Free Skating on Thin Ice: Seattle Sockeyes (Game On in Seattle Book 1) by Jami Davenport

Ced. The guy needed one of those take-a-number machines installed on the door of his condo to accommodate the steady stream of women in and out—often more than one a night. Coop had his share of women, and he could flirt with the best of them, but right now it was all about the playoffs for him. Women came later, after the playoffs. Hopefully much later.
    Cedric sighed as if he were the most maligned guy on the team.
    “It’s the playoffs. Get your head in the game and forget about the women.”
    “The women are part of the game. Without the women, I wouldn’t be able to wind down.”
    Cooper shrugged. “Whatever works, Ced.”
    They were the last two on the bus and got the evil eye from the coach as they kicked a few young guys out of their preferred seats.
    “I’m going to look into that guy.” Cooper muttered for only Ced’s ears.
    “What guy?” Obviously, Ced had moved on to another subject, a subject most likely with a nice rack.
    “Williams. I want to know his story.”
    “Whatever. I wouldn’t put much energy into it. Whatever happens, we don’t get a vote. Consider it a grand adventure.” Cedric pulled his baseball cap down over his eyes and tipped his seat back.
    Cooper glared at his buddy. Sometimes Ced irritated the hell out him. Beating the crap out of the team’s second highest scorer probably wasn’t an option.
    He sighed and stared out the window. He had good instincts, and right now his instincts didn’t trust Ethan Williams.
     

Chapter 6—Check to the Head
    The excitement of the playoffs sucked Ethan in like nothing ever had in his life—not even making his first billion on a gamble that paid off came close to the euphoria of watching his team win a playoff game, and they were his team—damn it.
    He was walking on air after the Giants split the next two at home, losing the first and winning the second, tying the series at two-two. The playoff atmosphere in the finally sold-out arena didn’t match the din of Montreal’s arena, but he’d take it. For now.
    Lauren had cast several strange looks at him during those games even as she was jumping up and down and screaming her lungs out. Maybe he’d been a little too excited for a guy who supposedly didn’t have a horse in this race and hadn’t been around long enough to develop an affinity for the staff and players or to feel part of the team.
    Ah, Lauren . Somehow, he’d managed to keep it strictly business between them even though his dick protested like a mother, and the rest of his body joined in on the torture. He could not and would not go down that road again. His family and his partners counted on him to maintain a professional atmosphere, and screwing one of his management personnel didn’t exactly breed confidence in his abilities, especially since he’d succumbed to a female employee a few years ago with near disastrous consequences for the family business. Yeah, so technically no one knew he owned the team, and the staff still worked for the Sleezers. But the justifications he’d worked over and over in his head still didn’t make it right.
    But Lauren was so fucking hot like a sexy librarian, and so attractive to him. Her hockey knowledge alone gave him a raging hard-on. Throw in her cute body, pretty face, and take-no-prisoners attitude, and he was all in, even though he couldn’t be. He needed her as an employee, and a temporary fling would change their relationship irrevocably. In addition, he was slowly earning her trust, even though on so many levels, he didn’t deserve it.
    Tonight they were back in Montreal and sat in the guest owner’s box. Conspicuously absent were the Sleezers. Ethan didn’t miss the constant bickering and whining of the brothers and their ladies du jour.
    Lauren looked around the small box then at Ethan. “Where is everyone?”
    “I haven’t a clue. It’s like we missed an important memo or something.” Ethan popped the tops on two beers from the small bar in the corner of the