I finish getting dressed and head out to the family and friends lounge with the rest of the guys. I’m not expecting anyone to be there to see me—I don’t have any friends or family in the area yet—but when I spot Hannah watching me from across the room when I walk in, my heart kicks against my ribs. I want nothing more than to cross the room and wrap her in my arms, but we both know we’ve got to keep our distance here where anyone could see us. Especially with coaches and her dad potentially around.

She gives me a warm smile that hits me right in the chest. I make my way over, careful to keep things looking casual even though every part of me is screaming to touch her.

“Good game,” she says, her mismatched eyes shining.

“Thanks,” I tell her, fighting every instinct to pull her against me. Standing this close without being able to touch her is fucking torture, but I get it. We both agreed to keep things quiet, especially around the team. That doesn’t mean I can’t hate every second of it, though.

I stare into her eyes a moment longer, hoping she can see how much I want her, before she excuses herself to chat with some of the wives and girlfriends nearby. We both know it’s safer this way. Smarter. But that doesn’t make it any easier to watch her walk away.

Frustrated, I slump down into a chair to watch Hannah chatting with the other women. It’s stupid to think like this since we aren’t even dating, but part of me can’t help wondering if she and I are ever going to be able to have what some of the other guys have with their women or if we’re always going to have to keep sneaking around. I’m not giving up on the possibility, but the more time we spend together, and the more I fall for her, the more I realize how hard it is to keep what we have a secret.

After a few minutes, I slip out of the arena and head for my bike. It’s not too late on the West Coast, so I decide to give my mom a call before I head home. She answers after just a couple of rings as I lean casually against my bike, the phone pressed to my ear.

“Bonjour, mon cœur!” The smile in her voice is clear even over the phone, and it automatically brings a smile to my face too.

“Hi, Mom. How are you doing?”

“I’m a little tired, but I’m hanging in there. I was watching your game. That was an incredible goal Noah scored at the end. You did great work setting him and Theo up.”

“Thanks! I was wondering if you’d tune in.”