—

Everyone ended up back at Duncan and Marc’s condo later. Booze was purchased, music was blasted, drinks were consumed. A few other players showed up, some of them with girls. Lovey was a party girl and in her element, flitting from group to group, getting to know people, flirting with handsome hockey players. It was two in the morning when she noticed Marc had disappeared.

She looked around for him with raised eyebrows. When had he left? Where had he gone? To bed? Surely not! How could he sleep with all this noise? Why did he want to? Was he okay?

She slipped away from the party and down the hall, gave a soft knock on his door, then cracked it open. The room was dark, just enough light coming in the window to see his bulky shape beneath a big puffy duvet. He didn’t move.

She frowned. Was he sick? She slid into his room and padded across the carpeted floor to his bed. She bent over and touched his shape with one hand. “Marc?”

Still no response.

She grimaced and set her palm on his forehead to see if he was feverish. He bolted upright, flinging his arm out to knock her away, then stared at her in the dark. “Tabarnak de câlisse!”

She jumped back, hand going to her throat. “Sorry!”

“Lovey?” He pulled earplugs out of his ears and she blinked. “What the hell are you doing in my room?”

“I was worried about you! You disappeared. Why’d you leave?”

“It’s two in the morning! Didn’t I tell you we have an early skate tomorrow?”

“Oh. Yeah. Um…everyone else is still here.”

He closed his eyes. “I should’ve kicked their asses out. In fact, I’m gonna do that now.” He threw back the covers, revealing his big muscled body, and Lovey’s fingers closed around her own throat as her stomach did a little flip. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and her gaze dropped to his lap. Oh thank cheese-its, he was wearing boxers. Or maybe she was a teensy bit disappointed about that. “Goddammit.” He stood, towering over her. “They need to take responsibility. If any of them is yawning and dragging their asses tomorrow, I’m gonna take names, for fuck’s sake.”

He strode toward the door.

“Wait!” Lovely clasped her hands together in front of her.

Marc stopped and turned to her. “What?”

“You’re…not dressed.” She waved a hand up and down. “Um…there are women out there…”

“Oh. Yeah.” He shoved a hand into his perpetually tousled hair.

For some reason Lovey did not want him strutting nearly naked out there in front of those other women, most especially in front of Angel. “I’ll tell them to go. I’ll get Duncan to help.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, then shook his head. “No. I’ll do it. Give me a minute.” He took a few steps to a chair in the corner of the room and grabbed the jeans he’d been wearing earlier. He pulled them up over his boxers, shoving a hand inside them to unself-consciously adjust himself.

Lovey’s pulse spiked and heat gathered low inside her.

He flicked up the zipper and button and then reached for the doorknob. She sighed. Oh well. A shirt was maybe too much to ask for. Not that she wasn’t enjoying the view. She trailed behind him down the hall to the living room, where music still pulsed, watching his long-legged athletic grace, the many muscles in his back, the bulging muscles of his shoulders and upper arms.

Holy hell and shitfire. Her legs went weak.

“Okay, assholes, get the hell outta here,” he shouted in the living room. “At the rink at ten o’clock, for Chrissake.”

All eyes turned to him.

Lovey bit her lip as she leaned against the wall and watched. Were they going to be pissed? Would they even listen to him?

Duncan reached for the sound system and turned the music off. Silence expanded around them.

“Yeah, sorry, man.” Andrew stood up from the couch. “You’re right, it’s late.”

“If you guys are hungover tomorrow, I’m gonna nail your asses into the boards,” Marc threatened. “Your head is aching, just wait.”

“I’m good.” Jared stood too. “Didn’t drink that much. Chill, dude.”

Marc rolled his eyes.

“Okay, g’night everyone.” Duncan herded people to the door.

Lovey gaped at how everyone obeyed Captain Codger, even apologizing, for the love of cheese. His teammates clearly respected him.

“You’ve got my number, right, handsome?” Sadie said to Duncan.

“Uh. Yeah.” Duncan looked like someone was about to take a slap shot at him.

Lovey rolled her eyes. Her brother was a big redneck goof. She never got why girls thought he was so attractive.

“Got time to nap in the afternoon.” Olaf Pilkvist moved to the door. “No worries, Captain Codger.”

Lovey’s lips twitched. Then she watched Angel assess Marc’s impressive chest. Blergh.

“Sorry, ladies.” Marc shot them a small smile. “Someone has to keep these guys in check.”

“Good job, Captain,” Angel said in a throaty voice. She ignored Lovey standing near the hall. “See you again sometime?”

“Yeah, sure. Maybe.”

Lovey’s smile tugged her lips again. How noncommittal he was. Well, at least she knew he wasn’t an asshole.

The guys grumbled, but the condo was empty within minutes of Marc appearing.

He turned and saw her standing there, watching him. “Oh. Hey.”

“Sorry to barge into your bedroom. I wasn’t thinking.”

“What the fuck, Lovey?” Duncan demanded. “What’d you do?”

She rolled her eyes. “I was just worried about him. He disappeared without even saying good night. I thought something was wrong.”

“Nothing other than the fact that he’s the world’s biggest party pooper.” Duncan didn’t even try to hide the comment from Marc.

Marc just laughed. “Shut the fuck up. You just didn’t have the balls to kick them all out.”

“I was having fun.”

Marc shook his head. “I need sleep. G’night.”

“Christ. Do I really have to sleep on the couch?” Duncan turned to Lovey as Marc disappeared.

“I’ll sleep on the couch. Don’t be ridiculous. You’re way too big for it. And you need a good night’s sleep. As Captain Codger pointed out, you need to be in good shape tomorrow.”

Duncan shook his head, but smiled. “Thanks, Lovey. We’ll get you a bed tomorrow.”

“I have a bed. I’ll just get it shipped. I can sleep on the couch a few nights. No big deal.”

“Monday morning you start looking for a place of your own.”

“Sure.” Sure she would. She wasn’t going to find something she could move into the next day. Even she knew that. But if it made Duncan feel better, she’d agree to it. She also had business things to attend to Monday morning.

“Sorry, Lovey. Wish I had an extra bed for you.”

“Oh, Dunc.” She moved to him and gave him a hug. He’d been so annoyed earlier that she’d showed up with no notice, annoyed that she’d quit her job…again. Trying to get rid of her. Now he was worried about her. “It’s okay. I came here without letting you know. I’ll make do. I have a bedroom, I put my stuff in there. I’m fine sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“We could move the couch into the bedroom. I’ll get Marc—”

“No! Don’t bother him. I’ve done that enough tonight.”

“Fuck yeah, what the hell were you doing in his bedroom?”

“I told you!” She took a breath to stop from yelling. “I was worried about him.”

“Jesus, Lovey, don’t just walk into a guy’s bedroom. What if he’d been in there with some chick?”

She stared at him. Uh. Yeah. She hadn’t even thought of that. What if…fuck. She would not have been happy to see that. Her insides twisted.

Eh. He hadn’t been with anyone. He’d been alone, trying to get some sleep. Being the responsible, mature guy that he was.

“We should clean up.” She looked around at all the empty bottles and dirty glasses.

“Nah. Leave it till morning.”

She made a face. “Seriously? I don’t know if I can do that. This place is a mess.”

“Marc’ll clean up.”

She frowned. “You’re just going to leave it for him to do? Duncan! That’s not fair.”