Scoring the Player Read online

  Brian: Is he better now?

  Kinley: Yes, he went into remission about 9 months ago. He gets tests done every 3 months for the first year and just had them done. We’re still waiting for the results, but I’m confident that they’ll be good. He’s been doing so much better lately. His energy has returned, and he seems back to normal. The treatment really knocked him down, so it’s been great to see him back up again.

  Brian: I’m glad to hear he is doing so well.

  Brian: I should probably let you get to sleep.

  Kinley: Probably, but I’m also used to being up all night. Becca and I usually go out for breakfast - well more like brunch - after we’ve gone out and end up staying at each other’s place. Don’t you have to be up soon to leave for Scott’s cabin?

  Brian: Probably, but I can sleep on the drive if needed. Like I said, I’m a night owl. I stick to a much stricter sleep schedule during the season, but off-season, I just wing it.

  Kinley: Such a guy answer. LOL.

  Kinley: What do you want to do on our date?

  Brian: Anything you want. Dinner for sure, after that it’s up to you. I don’t normally leave the planning up to someone else, but I’m at a disadvantage here as I don’t know the town and what our options are. So, pick a nice restaurant – I’m not picky about what kind of food. As long as it’s good, and you’ll be there with me, I’ll be happy. Then after that, we can do whatever you want.

  Kinley: I will plan something before you’re back from Scott’s cabin. Do you like sushi?

  Brian: Yeah, I pretty much just love eating. LOL.

  Kinley: Perfect! It’s my favorite! We can hit up a sushi restaurant and then go from there. How does that sound?

  Brian: It’s a date.

  Kinley: Alright, I’m going to call it a night. Have a great time at the cabin. It was nice talking to you tonight.

  Brian: Good night, sweetheart. Talk soon.

  Chapter Three

  Brian

  Our week at Scott’s cabin is perfection. It has been nice to just get away and disconnect from the hustle and bustle of my normal life. We fished, hiked, and just enjoyed the downtime. Kinley and I texted a few times since we’ve been here, but she had to work most of the nights, so our texts were short and mainly just pleasantries.

  We drove back to Scott’s house in Anchorage this morning, and my date with Kinley is tonight. I’m looking forward to seeing her again, and getting to spend time with her. Scott also has a date with Becca tonight, so Murph is on his own, but said he’s just staying in and hanging here at Scott’s house.

  After we get Scott’s truck unpacked and the fish all packed up for Murph and I to take home with us, I shower and get dressed, so I’m ready when Kinley is. I know she worked last night, but I’m not sure how late she sleeps when she doesn’t have to work. I send her a quick text.

  Brian: Hey, just wanted to let you know we made it back and I’m ready whenever you are. Just let me know if you want me to Uber over to your place or if you want to drive and come pick me up.

  I head out to the living room to relax until she gets back to me. Murph is kicked back, watching sports highlights before a baseball game starts, so I plop myself down on the couch.

  A few minutes later, Scott comes into the living room, showered and ready for his date with Becca. “Any plans yet for you two?” Scott asks.

  “I’m waiting on Kinley to text me back. We already decided to head to a sushi restaurant and then to just wing it,” I reply.

  Scott walks toward the kitchen. “Do you guys want anything to drink?”

  “I’ll take an Alaskan Amber,” Murph responds.

  “Grab one for me, too!” I yell, just as my phone vibrates in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see it’s Kinley getting back to me.

  Kinley: Hey! I’m up and getting ready. Last night was hectic and kicked my ass. I slept a little later than I had planned, so I’m running a little behind. I can just drive over and pick you up. Does 45 minutes work for you?

  Brian: I’m ready when you are, sweetheart. I’ll see you when you get here, take your time.

  Scott returns from the kitchen and hands us our beers. We spend the next few minutes shooting the shit, pausing our conversation when our attention is pulled to the TV, as the announcers’ voices shout in excitement about the play that just took place. We get sucked into watching the game for a few more minutes, until Scott heads out to meet Becca.

  “I’ll see the two of you later,” Scott says, as he stands up to head to his truck. “Murph, I left my address for you on the counter in case you need it when ordering food. Don’t worry about waiting up for me.”

  I start hooting after that comment. “Scott is on the prowl tonight!” I shout to Scott's retreating back. He just chuckles at my antics and continues walking out to his truck.

