“How do these motherfuckers sleep at night?” I ask.

  “Relax, Jana probably hired these ones.”

  I watch as the boat goes ahead of our boat, since we’re anchored, and snaps a few pictures of Jana and Kane. She waves them off and leans over the boat.

  “Not me, idiot, all of them.” She points toward where everyone else is. Then she deserts Kane and directs everyone where to go.

  Ande comes over to me. “I’m supposed to sit on your lap,” she says with raised eyebrows.

  I smile and tap my lap.

  “Warner! Come here!” Jana yells.

  “Watch my line and let me know if anything bites.” His face is dead serious.

  “I will.”

  Just as I think Ande is going to sit in my lap, she bypasses me and sits in Warner’s now-vacant chair.

  “Are you having fun?” I ask.

  “Honestly, I’m feeling kind of nauseous,” she says and puts her hand on her stomach.

  “Seasick?”

  “I’ve never had it before, so I’m not sure if it was the mimosas or the breakfast, but they’re not sitting right.”

  I run my hand over her back. “Want me to see if we can get back to land somehow?”

  She shakes her head. “I don’t want a picture taken of me leaving this boat. What would they say?”

  “Who gives a shit what they’d say?” I open my arms. “C’mere. Let me comfort you a little.”

  Reluctancy is written all over her face, but she does stand and come nuzzle into my lap, placing her head on my shoulder.

  I run my hand up and down her back, casting small kisses on the top of her head. “I bet the captain has something that could help.”

  “I don’t want to move right now.”

  A contented sigh leaves my lips. “Okay. We don’t have to go anywhere.”

  We stay like that for a while longer, and part of me wonders if she falls asleep. That guy on the other boat comes by again, clicking away with his camera, but this is what Jana wants and I’m not opposed to people knowing I’m falling in love with this girl.

  After twenty minutes or so, Ande bolts up. “Oh my god!”

  She bends over the edge of the boat, throwing up. I hurry and grab her long hair, telling her all will be okay. When she stops vomiting, she remains leaned over the side, mumbling about how embarrassing this is, especially with the other boat there. I reassure her it’s fine.

  “Oh shit.” Ford comes over. “Hold on, I can get you something.”

  He disappears and Ande takes a break from throwing up for a moment. Her face is pale and clammy when Ford returns with Lena. Is she the something?

  “Being seasick is the worst.” Lena digs into her purse and pulls out a small pill. “It might not take effect right away and it’s probably gonna make you really tired, but it’s better than throwing up all day.”

  Ande doesn’t ask any questions and takes the pill.

  “Let it dissolve under your tongue,” Lena says.

  Then Saige comes by with a washcloth and presses it to Ande’s forehead. I want to tell them to stop crowding us, that it’s my responsibility to take care of her, but it’s also nice to see how accepted she’s been by all the significant others.

  “I thought it was going to be me.” Imogen hands Ande a water. “Slow sips.”

  Ande’s face is beet red from all the attention, but she doesn’t fight anyone, not even me.

  “Honey, your pole!” Imogen screams.

  Warner hops over a chair and rushes to his pole. He stares for a moment. “Did it really move?” he asks his wife.

  “Nope, just joking.”

  He picks her up and pretends he’s going to throw her overboard.

  “Fucking family trait, huh?” he says.

  She giggles and holds on tight to his neck. He holds her over the water and there isn’t one ounce of doubt in Imogen’s face that says she’s worried he might drop her. And she’s right, because he pulls her close to him and he kisses her instead.

  That’s trust. That’s the kind of trust I want Ande to have in me.

  I’m packing to spend a long weekend away with Cory during one of his out-of-town stints while I chat with York on speakerphone.

  “Seems like our plan is going well. You haven’t slept with him yet, have you?”

  “No.” Although I’ve had the urge more than once. The more we spend time together, the closer I get to what I was afraid would happen—I’m falling for Cory again. When I’m around him, I forget why I’m so pissed. I forget the plan I set into motion.

