He choked on a laugh. “You? Boring? Sweetheart, he didn’t know you very well.”

“I…I thought he did. I thought my life was boring. I gave up a lot for my brother and sister. We had to plan…uh…things for when they weren’t home. Which wasn’t often. Lots of times I couldn’t go out because I had to drive them to piano lessons or soccer games or parent-teacher meetings.”

“Oh, Remi.” He envisioned her life at age twenty-two—all the responsibility she’d had and how she’d just done it. “That’s not boring. That’s…you.”

He felt wetness on his chest and she sniffed. “I love you, Jase.”

“You know when I knew I loved you?” He rubbed the middle of her back.

“When?”

“Last week at school. When you were talking to Ryan in the hall. And you told him he was smart.”

“I…I don’t get it.”

He sighed and stroked a hand down her satiny back, over the firm curve of a buttock, lingering in the cleft there, making her squirm. “Ryan reminds me of me. I have ADHD too.”

Her head swung up so quickly she almost knocked his chin. “You do?”

“Yup. I had such a hard time as a kid. People didn’t understand it as much as they do now. I had some brutal teachers.”

“Oh, Jase. “ She cupped his cheek. “That’s why you don’t like teachers.”

“Well. Not all teachers.” He grinned, loving the feel of her small hand on his face. “But I sure didn’t like Ms Wong in eighth grade. I struggled with reading and writing. Didn’t do my homework. I was failing half my classes. She had no patience for me. Told me I was stupid and I’d never amount to anything in life.”

Her eyes filled with horror and her mouth opened. “Oh my god. Oh, Jase.” Her fingertips touched his mouth.

He smiled. “It’s okay. If it wasn’t for her telling me that, I might never have been so determined that I was going to amount to something. I was nothing if not stubborn.”

“I can’t believe a teacher would say that to a student.”

“I know you wouldn’t. And that’s why I love you. One reason I love you. Even though you’re a teacher.”

Her eyes got glossy and her smile trembled. “Is that what you meant…when you found out I was a teacher…?”

“Yeah.” He gave her a crooked smile. “I didn’t want anything to do with a teacher. That’s why sometimes I was such a jerk. But then I got to know you better.”

“You’re an amazing man, Jason.”

He smiled. “Nah. I’m just a big kid. I don’t even feel like I’m grown up sometimes. I play a game for a living. I can’t believe my life, either, you know. Sometimes it’s not real.”

“You’re talented and you work hard. It’s real.”

“Thank you. You don’t make me feel stupid.”

“Jase. You are not stupid. When I watch you on the ice, I don’t have a clue what’s going on, but you think so fast out there it amazes me. You have to be smart to play like that.”

He thought his heart might explode in his chest and swallowed hard, his eyes going foggy. She thought he was smart. “Next week, my parents are coming to Chicago. To watch the last home game.”

“Mmm. That’s nice.”

“They’re bringing my youngest brother. He’s done for the season. And my other brother Logan is flying in too, to watch the game, because my other brother…” She grinned. “Is who I’m playing against.”

“Oh!” Then she frowned. “Oh. This is your last game. This is do or die, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Who does he play for? Phoenix?”

“Yeah.”

“If they lose…”

“They’re out.”

“If you lose…you’re out.”

“Yeah. We both need this win.”

“Ooh. That’s tough.”

“I know.” He gave a wry smile. “My parents will be having a heart attack. But they’ll be cheering for me.”

She frowned and then realized he was teasing and laughed, giving his chest a smack. “That has to be hard for them. Watching you two play against each other?”

He hitched a shoulder. “It’s happened before. Anyway, we’re all going out for a late dinner after the game. To celebrate. One of us, anyway. The other one will drown his sorrow. The whole family will be together.”

“That’s so nice.”

“I want you to come.”

“Really? Maybe you and your family should just…”

“No. I want you to meet them. I want them to meet you.”

Her smile deepened. “Okay. I’d like to meet them too.”

The morning sex was pretty incredible too. After a decadent breakfast in bed, they took a bath together in the huge jetted tub in the marble bathroom, surrounded by drifting steam and steamy sighs.

They played and splashed and laughed, shared long kisses and slippery, soapy caresses. Remi’s body felt incredible all slick and wet, and he drew his hands down the curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, back up to firm breasts with hard, little tips. When his soapy fingers slid around to her ass, stroking between her cheeks, she daringly, boldly did the same to him, holding his gaze as she slipped gliding fingers over his butt, between his cheeks, making him clench and tremble with a forbidden pleasure.

She bit her lip, but didn’t stop, and his cock hardened painfully against her as she played with his ass, teasing, tormenting, making his body draw up hard and hot. Then her fingers slid lower and cupped his taut balls. “I’m gonna come,” he rasped out, lifting her hips, preparing to thrust inside her. But she shifted away from him.

Damn her, she was a tempting little wanton witch. Her fingers slid back to tickle his ass again while her other hand grasped his cock in a firm grip and pulled…once…twice…and then he erupted in her hand, hot semen spilling over her fingers. A long groan tore from his throat as he pulsed, spurted, again, and again, and again.

“Nice,” she murmured, watching him appreciatively. And then she bent and licked him, her hot, velvety tongue stroking over the sensitive head of his cock, making him twitch hard. “Mmmm.”

She blew his fucking mind, every time. It just got hotter and more intense and now that he knew she loved him too, it meant even more. It meant…everything. Everything that was right and beautiful and shining, like a sheet of freshly Zambonied ice.

God, he was pathetic, comparing their feelings to ice. He choked on a laugh as he hauled her petite frame up against him and hugged her tight.

Somehow it turned into more than just dinner and Remi ended up at the Metro Center seated between Jason’s mom and dad, whom she’d never met, near the same seat she’d sat in last time, six rows right behind the Wolves’ bench. The two empty seats to the left of Jason’s dad waited to be occupied by Jason’s brothers Matt and Logan, who were somewhere in the arena.

Remi clasped her hands nervously in her lap as they watched the warm-up. She breathed in the chilled air, that mingled scent of popcorn, ice and sweat.

“So,” Laura Heller said. “How long have you and Jase known each other?”

Oh, god. She was getting the maternal inquisition. Remi turned to smile at Jason’s mom, tall and elegant, her dark hair cut into a short, spiky style. “A few weeks.” It sure didn’t sound long, even though she felt like she’d known him forever.

“How did you meet?”

“I picked him up in a bar.” Remi clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh, that sounds bad. It wasn’t exactly like that. Neither of us was really interested in the other, but we both needed to pretend we were because…” She closed her eyes. She should just stop now, before she blurted out that they’d been so hot for each other they’d gone back to her place and then the cops had showed up and… She swallowed. “And then we met again when Jason came to the school I teach at, as part of the Stars for Reading program.”

“Oh, you’re a teacher?”

“Yes. I teach sixth grade. The kids really love having Jason come and work with them.”

The horn sounded to end the warm-up and two hulking young men appeared in the aisle.