Wild Zone (Rough Riders Hockey 4)

Olivia wondered if that hollowness went away when you found the right person.

Tate stepped in front of her with her panties. He was still breathing hard, wiping his face on the shoulder of his tee, while righting the lace. In the moment, she was sure she’d never seen a man do anything more adorable. Then he out did himself when he lowered to one knee and held her panties so she could step into them. “Here you go.”

Emotion expanded inside her, the kind of emotion that both alarmed and confused her.

Tears stung her eyes. When he glanced up, she looked away and pulled her feet out from under her.

“What’s that little smile about?” he asked as she stepped into the panties then took over for him.

She straightened, leaned in and kissed him gently. “It’s all about you, Tate Donovan. It’s all about you.”

Olivia rested her head against the seat and gazed out the windshield, but she didn’t see the DC streets or the traffic. Tate had wrung her out and left her blissfully sated. She tilted her head, laid it on his shoulder and let her eyes close.

Tate squeezed her hand where her fingers were threaded with his. “You okay?”

“Mmm, perfect.” She pulled in a breath and let it out in a slow sigh. “But I’m going to have a hard time keeping my eyes open until I get all my work done tonight.”

“Can I help? I’ll let you boss me around and everything.”

She laughed and lifted her head. “That sounds fun, and if I were in my own kitchen, I’d do it, but I’m already out of sync in my mom’s kitchen, so I’d end up walking over you. It’ll be easier for me in the end if I do it on my own. She rested her chin on his shoulder. “Thank you for offering though. That’s sweet.”

She kissed him just below his ear and his head leaned her way. At a stoplight, he turned his head, met her eyes and smiled. They were almost nose-to-nose and he eased forward, pressing a kiss to her lips. His lashes fluttered closed and he let his lips linger. The moment felt so intimate. So perfect.

He pulled back and glanced at the light, which had turned green, and continued down the road. Olivia nuzzled his neck, breathing in the scent of his clean body wash and the male smell of his skin.

“Do you know what you want on the menu for the banquet?” she asked.

“Are you available?”

She laughed. “Only for you.”

He squeezed her hand. “I think I’ll leave that up to you. It’s a complex group of people. We’ll have players who’d really rather be at a bar with a burger and sponsors who are more interested in talking than eating. Then there will be true donors, who are really the ones who pay the most attention to the food. And I’m not going to be any help because I’m not one of the people who knows anything.”

“So, no frou-frou food?”

He grinned. “Good start.”

“Are we talking steaks? Do you want to get really simple with a gourmet burger?”

“I’d lean toward steak, considering how much they’re paying.”

“Okay. What options do you want for vegetarians and vegans and gluten free—”

He groaned.

Olivia laughed. “You want me to handle it?”

“I really do. Is that okay.”

“Of course. That’s my job.” She thought a minute. “Okay, let’s play the either/or game. I’ll give you choices, and with the banquet in mind, you choose. It’s just to give me an idea of what I’m going for.”

“Okay.”

“We already did burgers versus steaks. How about four-course or five-course?”

“I don’t know the difference.”

She smiled. “Warm spinach salad with bacon and feta or cold wedge wit blue cheese, bacon and tomato?”