Skating on Thin Ice: Seattle Sockeyes (Game On in Seattle Book 1) (22 page)

“Mina, I told you I don’t want anyone scheduled during this time frame. Why the hell did you schedule a Seattle Times interview?”

“Because you said that it’s crucial we promote the hell out of the team. They want to do a feature and that was the only time I could squeeze them in.”

Ethan continued to glower at her; he couldn’t help it. He was just in that kind of mood. “Don’t do it again without asking me first.”

“Yes, my king.” Mina laughed, and Brad joined in.

Damn, he got no respect from the old bat, but firing her wasn’t an option. He didn’t have a clue how he’d function without her. Brad followed him into his office, even though he tried to close the door on his friend. He wasn’t in the mood for company.

Brad helped himself to a cup of fresh coffee from the Keurig machine and sprawled on the leather couch, feet on the glass coffee table.

“I have work to do, and I bet you do, too.” Ethan spoke pointedly. Ethan had been surprisingly impressed at how hard Brad worked on marketing the team. Of course, Brad had been gifted with a silver tongue so selling hockey to Seattle ran right up his alley.

“Yeah, and you’ve been a regular asshole lately. Everyone’s noticed.”

“You mean more than usual?”

“Come on, Ethan. You’re not an asshole to work with. In fact, you’re usually a pretty damn good guy, so what the fuck is up with you?”

Ethan frowned. He hadn’t realized he’d been coming across as an ass to his employees. “I—I’m not sure.” He couldn’t be more honest than that.

“It’s got to be a woman. Did you and Lauren settle your differences?” Brad’s eyes narrowed as he studied his friend, dissecting his body language like no one else could.

“You could say we did.”

“Oh, fuck, you’re not sleeping with her again? You can’t be or you’d be in a better mood.” Brad answered his own question.

Ethan sighed; sometimes Brad was a bigger pain in the ass than Mina. “I let her out of her contract. She’ll be leaving employment with us right after the draft.”

“Which is next week?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s probably for the best.”

“The team is going to suffer for it. She’s a brilliant hockey mind. I hate to let her go.”

“That’s not the only reason you hate to see her go. You’re hot for her.”

Ethan shrugged. He couldn’t reduce what he and Lauren had together down to hockey and sex. It just cheapened a relationship that seemed to be so much more.

Brad studied him in that way only Brad could, passing judgment without opening his mouth.

“What?”

“Well, it is for the better for both of you. While this might put a dent in your reputation, it’d ruin hers and her ability to be taken seriously ever again.”

“I know. I just never thought I’d be running this hockey team without her practical and sound advice.”

Brad nodded. “I think you two had a good partnership going. If you don’t want to let her go, you only have one option.”

“One option? What the hell would that be?”

“Propose.”

“Propose what?”

“Fuck, since when are you so dense? Marry the woman. She can still work for the organization without repercussions, and you two can have your personal relationship, too.”

“So you’re saying that I can have my cake and eat it too if I marry her?” Ethan seriously wondered if Brad had been partaking in some of Seattle’s now-legal marijuana.

“Yeah, it’s perfect.” Brad grinned, as if he’d just solved all of the world’s problems.

“That’s fucking nuts. Propose marriage to keep her here.” And in his bed? Even more importantly, in his life?

“Hey, my parents got married with less in common than that, and it turned out okay.”

“Yeah, but they had some rocky times.”

“Who doesn’t? They’re still together and happier than they’ve ever been. And look at your parents. They’re so happy together, they’re almost disgusting. You’ve had good role models. Why couldn’t you make it work?”

“What about love, Brad? The reason most people marry.”

“Yeah, and get divorced six months later. Highly overrated, I say.”

“You’ve been holding out on me. I’ve never seen your cynical side.”

Brad snorted. “You’d never catch me getting married for love. It’s an illusion. I’ll get married because it makes good business sense, to have kids, and because we’re compatible enough not to kill each other when I leave my underwear on the floor or she spreads her makeup all over the bathroom counter.”

Ethan just shook his head. “You, my man, have a major issue.”

“Like you don’t?”