  “Good. Sex will complicate things. Do you think he loves you? From the pictures, he looks like he might be in love.”

  I fold a shirt and place it in my suitcase. “I don’t know. He says…”

  Talking about Cory with my sister is starting to feel uncomfortable. She always asks a million details.

  “What?” she prods.

  “He says sweet things.”

  “Yeah, he always told me sweet things too. Probably has a book with all his swoony lines so he doesn’t forget them.”

  I pack up my toiletries in the bathroom and bring them over to my suitcase. I’ve seen pictures of Cory at five-star resorts and Michelin-starred restaurants after some games. Figuring out what I should pack isn’t easy.

  “I was wondering if he’s reached out to you? Since he’ll be in Denver next week.”

  She’s silent for a while and I’m thinking he did reach out and maybe she doesn’t want to tell me because she thinks I won’t be able to keep up the act.

  “He actually didn’t,” she says.

  “Oh.”

  “But that doesn’t mean much. This Jana sounds like she’s got him on a tight leash. The Cory I knew would do anything to save his career. That always took center stage in his head.”

  I don’t say anything, rearranging my suitcase because I’m uncomfortable. She’s right. Based on all the conversations I’ve had with Cory, hockey does take priority. But if he really wants me in his life, where do I fall? I guess I could ask him. Although why do I care?

  I squeeze my eyes shut in frustration. It’s hard to keep my emotions in check, remember what I’m supposed to be feeling and what’s real. Lately they feel reversed. “Yeah, Jana’s on top of it. She hired that guy to take pictures of us on that boat.”

  York laughs. “Was it really seasickness? I felt so bad seeing the pictures with Cory holding your hair back and then you in his arms. I could feel how horrible and embarrassed you must have been.”

  “I don’t know what it was. We had mimosas. Maybe it was the alcohol, but… I’m just glad it’s over. And I’m happy the blog people were nice about it rather than saying how gross I am or something.”

  “They’ve been really supportive of you and Cory. Almost like your cheerleaders, which must make that Jana happy.”

  I nod, though she can’t see me. “It does. That’s why she wants me to go to a few away games. Said that will help solidify our relationship. I guess Cory’s reputation has really turned around. Amazing how quickly people forget.”

  “Until we out that he slept with two sisters.” I don’t miss the glee in her voice.

  “And he’s heartbroken like he’s left so many others,” I add, my voice having far less enthusiasm than hers.

  “Of course, that too. I can’t wait to see his face when he sees me standing next to you.”

  York has that vindictive tone she used when Dad told us our mom reached out and wanted to take us to dinner long after she left. York would have no part of it, but I went. In the end, I’d wished I was more like York because my mom said she wanted to be a part of our lives again but never reached out after that.

  My phone buzzes. “Gotta go, York, my Uber is here.”

  “Okay, remember, do not sleep with him. I know you, and if you do, those feelings you had for him will come snowballing back.”

  I zip my suitcase. “Don’t worry. I have my own room and stuff.”

  “I always worry about you, Ande. You’re my sister.”

  My heart melts from hearing her say that. York isn’t the heart-to-heart type of woman. She rarely says anything about emotions. The crazy part about this whole charade is how much closer I feel toward her now. And I like it. After Dad died, I felt as if I had no family. I spent the holidays with my friends and there was always an underlying sadness because I didn’t share blood with any of them.

  “Hey, maybe we can do something for Thanksgiving or Christmas together this year?” I ask before I hang up.

  “I’d love to. Mark it on the calendar.”

  Although the holidays are far away, I love that she committed so quickly. Maybe I’m not the only one who regrets that we weren’t close.

  We say goodbye and I rush out the door with my suitcase in hand. The team already flew out this morning so they could practice before the game.

  I inhale a deep breath as the Uber pulls away from my house and heads toward the highway. With any luck, this might be the last thing I have to do with Cory before we come clean. Four days. I can do this. I can make him fall in love with me, then I’m done.