  After Scott leaves, Murph and I chill, watching the game until Kinley shows up. I answer the door and stand there, frozen in place, simply taking in her beauty. She takes my breath away and makes my cock twitch at the same time. The summer dress she’s wearing hugs her curves and leaves little to the imagination. Her cleavage is calling to me, as are her long tan and toned legs. She’s got on some strappy sandals with a heel to them, bringing her a little closer to my height, but I still tower over her by at least a foot.

  Before I allow my dick to take control, I rein myself in. I’m not the playboy womanizer tonight. Tonight, I’m going to show her a side of me I don’t usually show to women. I can’t explain why I want this to be different – why she’s different – but I felt this instant connection when we first met last week, and fuck if I’m going to let that go away without exploring it.

  “Hey sweetheart,” I greet her, as I lean down to place a kiss on her cheek. “Ready to go?”

  “Yes, are you ready?”

  “Yep. See ya later, Murph,” I call out over my shoulder before I close the door and we walk toward her car.

  After folding myself into the passenger seat, we take off for the restaurant.

  “How was your string of nights?” I ask her.

  “Stressful. We’ve been short-staffed lately, so they’re always calling down float nurses to come help us. Sometimes that hinders us, depending on who we get, as some of them don’t really know the flow of the ER or where everything is kept. So, it slows us down as the regular nurses are always being pulled to help the floaters find things or instruct them on what to do.”

  “What’s a float nurse?”

  “It’s a nurse that isn’t assigned to one department; they get their assignment when they arrive at work for the day. Sometimes, if not enough float nurses are on, and multiple departments are short, they will pull nurses from other departments to help cover, if needed.”

  “That does sound like a pain in the ass,” I murmur. “Well, tonight, I want you to forget all about work and just relax. Did you have anything in mind for after dinner?”

  “Not really. I’m so worn out from these past few nights that I was kind of hoping we could just go chill at my house, or Scott’s.”

  “We can head back to your house. That way, you can fully relax.”

  We arrive at the restaurant and check in with the hostess. The wait is going to be a little bit, so we take a seat in their waiting area, sitting side by side. I place my arm around Kinley’s shoulders and pull her a little closer to me. I’m immediately overcome with a sweet fruitlike smell; I’m guessing either from her shampoo or body wash. I feel Kinley relaxing into my side as we sit here, waiting for our pager to go off.

  “How was Scott’s cabin?”

  “It was amazing. Almost makes me want to buy one of my own and spend my summers here.”

  “I’m glad you had a good time. I love going down to that area.”

  “Have you ever been to his place?”

  “Nope, he bought it after he and Becca broke up years ago. I knew he’d bought it, as I’ve run into him a few times over the years, when he comes home in the summer. Plus, his parents are
still friends with mine and Becca’s parents. They all still live in the houses we grew up in, all on the same street.”

  “What do you usually do on your time off?”

  “Now that it’s summer, Becca and I try and get out for a run or hike, if it’s nice out. Otherwise, I just catch up on normal things, like laundry, grocery shopping, errands, etc. What do you usually do during your off-season?”

  “I tend to head back to Minneapolis, so I can hang out with my mom, sister, and their husbands. Sometimes I take a vacation with a few teammates, like I did coming here. I help with a kids’ hockey camp for a couple of weeks every July back home as well. I also work with some conditioning trainers every summer, to help keep me in game shape, and work on things like speed on the ice and a variety of other skills.”

  “I think that’s great that you help out with the kids’ camps. I bet they love having a professional player there.”

  I chuckle. “Oh yes. I always love seeing the reaction of some of the first-year kids. Some of them are so star-struck, they either become speechless, or go kind of wild. But thankfully, as the week of camp goes on, they get used to me being around and actually pay attention and learn what we’re trying to teach them.”

  Kinley looks up at me with a huge smile on her face. “Sounds like a fun time! And I can tell you enjoy helping the kids. You light up when talking about it.”

  “Yeah, it’s a pretty fun time. I just like giving back when and where I can. I grew up going to camps just like the one I help out with, and I remember what it was like being one of the campers, and how excited we got when we had a professional player come and help out.”

