could pin that feeling on. No difference in her kiss. No shadows in her eyes. Nothing more than that sickening certainty in my gut.
And I wasn't sure if I should be glad I was right or not. What right did I have to hold her back if she wanted to leave?
Why did I want her to stay?
I didn't have an answer to that last one. All I knew was that I enjoyed having her around. Enjoyed spending time with her. It wasn't just the sex, as mind-blowing as it was. There was just something about her that drew me. That made me want her to stay.
Maybe it was just a temporary obsession, even though that word was probably too strong. Maybe I was complete ass for trying to get her stay when she wanted to leave. Maybe we'd both be tired of the other in a few days or even weeks.
Maybe.
Then again, maybe not.
I released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding then bent over and went back to tightening my laces. "Did Addy talk her into staying?"
"Yeah, as far as I know. Something about mani-pedis and shopping therapy." Nathan took a seat on the bench next to me and started taping his stick. "I have a feeling my credit card is going to get a workout, which means you owe me."
"Yeah, no problem." I finished with my right skate then moved to the left. "Are you sure that's what she said? Shopping therapy?"
"Something like that. Why?"
"Because Morgan doesn't strike me as the kind of woman who goes on shopping sprees."
"And you would know this how, exactly?"
"I just do."
"Yeah, if you say so." Nathan ripped the tape from the roll and patted the free end down. "You've known her for an entire week—which means you don't know her at all."
"I know more than you think."
"You keep telling yourself that."
I tied off the laces then straightened, my gaze anything but cordial when I stared at Nathan. "Like you have any room to talk?"
"Different situation."
"Yeah? Because if I recall, you were fu—"
"Don't even go there. Not unless you want me to ram my fist down your throat."
I cleared my throat and tamped down the irrational anger. At least, I tried. "How long were you with Addy before you learned who she really was?"
"That's different."
"Yeah? How?"
"We were having a one-night stand. We didn't want to know anything about each other."
"Bullshit. A one-night stand is just that: one night. You were in over your head the second time you were with her."
"Not hardly."
"I still call bullshit."
"Whatever. At least I know she isn't after me for my money."
Nathan had a point there. I wasn't entirely sure how much he made but I knew he wasn't suffering. Neither was I, when it came to that. But Adelaide Landry came from money. Old money—and a lot of it. I'd been inside her family home—we all had, when the team's owner had thrown a party of sorts for us. It was like stepping into a museum dedicated to the Landry family going back four or five generations, filled with antiques whose value I couldn't even begin to guess.
The meaning behind Nathan's words finally struck me and I whirled toward once more. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You better hope you have a better reaction time out on the ice tonight."
"Fuck my reaction time on the ice. I want to know what the hell you meant by that."
"Just what I said. You know nothing about this woman who just happened to show up in your apartment with some off-the-wall story. For all you know, she's looking for a sugar daddy or something."
"I'm not old enough to be anyone's sugar daddy. And do people even use that term anymore?"
"Not a clue but it fits."
"The hell it does. I'm the one who asked her to stay, remember?"
"Which only proves you need someone to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours."
"If you're looking for volunteers, I'll be first in line."
I looked to my left then swallowed a groan when Tristan took a seat on my other side. He reached around me, snagged Nathan's roll of tape, then started wrapping the butt of his stick.
"You don't even know what we're talking about, Tris, so take a hike."
"I don't need to know, not if it involves smacking you. As for me going anywhere...I'll pass."
"This doesn't concern you."
"Since when did that ever make a difference?"
"I'm serious, Tris. Get lost."
"You're talking about that girl you're shacking up with, right?"
I clenched my