hit the window, and another voice yelled something I couldn’t understand.

Mateo slammed the luggage compartment. “WE HAVE JOBS.”

I laughed against Ryan’s mouth as he lifted one hand and gave the bus his middle finger without breaking the kiss.

When he finally pulled away, I was breathless.

“Wednesday,” he reminded me.

“I know.”

“You call me.”

“I will.”