“Oh my God,” she said, her hand stroking back up his arm. “They’re so cute. I’ll have to come watch you one day before I leave. I bet you’re great with them.”
His barriers slipped a little more. “Really?”
She looked over her shoulder. “Really what?”
“You want to come watch the kids?”
“I want to watch you with the kids, but yeah, I do. Is that okay? Do I need to tell you when I’m coming or can I just drop in?”
A strange icy-hot tingle swirled in his gut. “You can come anytime.”
She turned to face him. “What’s that funny look for?”
He shook his head. “I guess I just realized that no one’s ever been interested before. I’ve been running this camp for six years, and aside from my family or teammates, I can’t think of anyone who’s ever wanted to come watch.”
Her smile dropped. “Not even your wife?”
“Ex-wife,” he corrected, even though he knew Olivia was referring to her as his wife at the time she’d been his wife. The reference still sat wrong. “And no. I guess I never expected anyone to.”
“Tate—“ She broke off abruptly with a frustrated huff of air. “I can’t talk to you like this. You’re too damn tall.” With her hand fisted in his sweaty jersey, she used him for balance while she toed out of little half boots and climbed on the arm of a leather lounge.
“Jesus, Liv, be careful.” He was watching the chair to make sure it didn’t tip, until Olivia put her free hand to his face and guided his eyes to meet hers.
“All right. Listen to me now. Your ex was a selfish, angry, mean, unhappy person who didn’t know how good she had it. And she missed out on an amazing life with an amazing man.”
Tate stood there, staring into her beautiful blue eyes, speechless. Not only did he have no idea how to respond, he had no idea where that had come from.
“Promise me—right now—that all future women you date have to pass the hockey kids charity test. If they don’t want to come watch you with the kids…” She hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “They’re out.”
Tate laughed and reached for her waist.
“You think I’m kidding.” With her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her belly against his chest, she looked down at him. “I’m not. If a woman isn’t open enough to be involved in what you do, in who you are, then they don’t deserve you. You’re the prize in the deal. I think you forget that because your ex was—“ Anger flashed in her eyes, and she stopped suddenly. “Your ex had issues. But I’m reminding you right now, you are a prize. And coming from a woman who’s met a lot of men over the course of her life, I can guarantee I know a prize when I see one.”
Tate closed his eyes and pressed his face against her chest. He tightened his arms and just held her a long moment, lost in complex emotions.
When he pulled away, kissed her and then left her watching the kids, all he could think on his way to the locker room was, “Fucking France.”
7
Olivia stood behind the small bar in the lounge, her forearms pressed to the counter. With her chin resting in one hand, she used the other to tap the face of her phone to check the time.
And sighed. “So much for fifteen minutes.”
If Tate didn’t get in here soon, Olivia was going to freeze her tush off. The room wasn’t exactly cold, but the temperature from the rink seeped through the glass, so it wasn’t exactly warm either.
She shifted on her bare feet, straightened and pressed her hands against the edge of the bar, smiling at the joy and concentration on the kids faces.
The door to the lounge swung open. “God, I’m sorry,” Tate said, striding in wearing fresh jeans and tee, hair wet, a duffel on his shoulder. He stopped short and scanned the room. “Oliv—”
“Here,” she said, drawing his gaze. When his eyes landed on her, she gave him a finger wave.
“Oh, jeez, thought you left.” He started toward her distracted. “Glad you found the bar, I forgot to tell you there are drinks and water in the fridge. One of the trainers caught me and—”
His gaze finally stopped jumping around and focused. His dark eyes dropped from her face to her open blouse where she’d unbuttoned the front and left it open to show her lacy bra and lots of skin.
All his air whooshed out. His gaze jumped back to hers and his lips twitched with a smile before he scanned her open shirt again. “Did you change your mind about going home?”
The look in his eyes exposed just how hungry he was, and boosted Olivia’s need. There was definitely something about Tate. Something that pulled at her. Something that tied her insides in knots.