  Saige and Tedi are at the game like Jana promised. Our seats are close to the Fury bench and the sin bin. It’s clear why Saige made the trip—Aiden is back on the ice and in the starting line again, which means Cory is back on the second line with Tweetie. Tweetie got knocked down when Warner started the team, but I’ve never detected any hard feelings between them.

  The minute they announce Aiden, Saige stands and cheers. Although I’m happy for them, seeing Cory on the bench breaks me.

  “It sucks, right?” Tedi whispers. “I never thought I was this empathetic until I became the girlfriend of a hockey player. Tweetie is better now, but at first, he took it hard.”

  I nod. “Of course Aiden got his spot back. He should.”

  Saige sits and glances over, clearly guessing what we’re talking about. “I’m sorry,” she says with genuine compassion.

  “You do not need to apologize. I’m sure Aiden is ecstatic to be back on the ice.”

  She smiles wide. “Yeah, we’ve had some tough nights. Let’s just hope he’s back on his game.”

  Which he is, because he scores the first goal of the game, solidifying his spot on the team. Aiden must’ve had a fire under his ass because between him, Ford, and Warner, we’re ahead three nothing by the third period. At least that means that Cory’s line gets a little extra time on the ice. As if he’s got something to prove, Tweetie and Cory do some sort of play that gets the Fury two more goals by the time the game ends. We all cheer when they win five to nothing.

  “Truthfully, St. Louis is struggling this year, but a win’s a win!” Tedi claps while we head up the stairs.

  “Stop putting a damper on the win.” Saige lightly shoves Tedi, then comes alongside me. “You know, I’m not just trying to sell my services, but Cory really needs someone to handle his social media. There are some nasty comments on his accounts. I’m not sure he’s done anything with them since he joined the team. Maybe you’re up for doing it for him?”

  I chuckle and shake my head. “No.”

  “Can you bring it up to him? I never want to put them in an uncomfortable situation.” She hands me her card.

  “Thanks, Saige. I’ll bring it up to him.” I take the card. Now more than ever, I want to look up his social media. I don’t know how I’ve managed to resist thus far. When we were apart, I thought it would just make me miserable. Now that we’re together, I’m afraid of what comments I might find. “I’m surprised Jana never said anything.”

  “Cory probably didn’t need someone to manage his accounts before, but since he took Aiden’s spot for a while, his name is more well known. A few pictures of you two on there wouldn’t hurt.” She smiles and catches up to Tedi.

  I walk behind them, pocketing Saige’s card and processing all the different things that factor into the life of a professional athlete. It’s not just playing the game. The job takes over their entire lives.

  An average person can leave their job and go out to dinner. They can be rude or tell off a waiter. They can sleep with as many people as they want, and no one cares. But a hockey player only has privacy at home. That’s gotta be hard.

  “Let’s go celebrate!” Tweetie says when he and Cory come out of the locker rooms.

  Cory puts his arm around my shoulder. “Sorry, we’ve got plans. See you guys tomorrow.”

  “Hey, Jet!” Aiden yells, and Cory turns around. “You did amazing out there. That new play—”

  Cory cuts him off. “Thanks. You did too.”

  Then Cory’s escorting me into a taxi, and once we’re in the back seat, he gives the driver the name of the hotel.

  “Do you mind room service?” Cory asks. “I promise to keep my hands to myself, I just don’t feel like being out right now.”

  I grab his hand and link our fingers, sensing he needs physical comfort of some kind. “Sure.”

  Cory is quiet most of the ride to the hotel, and we opt for my room since he shares his with Warner. He kicks off his shoes and takes off his suit jacket. I hand him the menu as he sits in the chair in the desk area.

  We get our food order, but Cory barely touches his. I try to start a few different conversations, but he’s abnormally in his head. I even ask if he wants to talk about anything that’s bothering him, to which he says no. He apologizes profusely about his mood and says maybe he should just go back to his room.

