Later in the afternoon, the team boarded the bus for the hotel, and the equipment staff toiled in the bowels of the arena; our work had just begun. I gathered all the towels in need of washing and set about loading the washing machines, then unloading the dryers I’d started earlier in the day and began my folding.

I wouldn’t be getting out of here anytime soon, but such was the job. Who’d have thought a year ago that I’d be enjoying a job that consisted of handling hockey players’ dirty equipment, uniforms, and towels? Yet I did enjoy it. Not that I didn’t aspire to more. I wanted to move up in the organization. All the other equipment guys were older, and eventually they’d retire. If I managed to swing a full-time job, I saw opportunities down the road. Not bad for a girl with very few job skills and a high school diploma to go from scheduling repairs in a motorcycle shop to working for a professional hockey team.

Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit one of the reasons I was enjoying this job so much had to do with a certain green-eyed rookie with the world’s best man-ass. I’d love to take him for a ride, use him, and abuse him until he dropped from exhaustion. I’d bet he’d never been with a woman like me. I loved sex, and I loved it multiple ways, from hard and raunchy to rough to— I stopped there. My sexual encounters had all been with guys a little on the wild, untamed side. I’d never had sex that was slow, romantic, and gentle. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. Then again, any kind of sex with Axel had to be better than all my other conquests put together.

Hours passed, and I occupied my brain with several fantasies involving Axel, licking tattoos, grasping his hair, and seating myself on his cock as he lay on his back. I’d be giving myself a workout tonight in the privacy of my hotel room.

I tidied up the empty visitors’ locker room and placed recently dried pads in front of each locker just so. Everything had to be perfect for Roy. He set high standards and followed those standards himself. I was learning from one of the best, and I appreciated his hardline stance on all things related to equipment.

The door opened, and I looked up eagerly, hoping it was one of my colleagues reporting the pizza had been delivered. I was starved.

I blinked, not sure if I was seeing things correctly or if I was still fantasizing. This couldn’t be one of my fantasies, though, Axel had way too many clothes on.

“Axel? What are you doing here?” The team bus had left hours ago, and I’d expected him to be on his fourth or fifth beer by now.

“I need to talk to you.”

My heart stumbled and almost fell. I picked it up and tucked it back in place, hoping he hadn’t noticed how much he affected me. “Is it Bria again?”