I felt a stab of guilt that I hadn’t come clean with him regarding Bria’s latest threat, but there wasn’t anything he could do, and I still didn’t see a point in adding to his worries. He had a team to get through the playoffs and kids to deal with at home.

“You’ll figure something out. Let’s get through the playoffs and then we can both concentrate on family and the future.”

“Have I ever told you how much your support means to me, sis?”

“A few times, but I never get tired of hearing it.”

He nodded and glanced at his watch. “I’d better get home. Eunice gets pissed when I’m late for dinner.”

“Take care, brother. Don’t wait up for me.”

“Are you going to Axel’s tonight?”

“No, I’ll be home. It’ll be too late when I’m finished up here.”

“Good,” he said with a smug smile and left me standing in the hallway.

I had to laugh. He still didn’t like me dating Axel, and his concern was endearing and entertaining.

Axel and I had only been on one date, anyway. It wasn’t like we were an item.

But I wanted us to be.

Chapter 24—Zero to One Hundred

~~Axel~~

The playoffs were on. The Sockeyes would play the first two games in Vegas, after which, we’d fly back to Seattle and play two games at home. If the series continued, we’d then rotate locations, ending in Vegas for game seven if there was one. The team with four wins would advance.

We flew to Vegas, had a light afternoon practice, after which we ate dinner together as a team.

Our hotel was across from the arena. Afterward, I walked back to the arena and gave a security guard an autograph in exchange for entrance to the building. I had to see Geneva. She’d been on my mind and in my fantasies for the past twenty-four-plus hours. I had plans for her tonight, and my confidence level ran high that she wouldn’t protest one bit. One night hadn’t satisfied my longing for her, and I never thought it would. I’d known long before we’d gotten naked that she’d be something special. I’d been right, not just in bed but out.

And those tats of hers… Holy crap. I loved them. It was like being surrounded by my own private jungle.

Anxious to see her, I hurried down the maze of corridors in the bowels of the arena to the locker room area. The laundry had to be nearby. Her boss, Roy Solstice, came out of the locker room as I walked by. He grinned at me, one of those knowing grins.

“She’s down there. Second door on the left.”

“Thanks, man.” I gave him a mock salute.

“Just don’t distract her too much. She has tons of work to do.”

“Wouldn’t think of it,” I lied.

He snorted, already guessing that distracting her was exactly what I planned on doing. “We’re about finished up here. You’ll see she gets back to the hotel safely?”