“Hey, why does the bathroom smell like jizz?”
I didn’t move my head as I was facing away from Hairs. “I have no idea. I’m going to bed. Practice is early. Deca’s been sent down, and he’s minding the net.”
“Yeah, I heard at the bar. Some French chicks. I mean, I heardDeca, and I convinced them to tell me. Those accents? So fucking sexy. Yours just isn’t as good.”
At least we’re no longer discussing my jizz.
“Goodnight, Hairs.”
“You mind if I watch TV?” Without waiting for a response from me, he turned it on.
I pulled my pillow over my head and prayed for oblivion.
It came.
Eventually.
CHAPTER 11
JACK
Again. We did this again.
On the way to the rink the next morning, Devon’s laughter carried from a few rows behind me on the bus. He was chirping and carrying on with the other guys, and though he was no louder than anyone else—especially guys like Hairs and Lens—every time he spoke, his voice ricocheted off my senses like a puck hitting the boards.
I scrubbed a hand over my face and bit back some curses. It was like fuckingGroundhog Daywith Devon, and I didn’t know how to talk myself out of it. Thishadto stop. Ithadto. Again.
Maybe what needed to happen was a reality check. I wasn’t sure I trusted myself alone with Devon, but for God’s sake, something had to give.
So once we were at the rink and the guys were gearing up for the morning skate, I called out over the noise, “Devs.” When he turned my way, I jerked my head toward the hallway.
I thought some color left his face, but he schooled hisexpression and clomped toward me, still fussing with his elbow pads as he walked.
“Yeah, Coach?” he asked, and I wondered if I imagined the emphasis onCoach. As if he were reminding me who and what we were andwherewe were.
I gestured for him to follow me. The visitors’ locker room had a couple of rooms designated for temporary offices or other uses by away teams, and I let us into the first one.
“What are you doing?” he demanded as soon as the door was closed. “Someone’s going to?—”
“No one knows anything,” I snapped. “I pull players aside all the time. No one has any reason to suspect this is different.” The uneasiness in his expression gave me pause, though, and I asked, “Do they?”
Devon shifted his weight. “They, uh…”
Ice formed along the length of my spine. Stepping closer—but nottooclose—I lowered my voice. “Doessomeone know?”
He swallowed and met my gaze. “Claus figured it out.”
My knees almost dropped out from under me.
“He’s cool, though,” Devon said quickly. “He told me because he didn’t want us to get caught or something. He’s good.”
“Still. He knows. And… Look, it shouldn’t matter going forward because there can’t be anything for anyone to know about. Wecan’tdo this.”
“We shouldn’t. We’ve known that from the start.”
“I know. But this time… Devon, we really can’t.” I glanced toward the door, then lowered my voice a bit more. “Listen, a lot of people on high in Vancouver have their eye on you right now.”
He stiffened, eyes widening. “What do you mean?”