“You’re the one telling me to put a ring on her finger to keep her here.” Ethan pointed out the obvious but Brad just grinned. “Like I said, you’re fucking nuts. Not going to happen. It’s one of your stupider ideas.”

Brad’s sly smile indicated he knew something Ethan didn’t. “Someday you’ll be eating those words and I’ll be feasting on your apology.”

Brad had pickled his brain from all the partying he’d done in college. That was the only thing that could explain his insane suggestion.

Marry Lauren just to keep her here? That would be absolute insanity.

And Ethan had always been stone-cold sober when it came to sanity.

Maybe it was time to get drunk on insanity and do an incredibly insane thing.

Chapter 16—Tripping

Lauren resisted the urge to chew her fingernails as she sat with Kaley in a small cafe after a late night at work. Everyone worked long hours getting ready for free agency and the draft. Kaley and Lauren were no exception. Kaley’s new responsibilities revolved around assisting with the salary cap and prospective player research, and she excelled in her new role with the team. A role Lauren grudgingly admitted Kaley would never have had with the former management.

“Ethan’s doing incredible things with this team.” Kaley gushed, as if she’d been promoted to the president of the Ethan Parker fan club.

“Yes, he is. His methods are cutting edge, not exactly making him friends with the good ol’ boys, but I think he’s heading in the right direction.”

“You do?” One perfectly sculpted eyebrow peaked under Kaley’s brow. “Then you’re staying?”

The urge to jump up and shout,
hell, yes, I want to be part of this thing he’s building here,
reverberated through her. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to stick with her plan, even if she didn’t have a clue what that plan might entail. “Actually, the opposite. He’s let me out of my contract. I can leave right after the draft.”

“But your aunt just moved here.”

“She didn’t move here to be with me. She moved here because Seattle is a beautiful, progressive city, and she’s always wanted to live here. Me being here gave her that needed kick in the ass.”

“But she still moved here because you’re here.”

Lauren sighed, feeling cranky and defensive. “She’ll stay here because she wants to, and my decision to go has nothing to do with her.”

“Why are you going? Something happened, didn’t it?” Kaley rubbed her chin in thought. “I honestly thought the last few weeks would convince you to stay.

Lauren squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to answer her best friend’s question. She answered it anyway. “Yes, I can’t work with him on a professional level without the personal entering into it. I just can’t. The man attracts me too much.”

“So?”

“So I work for him. All the respect I fought to earn over the past several years is blown to pieces by a sexual relationship with him. I didn’t get this job because I slept with him, I got it because I’m damn good at evaluating hockey talent even if I don’t have a penis.”

“You are, and this staff knows that. They listen. Where are you going to find a progressive organization like this that values your opinion?”

“Lots of teams.”

“Those teams don’t have openings, and most of all, they don’t have Ethan.”

“That’s the point. They don’t have Ethan. If I have to take less money with a minor league team and work my way back up, I’ll do it.”

Kaley blew out one of those long-suffering sighs. “Call me selfish, but I’ll miss you. What’ll I do without my partner in crime?”

“I’m hardly your partner in crime. More like your voice of reason.”

“Still, I’ve dragged you down some naughty paths a few times.”

Nothing like the ones Ethan had dragged her down.

Not anymore.

She’d walk away with her head held high and never look back. Even if it was the greenest place she’d ever lived. With the bluest water. And the handsomest, most infuriating billionaire.

Damn it all to hell. In such a short time, Seattle had soaked into her skin just like Ethan had soaked into her heart.

Chapter 17—High Stick

After the last player in the draft was selected, the staff had an office party, and Lauren attended. None of them realized this was her last day. She didn’t want them to know. She hated goodbyes, and she’d set up a deferred email to be sent out tomorrow to take care of that business for her.

She hoped to make it through the party without seeing Ethan, who had been conspicuously absent. She’d sneak away like a thief in the night. Even though they’d agreed to her leaving after the draft, she doubted he realized she’d be walking out of Sockeye headquarters—lovingly christened the Fish Bowl by Mina—for the last time that evening.

Unfortunately, her fast getaway wasn’t to be; Ethan walked in and spotted her immediately. Now she knew how a deer felt when it looked into the headlights of an oncoming car. She wanted to bolt but didn’t dare; instead she held her ground and met her fate.

