Cap by Elise Faber

Author:Elise Faber [Faber, Elise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781637490518
Publisher: Elise Faber

Twenty-Four

Josh

He hesitated at the door of the video suite, fist lifting to knock on the frame.

But he froze, standing in the opening, when he saw that Jess was inside, her head in her hands, the brown locks trailing over her fingers.

Her entire demeanor was…defeated.

And he knew, knew that she wouldn’t want anyone to see her like that.

Not big, brash Jess. Not the quieter vulnerable one he’d met a day before. They might be polar opposites, but they were both strong as hell.

Right.

It went against his every instinct to turn away, to head back to the locker room, but he had to do it anyway.

Because he had to use his brain with this woman.

Not always his gut.

Of course, even using his brain didn’t work, because the moment he had begun to turn away, Mandy popped her head out of the training suite. “Josh, come in here before you suit up! I want to check out that quad.”

Jess’s head shot up, eyes connecting with his.

And what he saw inside them had his feet all but gluing themselves into place.

They were empty.

Dead.

He glanced at Mandy. “I’ll be right there.”

And then…

He ignored his brain and went with his gut, slipping into the video room and closing the door behind him, leaning back against it as he looked at her.

Hoping that she’d let him in.

The emptiness was gone.

The dead had become alive, bright and sparkling, and a little dizzying.

She popped out of her chair, smiled at him as she perched on the edge of her desk. “You’re trying to rack up favors, aren’t you, Spidey?” she asked teasingly.

His brows drew together.

“The ride home, your odor remover, my bike?” A giggle that was so not Jess that it prickled down his spine as she tossed her head, ponytail shaking. “You’re really doing your best to dig yourself out of the hole you made, aren’t you?” The tone was one he’d heard her use with others. But not one she used with him. This was all friendly and none of her tart. This was…not his Jess.

But he decided to play along. “Which hole? The one from when we first met? Or another in the line of the many I’ve dug since?”

Her smile didn’t dip. “I think you’ve filled in a few with your actions from yesterday.”

A shrug. “It was nothing.”

Her eyes went warm, and for a second, he caught a glimpse of the vulnerable woman from the shower, the one who washed him so gently. “Not nothing to me.” Then that flash disappeared. “And anyway, I’ve decided that I have to hate you just on principle, at this point. You’re too nice and pretty and good at hockey.”

A glittering bridge.

A bright persona.

Hiding…what?

One half of his mouth kicked up, but he decided not to push on that front, at least not yet. Instead, all he did was say lightly, “I think you’ll change your mind when you see what I’ve got for you.”

A flicker of uncertainty, of regret and guilt. “I think we both know that the gift-giving didn’t go so well last time.

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