Mia
They’d lost.
It was heartbreaking. As the series had progressed, she’d just kept thinking they would turn it around, they would get that goal, come from behind, sneak out a win.
But all of that thinking and hoping hadn’t changed anything.
It was the second round of the playoffs, and the Gold were out.
Former champions to the end of the season.
“Damn,” she murmured, waiting until the crowd began clearing out of the Gold Mine before making her way to the PT Suite. She knew her way now. Mandy had even gotten her a pass, saying she had to come see her after every game before she went up to the Family Suite.
As much as the other women had welcomed her, Mia felt more comfortable with Mandy.
Maybe it was their shared adoration of book to movie adaptions, or maybe . . . it was just that listening to Mandy banter and order people around reminded Mia of her mother.
Either way, she’d gotten very good at making Mandy’s special bruise cream.
Which had definitely been in high demand this late in the season and with the various injuries the team was dealing with.
Brit out with a dislocated shoulder.
Blane playing with a broken foot.
Liam had a hairline fracture in his wrist.
Kevin had missed two games due to a concussion.
And that didn’t even include Coop or Logan or any of the rest of the guys, who were all playing with different levels of discomfort.
“I suppose I can’t call karate the real sport any longer,” she said, walking into the PT Suite and hugging Mandy. “Your man kicked ass even with that foot.”
Mandy smiled sadly. “I’m so mad at him for playing.”
“You have all summer to doctor him up.”
A pout, but then Mandy squeezed her again. “This is always the worst part. It’s over, and they didn’t win.” She sniffed.
Mia didn’t point out that all the teams, but one, was in or would be in the same position. She was just as disappointed, albeit for Liam rather than for Blane and the rest of the guys.
Most of them had won the Cup.
Liam hadn’t.
“There will be more opportunities.”
Mandy nodded, pulling back, and swiped a finger under each eye. “Ignore me,” she said. “I’m hormonal.”
Mia lifted a brow.
To which Mandy clamped a hand over her mouth and glanced around. “Tell me no one heard that,” she hissed. “Blane doesn’t even know yet.”
A grin turned up the corners of her mouth and earned her a swat from Mandy. But when Mia kept grinning, Mandy turned around and saw the man standing behind her. Tall, pretty, and sweaty, he tugged Mandy into his arms. He placed his hand over her belly. “Really?”
She nodded. “I just found out before the game.”
Mia looked away when Blane dropped his head, whispered something in Mandy’s ear that made her cheeks flush bright red, but as touched as she was by the scene, it had nothing on the man who was standing in the doorway.
She went to him, threw her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry, Sugar.”
A squeeze, a soft chuckle. “Digging the knife in, J.B.?”
Pulling back, she plunked her hands on her hips. “Well, you haven’t given up the goods now, have you?” she asked pertly before softening her tone. “Are you—”
“I hope to God he’s given up the goods by now,” Coop said, pushing by them.
“No,” Brit said, inching by them in a suit, her arm still in a sling from the injury. “Liam’s too nice. He’s probably waiting for a diamond ring and flowers.”
“Are you?” she asked Liam.
“Am I—?”
Kevin slid through the door and Liam cursed, tugged them to the side so they were out of the flow of traffic.
“Am I what?” he asked, able to get the question out the second time.
“Waiting for a diamond ring and flowers?” she asked, made to head back to the door, to step through it. “I can go get you some, if you need it.”
A roll of pretty gray eyes. “Smartass.”
“Your fault.”
“True.”
“Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah, sweetheart, I am.” Then his gaze flicked to the right. “Mandy, I hate to interrupt the love fest, but do you have it?”
Mia glanced to the side, saw Mandy jump out of Blane’s arms and retrieve a small box from a drawer. So tossed it to Liam, who caught it, and handed it to Mia. “Open it.”
Her breath caught. It wasn’t the right size for a ring, and it was too soon for that anyway. They’d discussed a future, decided that even though they’d moved from like to love quickly, it made sense to enjoy their time together.
Or was she wrong?
She didn’t know jewelry. It could be a ring box.
Had he changed his mind?
And if he had, what would her answer be?
Lips on her ear. “Stop thinking so hard,” he murmured, tearing off the paper, “and just open it.”
Shaking fingers fumbled with the lid.
And then she saw inside.
Her gaze met his, lips curving.
It wasn’t a ring. It was better. A delicate gold necklace with letter charms that spelled out a word. But not just any word. They spelled out his nickname for her. She ran her fingers over each letter, all ten of them. “That’s what J.B. stands for?”
Liam grinned, bending to nuzzle at her throat. “Yup.” A nip. “I thought it was fitting.”
Mandy snatched the box from her hands, causing them to jump apart.
“Jawbreaker?” She smacked Liam. “What the hell? That’s not an engagement ring like you said.”
“No, it’s not.” A beat and she turned back to see he’d shifted down to one knee, was holding up a smaller box. “But this is.”
Mia’s heart leaped.
She knew what her answer would be, knew it would have never been anything else. Fingers along his jaw, palm cupped his cheek. “Always have to push, don’t you?”
“You wouldn’t want me any other way,” he said, turning his head to kiss her palm.
A nod, her eyes filling with tears. “That’s true.”
“So, is it a yes?” Mandy asked, impatience in every syllable.
“It’s a yes,” Mia said.
Liam was on his feet in a second, and she was in his arms in the next, his mouth descending, his lips on hers. And just like that, this man she loved with her whole heart had taken sad and turned it into happy.
That was his superpower.
And Mia knew she was so damned lucky to have saved him from becoming a San Franciscan pancake.
