He must see that it frightens me because the next words out of his mouth soothe me. His voice is low when he breathes them. “Don’t. Don’t let it scare you away. You are the one person I want to explore. Let’s explore us, Cate. This is the real thing. I know it is.” His mouth crashes into mine, bruising it, and taking my breath away. He’s right. I can’t deny this—whatever it is between us and I can’t push him away, nor do I want to. This may be our one chance in a lifetime to find our own chunk of happiness.

“I won’t let it scare me, Drew.”

“Good. Now kiss me for good luck.”

When we enter the ice rink, I instantly spy Caroline. She’s sitting in the same area we sat last time. She sees me, too, and waves. Drew tells me he’ll catch me after the game.

“Cate, I’m so glad you’re here!” Caroline says, when I take the seat next to hers.

“So am I. Do you think they’ll win?”

“I hope so. Sam’s been talking about this game all week. I’ll be glad when it’s over.”

I can’t help but laugh. Then I look up and see HockeyHo entering. “Oh my.” We both giggle.

Caroline sucks in her breath and I raise my brows. “Would you look at that?”

I cough to cover my bark of laughter. “What the hell? It’s getting close to Thanksgiving. Does she not realize we don’t live in Florida?”

“Guess not,” Caroline sputters between giggles.

HockeyHo is wearing a bikini top festooned in feathers.

“Maybe she thought the shirt with Drew’s number on it wasn’t enough.” I’m just fascinated by her brazen behavior.

“Oh, dear. Check out her hat.”

She’s wearing one of those straw cowboy hats and on the front is pasted a sign that reads, “I’m in love with Drew McKnight.” Then on her ass she has written, “Drew’s #1 Fan.”

“Have you seen her ass?”

Caroline is doubled over. “She won’t give up. I give her credit for perseverance.”

“Yeah, or just pure stupidity.”

The guys take the ice and HockeyHo goes crazy. I can’t help but roll my eyes. Drew looks up at the stands and he appears to be quite mortified when he sees her. I give him a thumbs up. Sam punches him on the arm and the rest of the team starts giving him hell. Poor guy. I have to feel sorry for him. But dayam, that chick is a kook.

During the game, HockeyHo plasters herself and her double D’s that threaten to pop out of her bikini top against the glass and it looks like she’s dry humping it. Where do people like this come from? I’m at a loss.

Drew plays magnificently, and HockeyHo plays the part of the hooker cheerleader. Unfortunately, I’m so caught up in her, I miss one of Drew’s goals. Damn her! When the game finally ends, Caroline and I run down to where the team is and congratulate them. Drew leans over and kisses me. HockeyHo is not happy.

Caroline and I wait near the entrance to the locker room, but HockeyHo sidles up to us. I’m not sure if she thinks she actually has a chance with Drew or not. It’s embarrassing to watch her. The guys funnel out of the locker room at last and when Drew spots her, he is reluctant to move. I make it easy on him and run into his arms.

“Babe, that was awesome. Congrats on another win.” He lifts me up and kisses me, and not just a shorty either. When he releases me, I say in his ear, “Just keep talking to me all sexy-like, so she doesn’t get a chance to butt in.”

His hand is in my hair, but HockyHo, having no couth, butts in anyway.

“Hey Drew. How about let’s go out to celebrate?” HockeyHo is definitely slow on the uptake.

“Huh? No, I’m going home with my girlfriend and we’re going to have sex.” Then he whispers to me, “Sorry, but I think it’s gonna take everything I’ve got to get rid of her.”

“I don’t think a woman who dresses like that is ever going to take the hint.”

“You’re probably right.”

Then HockeyHo says, “Well, next time then,” and sashays out of there.

We all can only stand and stare at her. What else can we say?

Finally Sam asks if we’re headed to dinner and we all decide to grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant the team frequents. Some of them are already here when we arrive and Drew introduces me. It’s fun to watch the guys banter about the game. But I notice that Drew doesn’t hand it out as much as the others.

Caroline and I sit together and I ask about it. “Do they always act like this?”

“Oh, today isn’t as bad as usual. Most times they are like twelve-year-olds on the playground at school. It’s ridiculous. I give Sam a hard time about it. It’s nice to have another girl around, let me tell you.”

“It must be the testosterone thing.”

“Yeah, but consider yourself lucky. Drew is better than most of them. I think he’s much more modest. But the others—when they bring a date, oh god, it’s awful. You would think they were playing king of the mountain.”

We share a good laugh.

“It looks like you keep Sam in control, though.”

“Oh, you better believe it. If he starts acting like one of them, I have to jerk a knot in his drawers really fast. Once, I went out of town to visit my family in Michigan, and when I came back, he had reverted to being a Neanderthal. It was ridiculous. He was in the doghouse for a week. I do not put up with that crap at all.”

Drew pops over to us and asks, “What has you two laughing so hard?”

“You guys and the way you act,” I say.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It only reminds me of Mikey Farrell in elementary school.” Then I explain that Mikey was the class clown who was constantly getting sent to the principal’s office.

The look on Drew’s face is priceless. Then it morphs into something completely different. His gaze becomes hot and smoky; he rips my chair away from the table, puts his hands on my sides, and lifts me out of my chair. “Does this remind you of Mikey Farrell?” And his lips crush mine in an intoxicating kiss. I’m so shocked by his actions, my mouth opens, and he takes advantage of the opportunity by sliding his tongue into the cavern of my mouth. In the background, the inevitable catcalls can be heard, but they barely register as I wind my arms around his neck.

“Get a room!”

“Take her home, bro!”

“Do her! Do her!”

He finally releases me and says, “We need to get out of here.”

My head spins from his kiss and I can only nod. I glance to the left of his shoulder to see Caroline giving me the thumbs up.

“My purse,” I say weakly.

“Got it,” is his response.

Giving Caroline a small wave goodbye, I let Drew lead me out of there. We’re half-naked by the time we get home and I’m glad we make it safely. That would be difficult to explain if we had gotten into a wreck. I need to ditch the underwear so these times in the car make it easier on us.

ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES MEETS mine as I slide into the limo. I don’t have a chance to ask or choose another seat as Ted sandwiches me in and closes the door.

“Where should I drop you?” he asks.

Flustered, I spout off my address, wondering how I can move from between Ted and the woman I remember packing up and leaving the first day I was at his office. She sits with her legs tucked beneath her. The black dress she wears blends into the interior of the car but it’s the sparkling studded choker she has on that draws my attention. I don’t remember seeing her at the party. And that piece of jewelry is so spectacular, I know I would have remembered.

Ted informs the driver of my address by pushing a button on a console near his seat. When he turns back to me, his smile is warm and inviting.

“The party a little too much for you?” he asks glancing down at my dress.

I follow his eyes to my once immaculate white dress which now bears crease marks and looks slightly less perfect than when I put it on.

“I’m just tired.” A part of me worries I smell of sex even though I don’t detect anything myself.