Defender (Seattle Sharks 9)

She whimpered softly, her fingers biting into my thigh.

“Everything is up for negotiation except for that.” I kissed the lobe of her ear, and she melted against me. “Because I don’t share. Middle child, remember?” My lips caressed her cheek before I pulled back. “What do you have for me?”

She blinked rapidly, clearing the desire from her eyes.

Damn, I needed to get her into the room. Or a bathroom. Any room.

The bus came to a stop, and I kissed her again quickly. “Saved by the bell.”

The next twenty minutes were a flurry of the typical activity as we checked into the hotel. There was a small gathering of fans roped off at the entrance to the hotel, and I stopped to sign autographs for the kids in the crowd, just like the majority of the Sharks.

As I entered the marble foyer, Harper bounced over, wiggling a small black folder.

“Harrison gave me the key,” she said with a smile, nodding back to the team manager who coordinated our travel.

“Perfect. Thank you.” I adjusted my gear over my shoulder and hauled my carry-on behind me as Harper did the same for hers. I made the mistake of taking her luggage once, and only once. There were few things Harper was adamant about, and taking care of her own luggage was one thing she informed me she was fully capable of doing.

We rode up with Rory, Connor, and Porter, and it struck me how comfortable Harper was in their company. How easily she slipped into my life like she’d always been there.

How much it was going to hurt like hell when she wasn’t there anymore.

The elevator dinged and we got out on our floor.

“It just occurred to me that our relationship, both real and fake, has largely been set in hotels,” Harper remarked as she unlocked our door.

“Makes you wonder what we’ll be like when the season is over, huh?”

She pushed open the door, and we made our way inside. The room was nice, with a king bed, living room area and a great view of the mountains in the distance.

“I’ll most likely be gone,” she answered matter-of-factly, opening her carry-on. We had a method by now, the way we settled into a room.

“Really?” I asked, starting my own unpacking ritual. First thing to come off was always my suit coat.

“When you guys make it to the Cup, it will be May. I’m presenting my dissertation that month. Honestly, I could go at any time if I wanted. It’s not like I need to stay on campus other than to meet with my advisor.” She paused, looking up at me with eyes I couldn’t read. “And I’m here for you. For the research, of course, but...for you.”

I swallowed the tension in my throat. “When does your new job start?” I’d foolishly assumed I’d have until the end of summer, but with her graduating, summers didn’t matter anymore.

“Whenever I’m ready,” she answered, turning to lean on the dresser. “I need to present, of course, but mostly I need to have this new foam ready. I need to have something to take to him—my new boss. The lab is mine as long as I’m the best person for the job, but if I can’t deliver this, then he’ll go with the next in line.”

“Cutthroat.” I winced.

“Business.” She shrugged. “It’s the timeline that’s tight.” She fidgeted with her hands, and I waited for her to come back to me from wherever her thoughts had taken her. “I just didn’t think I’d have something—someone to leave. It’s a lot of change for me in a small amount of time.”

“It is.” A heaviness settled over us that hadn’t been there before. I guess that’s what happened when you addressed the elephant sitting in the corner. “So, what rules do you have for us?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’ve been thinking about that.” She flashed a smile.

“No doubt you have.” I sat on the bed across from where she was still anchored at the dresser.

“Okay. Rule one: I will always take your phone call unless I’m in the middle of lab work, just like I know you can’t hop off the ice if I call. And I guess I need it, too.” She sighed. “I get wanting to be a priority. And I’m not used to prioritizing other people, so it might take me a little bit to catch on. But the way you showed up at the lab that day? You came without a full explanation, and I want that. So maybe my first rule is more of we’ll make each other a high priority. We both have careers where we can’t really bump that out of number one, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can be number two. But only at this.” She nodded like I needed to understand the magnitude of her agreeing to come in second ever.