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We drank until I was tipsy enough to text Hunter, begging him to pick me up because I missed him so much. I loved a good girl’s night, and a few months back, I would have been the last one closing down the bar. But I was finally understanding what it was like to feel deep rooted feelings running through my blood. As scary as change was, this was one of those changes for the better.

Hunter had turned my whole life around earlier today, and even though I was still wrapping my head around it all, pinching myself because it felt like a fever dream that I needed to wake up from, I needed to see him. Thank him. Tell him just how much of a good thing he’d done and how I wasn’t going to let him down.

Today marked one month since I stopped working at the club and two weeks since starting my new venture. Honestly, it felt longer than a month. The cooler weather was behind us, and the warmth of spring had arrived. Not only had the seasons changed but so had my entire life. My days were spent at the dance studio near the arena working with the dance team on new routines, and my nights had become vastly different than they once were.

The dim red lighting of the club was a thing of the past, and the bright arena lights for home games became my new norm. It no longer smelled of smoke, heavy cologne, and sex. Instead, fresh ice invaded my senses along with the musky scent of Hunter’s bodywash when I got to see him before and after each game.

While he watched the games from above in the owner’s suite, I was constantly on the move. With the prior director officially on maternity leave, I’d taken over. This was my team now, and the girls all made me feel like I was right at home. Like I was always meant to have a job exactly like this one.

They respected me and wanted to learn from me. Here, I was looked at as a professional and not judged for my past.

There were only seven weeks left of regular season hockey before the playoffs would start. Every game counted, especially if the Neon were going to keep their first-place position on the leaderboard.

Hunter became more dialed in as the season went on. He talked about hockey as if I’d been around it my whole life just like he had. Obviously, that wasn’t the case, but I was a quick learner. I needed to be if I was going to be spending my days here and growing within this organization.

I couldn’t be the new girl walking into the arena oblivious to the sport.

Between Hunter, Spencer, and Jayson, I would never be left in the dark if there was something I didn’t understand. Basically, family dinners had become a whole lot more revolved around hockey, causing Peyton and Colton to roll their eyes on more than one occasion.

Wrapping up for the day after a Neon win, I met Hunter just as he was exiting the suite.

Curling his arm around my lower back, his voice vibrated against my neck. “Ready to get out of here?”

“Only if it means we can order in and you rub my feet before we pass out.” My eyes fluttered as I shrugged.

“Pass out? That might be difficult since I’m still wired from that win.”

“You pretend like you were the one out there doing all the hard work.”

His eyebrows lifted, a surprised look lighting up his features.

“I don’t have to be the one physically out there to get fired up. Shoot outs can be intense, okay?”

“Whatever you say, Hotshot. Now, take me back to your place before I get an Uber to my apartment instead,” I threatened with a smirk.

“Or…” Hunter’s eyes drifted toward the now empty owner’s suite.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked him up and down. “Or what? Because I can tell you right now my energy is depleted after being on my feet all day.”

Hunter reached for my hand and placed a chaste kiss on the inside of my wrist. “I have to be honest, pretty girl, it’s been really hard not to think about you in this sexy little get up.”

“I’m just wearing a pant suit and high heels.” My eyes narrowed. “Not to point out the obvious or anything, but you’ve definitely seen me wearing a whole lot less while working.”

“Mm, but I love every version of you I can get,” he whispered into my ear.

My heart dropped into the abyss of my stomach because what did he mean he loved every version of me?

We hadn’t exchanged that word before. It was clear that our feelings had grown, and it was obvious that we shared a deep connection. And of course, I’d thought about the L word from time to time. But I needed him to be the first to fully commit to saying it.

Hunter had been married before. His wife died tragically. I couldn’t be the one to say I love you and never know if he actually meant it when he was saying it in return. I wouldn’t be able to repair the hurt it caused if he said it out of pity.

Now, it was even more awkward as Hunter stood with his body pressed against mine, his lips teasing my ear, and no idea that the look on my face appeared anything but sexy.

He hadn’t even realized his slip up.

He was lost in the idea of taking me into the other room and having his way with me.

Pulling me out of my panic, he whispered once more, “What if I said you didn’t have to be on your feet? You don’t have to do a damn thing. Be at my mercy,” he pleaded.