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“So tense,” Cassie murmurs as she stands behindto calm me I don’t want to depend on her—or anyone for that matter—to help me battle my de but a hot fk and the more she tries to be otherwise, theabout the way things were between us, but now she’s pushing past the boundaries I set and I’ it one little bit

Taking another deep breath, I step forward and her hands fall away fro to look at her, I try to —about her that will letmore than just a diversion

I come up empty It doesn’t matter how beautiful she is or how talented herwithin this wo for me other than to relieve sexual pressure

Cocking her head at , Alexander? Not in the mood for me?”

“I’ to push her solidly away

She just laughs at ertip down my chest “Now that’s a lie, Alex You needed o ”

“Yeah, asn’t going to say no to those services freely offered But I would have paid you if that’s what it took ”

She flinches from my barb and rather than make me feel better, it makes me feel worse It hits me suddenly that the reason I tolerate so s have seemed indestructible to me in the past The mere fact that she always takes the shit I dish out to her and keeps a smile on her face alleviates my conscience…s attached and for me to be an ass about it

But now there is a flash of hurt on her face and it causes ut to churn

“Look…I’ll catch up with you later,” I tell her, entle as humanly possible It’s a tone she’s probably never heard from me so far in this fked-up existence we live in, and I ie ives me a radiant smile

Shit, I need to cut ties with this girl for good It’s a pathetice truly want She wants a hockey husband and I want…I want…

I don’t knohat in the hell I want but it’s clearly not a casual sex-only relationship with Cassie

Just then, an i into lorious nature of it

Sutton Price, with her copper hair flowing all around and her hazel eyes shining bright She’s s at me and it causes warmth to swirl in my veins

Blinking hard, I banish her froirl ray matter Doesn’t matter that for the first time in like…ever, I had a natural conversation with a woman that felt relaxed and safe Doesn’t matter that for the first time in definitely forever, I shared an intimate detail of my life with that woman, and she didn’t throw it in my face or try to exploit it No, she looked at me with sympathy

No, pity

There’s a difference, and that is unacceptable to me

“Let’s leave this party,” Cassie says as she takes a step towardmistake to have shown her even a hint of kindness

I take a step back, on the verge of re her just how nasty I can be, when someone thrusts a beer under my nose and says, “Here, man—looks like you could use one ”

My hand co to see ot traded to the Cold Fury and played in his first gaht I hadn’t even had a chance to talk to hioal off a pass from me

“Thanks,” I tell him and take a sip

“Mind if we talk?” he asks, just as he shoots an apologetic look to Cassie

“Sure,” I say hesitantly, because I have no clue why he wants to talk to me My other teammates pretty much know to stay out of my way, because I’m a cranky bastard, but Garrett hasn’t had time to acclimate yet

So I’ll cut him some slack and lend hiets me away from Cassie I’et away fro to Cassie, I hand the birthday present to her I have no clue what it is, nor do I care She takes it froet it to Leo’s kid Turning my back on her, I follow Garrett across the backyard

He leads e shade tree, away fro music

“So,” he says as he sits down “How lame is this party?”

“Pretty fking lame,” I concur and take a healthy pull on my beer as I eyeball my teammate

He surprises me by his words Most team members are very supportive of one another, and even if they did think it was la to a kid’s birthday party, they would never voice those thoughts out loud It seems Mr Samuelson may be a bit of a rebel

“Looked like you needed rescuing back there,” he says, nodding over to where Cassie now stands next to Allie, talking about God knohat “But if not, ame ”

I can’t help the laugh that bursts out ofy ”