Because he’d saved her right back.
Charlotte
“Damn,” she muttered, sitting down at her computer and slipping off her heels.
They’d lost.
Her first year as GM and she hadn’t been able to get the job done.
She made a show of checking her emails, of sending a few notes to their big sponsors and to the board, thanking them for their support of the team and for a good season, but in reality, all she could think was that she’d lost.
Fuck, she hated losing.
Had hated it from the first time she’d lost the Chubby Bunny contest when she’d been a Daisy at Girl Scout camp.
She still hated it.
Hell, she’d picked a career whose main focus was building an organization that could win as much as possible, that’s how much she hated losing.
What she hated even more?
Being the only female GM in the league and losing in the second round of the playoffs.
God, was it too much to ask for the Cup, just one more time?
Probably.
She sighed. The Gold had won the previous season and two before that. Two out of four was still a hell of a record.
It just . . . wasn’t her record.
“Fuck,” she muttered, shutting down her computer and shoving her feet back into her heels. Since that was basically akin to torture after wearing them all day, she was not happy when the knock came at the door, and called, “Come in,” while continuing to pack her bag.
If only she’d known who was on the other side.
But unfortunately, she couldn’t see through walls.
So when the man opened the door and pushed inside her office, Charlotte didn’t have the chance to gird her loins.
Like she’d been doing all season.
Because—also unfortunately—she’d made the decision early on in her tenure to bring Logan Walker to the Gold. He was ferociously talented at defense. Big and strong and fast, he’d made an excellent replacement for Stefan Barie this season.
He was also her ex.
And just being in the same room with him had her body remembering why he was her ex.
Cocky smile.
Sexy body.
Flaming chemistry.
But not ready to settle down.
So, as one might expect, take a young Charlotte Harris, add in one cocky, sexy, scorching Logan Walker, and the result had been a broken heart.
Not just broken. Shattered.
The pieces scattered to the four corners of the earth.
In case anyone was wondering, young intern meets rookie hockey player did not make for a happy ending.
But that was fine. It was better. She’d gotten tougher and stronger and she’d promised herself that she would never let anyone in that deeply again, never make herself as vulnerable.
“I knew you’d be like this,” he said, and fuck if that gruff voice didn’t send a shiver down her spine.
She ignored him, continued packing her computer bag. He’d get to the point, or he wouldn’t, and she’d keep doing what she did best. Putting her head down and charging forward.
“Always hate losing.”
His voice was closer now, but she still didn’t look up, even though the spicy scent of his aftershave was drifting through the air, tickling her nose, making her fingers clench on her bag.
No.
Ignoring him and his sexy body, his sexy voice, his sexy scent, she packed a bunch of shit she didn’t need, all so she didn’t have to look at him.
She reached for a pad of sticky notes—
Warm, calloused hands on hers.
“You don’t need a sixth pad,” he said, that voice curling over her shoulders, sending heat between her thighs.
She jerked away. “You don’t know what I need,” she snapped.
A sigh. A hip resting on her desk. “Why did you pick me up, Char?”
Charlotte swallowed, zipped her bag closed—with the sixth pad of sticky notes, thank her very much—and forced herself to meet his gaze. “You were the best man for the position. We needed solid D. You brought it.”
Green eyes, such a rich emerald they almost looked black, locked on hers. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.” She picked up her bag. “I’m tired, so I’m sure you’re doubly so.” She started to round the desk but stopped, knowing she needed to be professional. Not only was she the first female GM, but she’d set a standard for herself when she’d joined the organization. “You played well this season and especially during the playoffs.”
A nod. “Thanks.”
That confused her. Before, his cocky would have taken over. Today, he seemed modest? Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen a lot of cocky this season, at least not when it came to his game play. But it had been eight years since they’d been alone in a room together, she supposed things had to have changed.
Not that it mattered.
Things had changed on her front, too.
She wasn’t the naïve little girl anymore.
She was strong and powerful and had a whole lot of people depending on her.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Charlotte pointed to the door. “We should be going.”
“Your feet hurt.”
Her brows drew together. “What?”
Logan nodded at her feet, clad in a lovely pair of heels that while beautiful, were also the equivalent of bear traps—and if that wasn’t the perfect metaphor for the man in front of her, she didn’t know what was.
“Those heels hurt you.” His head tilted to the side. “Why do you wear them?”
She scoffed. “None of your fucking business, Walker.”
A smile—slow and hot and sliding like silk over her breasts, her stomach, between her thighs. “I knew you’d say that.”
“I—”
He held up a box, pushed it into her hands when she stepped back. “Open it,” he said, voice dropping and joining that silk of his smile to dip between her legs. “If you think you can handle it.”
And then he was gone, the door closing behind him, leaving her with a heavy ass bag packed with who knew what, aching feet, and a box in her hands.
A box given on a challenge.
A box he knew she’d open.
Because Charlotte Harris didn’t give in or back down. She liked that even less than she liked losing.
So, she opened the lid.
And instantly knew she was in trouble.
Thank you for reading! I hope you loved meeting Mia and Liam! The next book in the Gold Hockey series is CHARGING.
Once upon a time she’d been an intern.
Once upon a time he’d been a rookie.
And if you enjoyed CENTERED, you’ll love the sexy, sweet, and close-knit Breakers Hockey crew. The first book in the series, BROKEN, is now live!
The more she falls for Stefan, the more she risks her career… Don’t miss the first Gold Hockey book. The over 400 five-star-reviewed BLOCKED is FREE!
“Off-the-charts hot, smexy scenes with one of the best book
boyfriends I have come across!” —Amazon reviewer
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