Grinder (Seattle Sharks 1)

“And worst case?” Gage’s voice had crystallized with ice.

A shadow crossed over Denning’s eyes and the floor tilted beneath me.

“Let’s not think about that until we know what’s going on in there.” Denning pointed toward the door. “I’m going to relay to coach and then I’ll ride over in the ambulance with you.”

Gage nodded, sweat dripping off his scrunched forehead as Denning left the room.

I let go of him and grabbed a fresh towel from the counter across the room, soaking it in cold water from the sink before returning to his side. I dabbed at his forehead before sliding the cool cloth over the back of his neck, trying my best not to look at the purple dusting over the back of his shoulder.

“It was a clean hit,” Gage said after a few moments of silence.

“I didn’t see. I was…”

“What?”

“It’s not important.” I sighed, thinking about Helen was the last thing he needed right now. “You mean to say this hit wasn’t intentional?”

He shook his head and hissed. “Intentional, sure. But not dirty. Still love to beat his ass, though.”

“Me too.” I chuckled softly, slipping the cloth along his spine. “Don’t worry, Gage. Everything will be fine. It doesn’t even look that bad.” I swallowed the lie that tasted bitter in my mouth.

“Hey,” he said, and I dropped the cloth, returning my focus to his face. “You know you can’t lie to me, Bailey.” He took my chin in his good hand.

I shrugged. “I’ve seen worse. You’ll be fine. I know it.”

He pressed his lips together, the doubt in his eyes creeping to the surface.

“Don’t,” I said, and then touched my lips to his with a soft pressure, trailing the tip of my tongue along the edges of his mouth. I slipped my fingers into his sweaty hair, touching him as much as I dared without jarring him. His tongue met mine and he groaned as I traced the ridges of his abs lightly with my fingertips, stopping only when they rested above the outline of his hard cock. “See?” I pulled back from him a few inches, looking from his heated gaze and down. “You couldn’t manage that if it was anything serious.”

He laughed, but a wince cut it short. “God, Bailey. You are one hell of a woman. A tease, but damn, I’m glad you’re here.”

I bit my bottom lip, letting my eyes linger hungrily as I trailed his body up and down. “It’s only a tease if I have no intention of delivering.” I leaned closer to him, just close enough for my breasts to brush his chest. “And I have every intention of delivering…once you’re up to it.”

“Well, if that isn’t the best motivation to suck it up, I don’t know what is.” Gage smiled, and though it wasn’t the full-blast one I was used to, it was more than I could’ve asked for given the terrifying situation.

Still, he was sitting on his own, without writhing in pain, and he had the capability to make my panties wet with that damn mouth of his. These facts made hope pulse in my chest—this would not break him, not again.

“Ambulance is here,” Denning said, re-entering the room. I stepped a few feet away from Gage, my cheeks flushing.

“I’ll go check on Lettie. You want us to meet you at the hospital?” I asked.

“No,” Gage said so instantly that I flinched. “Shit. I mean, I don’t want her there, okay? No need to worry her before we know anything, right?”

I nodded. “Right. I’ll just take her home.”

He reached out with his good hand, and I took it. “Our home.”

My heart swelled in my chest, beating hard at his declaration, but it quickly frosted over when the paramedics brought the gurney in.

“Seriously assholes? I can walk,” Gage said, swinging his legs over the table and standing up.

“Please get on the gurney, Mr. McPherson. We don’t want any sudden movements to aggravate the injury.”

Gage looked like Lettie when I forced her to brush her teeth when she didn’t want to. I half expected him to stomp his foot, but instead, he climbed onto the gurney and settled against it.

“What’s the score?” He asked as they wheeled him out of the room.

I collapsed on one of the wooden benches next to me the second the doors swung closed. The fear I’d barely held back took full advantage of me now and I allowed myself these few moments of weakness before I had to return to Lettie.

I wasn’t scared of Gage being benched for another season because hockey was only a tiny part of the reason why I loved him. I would love him if he dug ditches or flipped burgers for a living. What terrified me is how he would take it if he lost this shot—this second chance we weren’t even sure he was going to get in the first place. Because hockey—outside of Lettie—was his life. It’s all he’d known; all he’d ever wanted to do since we were kids.

Without it? I didn’t know who it would turn Gage into, and I prayed I’d be strong enough to help heal him if he was forced to plan a life where hockey wasn’t on the menu.

Chapter 13

Gage

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Bailey asked me as Lettie explored the inner workings of Minnie Mouse’s kitchen. Hey, there had to be some perks to traveling with the team, and as far as perks went, Disneyland was a pretty good one. We’d spent all day here, and it showed on Lettie. Her pigtails were slightly disheveled under her Mickey’s sorcerer's hat, her cheeks were flushed, and there was still chocolate ice cream on the corners of her constant smile.

“Gage?” Bailey prompted.

“I’m fine,” I promised her for the tenth time, lightly rolling my shoulder. There was a hell of a bruise along my upper arm—the pads had taken most of the impact—but the joint wasn’t as tender as it had been a few days ago.

“I just worry,” she said, leaning her head onto my good shoulder.

I kissed her hairline. “I know, and I’m not playing tonight.”

The rookie was starting in my place tonight, and though it chapped my ass, I knew it was for the best. One week of rest was exactly what the joint needed. The rest of me wasn’t too happy, though.

“I can keep you busy,” she said, leaning up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against my jaw.