  Finally, after two drinks from the minibar, he lets it all out. “I knew Drake was coming back, that the position is his and I was just filling in, but it sucks. I thought I was cool with it, but I didn’t realize how much I liked being on the starting line until I wasn’t.”

  I pat the spot next to me on the bed, and he stands from the office chair and sits next to me. The mattress dips from his weight. I get on my knees behind him, massaging his shoulders. He undoes the buttons at the top of his shirt.

  “I’m really sorry you have to deal with this.” I dig my hands into his shoulders.

  “I keep thinking how it’ll be years before Drake retires… am I better off trying to score a trade to a different team that doesn’t have a great center?”

  My hands pause as I think about what it would mean for me if he left the Florida Fury. Which tells me I’m in more trouble than I thought, because I shouldn’t care. I definitely shouldn’t feel as if there’s a weight dragging me down.

  “Is that something you’d want?” My voice cracks.

  Cory turns around and tugs me into his lap. I get lost in his dark eyes because they’re always the best way to tell what he’s feeling. I know before he answers that he doesn’t want to leave Florida. “No. Maybe if you weren’t there, but as things stand right now, I don’t want to leave.”

  I want to tell him to call his agent and look at other teams. I want to tell him that I’m about to break his heart, so he should do what he has to do to be happy, but I say nothing. Truth is, a large part of me doesn’t want him to leave. Just the thought of this ending between us feels like a nail piercing my heart. And I really need to get over that feeling because York and I are going to out ourselves soon and then this will all be over, and Cory will hate me.

  I open my mouth to tell him the truth, but the energy in the room shifts and his gaze falls to my lips. I inhale, my tongue sliding out to lick my lips. He dips his head down and his fingers thread through the hair on the side of my head. Am I really going to let him kiss me? He’s patient and waiting for me to meet him halfway because I’ve been the one keeping us from having any physical intimacy. Without thinking of the repercussions, I bring my lips to his and immediately know that I don’t regret a thing.

  Having Ande traveling with me is better than I hoped. Now that we’re in Chicago and we have a little more free time, I want to take her on a real date. Especially since I ruined the other night with my “poor me” act.

  We won against Chicago, although it was a bigger challenge than the last game. Aiden got the game-winning goal. I can’t deny that he deserves his position, but being second in line sucks all the same. And Aiden isn’t close to retirement like Kane.

  I push all the pressure of that aside and knock on Ande’s hotel room door. She answers wearing a blue dress that clings to every curve of her body. Her high heels bring her closer to my height. Since she allowed me to kiss her last night, I plan on kissing her more tonight, so the heels will give my neck a break.

  “You’re leaving me breathless in that dress.”

  Her cheeks color and she fidgets for a second. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure where we were going.”

  I’m still dressed in my suit from the game because I plan to take her to a nice restaurant and a walk along the Chicago River if it’s not too cold. “Feel free to wear this dress to the supermarket anytime with me.”

  My comment makes her laugh. I love hearing her laugh. It’s a boost to the ego to be the one who makes her happy.

  “Let’s go,” she says and steps into the hallway.

  I back her up against the wall and place one hand over her head and the other on her hip. “I know you’re wearing lipstick, so I apologize ahead of time.”

  I press my lips to hers. A small moan slips from her throat and I lock her to the wall with my hips, wishing we could do room service and lie naked in bed all night.

  She closes the kiss and I honor her wishes, backing off. “Damn, one taste and I’m already hard.”

  She laughs and touches her lips with her fingertips. “How bad is my lipstick?” She brings her hand to my lips and uses her thumb to wipe. “Because it looks like you’re probably wearing more than me.”

  We go back into her room, where she quickly reapplies her lipstick and I use a tissue to wipe mine clean.

  On the way to the elevator, I say, “Feel free to not wear lipstick in the future.”

  The elevator doors open to the lobby as she laughs with her head tilted back. A guy with a camera is there and snaps a picture, which sobers her up.

  She looks at me. “Is this a Jana thing?”