“So how do you think we did?” he asked conversationally.

“In the draft?”

He looked at her kind of funny, as if he didn’t get what she meant. “Where else?”

“We did good.” Lauren tugged on her Sockeyes T-shirt, suddenly self-conscious at wearing something so blatantly pro-Sockeyes on her last day in the office.

“Nice shirt,” Ethan commented. “I love that logo our graphics department designed.”

“It’s nice.”

“That forward you wanted was still there when it came our turn to pick. I’m glad we got him.” Ethan shifted from one foot to another, as if being around her made him nervous.

“He flew under the radar.” Lauren glanced around, wishing someone would rescue her. No one even looked their way.

“But not under yours.”

“You’re putting together a good future for this team.” Lauren ignored the compliment but couldn’t ignore the hunger in Ethan’s blue eyes.

“I wish you’d be part of it.”

“I can’t.” She shot down his hopes with those two words.

Ethan sighed. “Will you ever forgive me, Lauren?”

“I don’t think I can, Ethan.” She whispered her response and met his gaze. Oh, God, what a mistake. His sadness struck her deep inside, and pierced her already aching heart. If only— She squelched that thought. No options. This was for the best.

“Then there’s no hope for us?” His voice turned husky, laced with regret.

“Ethan, there never was.” Her eyes started to fill with tears. She would not cry. Not here. Not in front of the Sockeyes staff, and especially not in front of Ethan.

Ethan nodded, as if understanding even when he didn’t want to. “I thought we made a damn good team together, Lauren.”

God, why didn’t he just drop this?

“Somewhat.” She didn’t cut him any slack, even though she wanted to. He’d hurt her deeply, more deeply than he could probably imagine. “I’m leaving tonight, Ethan. I won’t be back. I cleaned out my office and have a message queued to send to staff tomorrow. I didn’t announce it because I don’t want a fuss.”

“I understand.” Ethan’s expression was unreadable. She couldn’t tell how her news affected him, whether he was relieved or sad or nothing at all.

“I hope I’m not putting you in a bind. Have you had any success finding my replacement?”

“I could never replace you, Lauren.” He said it like he meant it. Her throat constricted and she stared down at her feet.

“How about one last dinner talking hockey, your take on the draft, that kind of stuff?”

He dangled the one thing besides sex in front of her she couldn’t resist—talking about the game she loved with a man who treated her as an equal.

Lauren opened her mouth to say no, but the sheer need in Ethan’s eyes stopped her. One last dinner couldn’t hurt. One last memory to hold forever of a very special man, who’d nestled in her heart and refused to leave. A man who’d almost made her think she could take a chance on love again until his actions proved to her just why she shouldn’t.

Despite it all, she accepted his invitation because it was the last one she’d ever have from him.

* * * *

Ethan waited outside The Place for Lauren, still surprised she’d accepted his invitation, though he shouldn’t be, since he’d told her it had to do with the team. And so it did, somewhat, not that he had a plan. He’d be winging it and hoping something brilliant came to mind.

Turning to face the view, he smiled as he gazed around the bustling city and the waterfront with the ferries coming and going, container ships leaving port, and tugboats barging logs. He loved this city. He wished he could teach Lauren to love it, too. In time, he suspected she might, but time was the one thing they didn’t have together.

Ethan’s week had flown by too fast. The draft was over, a very successful draft from his staff’s point of view, and Ethan trusted his staff one-hundred percent. If he didn’t, they wouldn’t stay his staff very long. Despite his euphoria over the draft, a heaviness weighed on his heart. Lauren was gone. Unless he launched one last ditch effort to keep her here.

The temptation to do the spontaneous thing, take a leap of faith, and propose popped into his mind several times a day, even as he batted it down for utter ridiculousness. As ridiculous as the alternative? Life without Lauren? Yeah, but since when did Brad have a good idea, and since when did Ethan listen to his crazy ideas?

Lauren had played a crucial part in their off-season planning. Her insights and statistics were invaluable, while her hazel eyes stayed in his head and her honeyed scent floated in the air even when she wasn’t nearby.