time they’d finished stretching, he was in half a mind to fuck his rules and join Olivia in the shower. Instead, he took a quick shower of his own while trying not to think of her in the guest bathroom down the hall. Once done, he busied himself with breakfast. Eggs. Bacon. Toast. While things were cooking, he poured yogurt into two dishes and chopped fruit to go on top. When Olivia joined him, there was also freshly squeezed orange juice and a carafe of coffee on the counter.
“I didn’t think about a hair dryer,” she said. “Do you have one?”
Anders shook his head. “Sorry. I never bother with my hair. It just dries itself like this.”
She ran her fingers through her hair. “Urgh, I’m envious. Mine takes ages to dry. I’ll just braid it before I leave.”
He opened his arms to her, and she walked into them. Her hands slid around his back and rested on the waistband of his jeans, as he rested his chin on the top of her head. Even though she’d brought her own things, she smelled like the body wash he’d put in there for guests, the same product he used.
“Come to the game tonight. I’ll get you a ticket.”
Her body stiffened against his, and he didn’t like it.
“It’ll be fun. I bet Sarah will be there. You two could sit together. She knows how it all works and could show you the ropes.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that I don’t want to watch you. I think that would be really fun. It’s just . . .”
He waited patiently as she searched for the words to describe whatever was on her mind.
“What I told you yesterday. About the breakdown. Anders, I can’t be the center of attention. Good or bad. I don’t need to sit in a VIP area with wives and girlfriends and have people speculate about who I’m with or why I’m there.”
Fear.
He could understand that.
But it worried him. He preferred to remain pretty low-key as hockey players went, but even he couldn’t avoid the celebrity status that came with being a major player in the top league in the country. And given his free agency was one of the most talked about contracts up for grabs, the media watched him even more closely than usual.
“Hey,” he said, taking her chin between his thumb and finger to lift her face to his. “I get it. I’ll get you two tickets in the regular seats. I’ll even get them a few rows back if that makes you more comfortable. Just come watch tonight, please?”
She studied him for a minute and then nodded. “Okay, I’d like that.”
He ran his thumb over her lip before pressing his mouth to hers. When her tongue met his, he groaned at the sweetness of it. He leaned back against the kitchen island and pulled her between his legs.
“Does that mean you’re going to score some goals for me?” Olivia asked.
Anders laughed. “How many do you want?”
“What’s a good hockey score?”
He shook his head at the simple question. “The average goals per game is a little under three per team.” Olivia pursed her lips and he couldn’t resist stealing a chaste kiss. “But the average points per player is somewhere around one to one point five. I’m running a solid one point three.”
“Well, are you average or better than average?” she asked.
The words nipped at his competitive spirit. “Älskling, I think we both know the answer to that.” He reached behind her and grabbed her ass. “So, two then?” Anders asked. Olivia tilted her head to the side and he playfully nuzzled her neck.
“At least two.”
“Well, let’s say at least two. I get a point for a goal or an assist. What do I get if I get two points?”
“That’s easy. We reduce it to four dates.”
“If I get three points?” He knew his voice had dropped to a rough growl, but the flare in Olivia’s eyes told him she was right there with him.
She stepped up to her toes and kissed him. “Three dates,” she murmured against his lips.
“This was our third date,” he said, confirming he understood her meaning.
“I know.” Her body stepped further into his.
The back door burst open, and Olivia jumped in his arms.
“Jag önskar att det bara skulle snöa istället för att kännas så fuktigt,” Karl said, rubbing his hands together.
Right now, he couldn’t give a fuck about Karl’s view on whether it should snow or not.
Anders scowled at Karl who was looking