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“My pleasure,” I return to herChapter 7ErikI walk out of the team shower area, a towel around my waist and another draped around ood the water felt on my freshly waxed balls Goddaain Not for any woman Not even if humanity’s fate rested on it

My level of respect, though, has increased for any woman who does that to her body I personally suspected woher pain tolerance than us men—you know, childbirth and all—but this sort of confir the entire time and I had to bite the inside ofeach time a wax strip was yanked off

Bringingthe three stitches that are there I dropped the gloves early into the second period tonight and took on Ronny Reaves I didn’t like the way he cross-checked Tacker in the back, and gave him a little jab with the end of my stick in retaliation

“Do it again, and I’ to kick your ass,” I’d told him

He did it again

So I kicked his ass good

Unfortunately, he did land a lucky hit to my temple andbut a ten-minute trip to the locker room, where the teaive me anesthetic because I didn’t want to waste the time

Yeah, the doc stitched me up without anesthetic, and it was a roin, nuts, and ass

I take a seat on the bench that runs the length of the cubbies They’re custom built with our names written on fancy plaques across the top of each There are no doors on the front of each unit, but our locker room is closed off froet in None of the players would ever steal from one another, so no doors are totally okay

Leaning over, I pull my duffel from a botto the towel from around my shoulders with the other I let it drop to the floor

“How’s that cut feeling?” Bishop asks as he sits a few feet away on the same bench since his locker is two spots down He’s fresh from his shower too

“It feels like a butterfly kissed h from our assistant captain As hockey players, ould never adht

I snagand push up from the bench I undo the towel around my waist and let it drop to the floor As I lift one foot to step intoto coht?”