Free Edge by Brenda Rothert

each other for a couple lingering seconds. Was he weighing the risks, like I was? He wouldn’t be with our team long-term, and I wanted to be as close to him as I could while I had the chance.
    The alarm on my phone sounded, breaking the spell. I reached for my purse and dug out the phone, turning it off. It meant I had five minutes to get out of here, because the security guy would be doing checks in fifteen minutes and we couldn’t be caught alone in here.
    “Better go,” I said, my knees feeling shaky when I stood. “But you haven’t told me what reward you’d like.”
    He stood too, leaning his back against a locker. “I want to watch you take a shower.”
    My gasp was the only sound in the room. “Watch …? You want …?” I closed my mouth to gather myself so I could form a complete sentence.
    “Yes. Some night after we finish working, I want to lock up the locker room and watch you take a shower.”
    I let out a flustered breath. Just the thought made my pussy clench. Of all the damned times for me to be in a hurry. I wanted to negotiate a deal involving dimmed lights and him watching from at least 50 feet away. My body wasn’t perfect.
    “We could do that,” I said, surprising myself. His wide smile made my knees start weakening again. “But it’ll require you to score twice.”
    “Done.”
    “In one game.”
    “Of course. The sooner the better.”
    “Will you … shower too? On the other side of the shower room, maybe?” The thought of being naked while he was fully clothed was unnerving.
    He shook his head. “I just want to watch you. You can watch me sometime, too.”
    I nodded and slung my bag over my shoulder. “Promise you’d never tell anyone.”
    “I swear, Dell. I’m not an asshole.”
    “I have to go.” I hurried away, looking forward to the cold night air waiting for me. I was hot all over.
    “Text me when you get to your car,” Luke said. I nodded and pushed the locker room door open. My mind swam with sensations as I walked. His warm, low voice, his words and the brush of his breath on my cheek were still with me.
    Would I have the courage to shower while he watched? I didn’t have the slightest idea how to shower sexy. I’d have to figure that out, because something told me he didn’t want to watch me deep condition my hair and exfoliate my face.
    Was it Luke or the fact that we were playing with fire that had me tied up in knots of nervous excitement? I wasn’t sure. The only thing I knew right now was that no one would be pulling harder for him to score in our next game than me.
    ***
    Luke
     
    I shifted my weight from one side to the other as I watched Todd Landis standing around with Dell and some players. He was the team doctor, but no one was hurt, and I couldn’t figure out what the fuck he was doing at our practice.
    He said something and Dell laughed. When he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, looking like he was about to kiss the top of her head, I tossed my stick aside and did a lap. Fucker. The touching rules should sure as hell apply to him, too.
    Tanner blew his whistle and I hoped Landis would take that as his cue to leave. Dell called me over and I skated her way with a questioning look, all too glad to break up the private party. With no one else in earshot, who knew what the hell he was saying to her?
    “Have you met Todd Landis, our doctor?”
    “Hey man, good to meet you,” I said, shaking his hand. He was maybe six feet tall, with dark hair and a lean build. Nothing special, other than the doctor thing.
    “Dell tells me your knee’s doing well. Want me to take a look at you after practice?”
    What I wanted was for him to stop standing so close to Dell that their hips touched. “No, thanks. I’ve got a team of doctors back home who are on it.”
    “Sure.” He looked down at Dell. “I’ll hang out with you and watch practice if you don’t mind.”
    I turned to skate away, but the asshole in me spun back around toward