  Just then, our pager starts buzzing. I stand and offer my hand to Kinley to help her up. She places her hand in mine, and I realize just how tiny she is compared to me. I pull her up and then shift to interlock our fingers together as the hostess shows us to our table. I pull out Kinley’s chair for her before taking a seat across from her. The hostess hands us our menus and informs us our waiter will be with us shortly.

  I take a look at the menu, seeing a few things that stand out to me. “Do you have any favorites you want to order? I was thinking we could just order a bunch of stuff and share everything, if that’s okay with you?”

  “I usually order a California roll and the Shrimp Tempura Roll, but I’m not too picky. Sharing everything sounds great to me. What do you prefer?”

  “The Philly roll and Spider roll sound good. How about we order the two you like and these two for now, and see if we want anything else later.”

  “Works for me,” Kinley says, smiling at me.

  Our server approaches and takes our drink orders. Kinley orders a Mai Tai and I stick with a beer. We also go ahead and place our order since we had already decided what to eat.

  “Tell me more about your family.”

  “My sister Jenn is two years older than me. She married her high school sweetheart, Drew. They got married after they graduated college, and before he started med school. He’s finally done with school now, and I think I’ve mentioned it before, but they are expecting their first baby in just a few weeks. My sister works in hospital administration at one of the big hospitals in Minneapolis.”

  “Aww, the first grandbaby. I bet your mom is excited!” Kinley says, breaking out into a big smile.

  Before I answer her, our server approaches to deliver our drinks, and let us know our food should be out shortly.

  “She is definitely excited!” I chuckle, thinking just how excited both my sister and mom are for the baby’s arrival. “She has hounded us both for years to give her some grandkids, and it’s finally happening. I didn’t ask many questions, but from a few comments Jenn made, I know they had some issues getting pregnant. So, not only is my mom ecstatic, but my sister is over the moon excited for this baby.”

  “I can only imagine. Will you be home when the baby arrives?” Kinley asks, as she takes a drink.

  “Yep. She’s not due for another couple of weeks, so I will get to see my new nephew as soon as he’s here.”

  Kinley sighs. “I would pay big bucks to see you holding a newborn. Talk about ovaries exploding,” she giggles.

  “I’m sure you could talk me into texting you a picture of me holding him once he’s born.” I wink at her as I reach for my beer.

  “Hmmm…now that’s an idea!” she exclaims excitedly.

  I just laugh and shake my head at her antics.

  Our conversation continues to flow as we devour our food. We finish up dinner, and a second round of drinks, then decide to pick up some dessert on our way back to Kinley’s place.

  Chapter Four

  Kinley

  Going out on a date with Brian was nothing like I was expecting. Never once did I get the playboy vibe from him. He was the perfect gentleman, opening doors, holding my hand, carrying on normal conversation about meaningful things. I never felt like he was trying to impress me just to get me into bed. I really enjoyed our time together.

  We stop at a little bakery and pick up a selection of mini cupcakes for me and a giant piece of carrot cake for him. We bring them back to my place, so we can relax and continue our date.

  “Can I get you something to drink? I have beer and some wine, or I have rum and Coke.”

  “What kind of beer do you have?”

  “I have either Alaskan Amber or Shock Top.”

  “I’ll take an Alaskan Amber.”

  I get Brian his beer and pour myself a glass of wine, grabbing a couple forks for our sweet treats, and head back out to the living room.

  “Can I get you anything else?”

  “Just you next to me.” Brian winks at me.

  “I’ll be right back,” I tell him, as I head down the hall to my room. I change into some sleep shorts and a flowy tank, then hit the bathroom before I make my way back out to the living room where Brian is sitting, waiting on me. I notice him take in my appearance and I can feel the fire in his eyes as they graze up and down my body, almost as if they were his hands. I’m determined to resist his charms and not allow him into my bed tonight. As much fun as that would be, I’m enjoying just getting to know him, and damn, if I don’t love this softer side of him. He’s nothing like the tabloids portray him; so is this the façade, or is the playboy act?

  I take a seat facing him, tucking my legs up next to me. “Sorry, I needed to change into something more comfortable.”

  “I’m not complaining.” He grins at me, as his eyes sweep down toward my breasts and back up. Looking down, I realize my tank is giving him quite the cleavage shot. I feel my cheeks begin to burn from embarrassment as I tug my top up just a little, so he isn’t getting a face full of boobs.

  “Hey, now. I was enjoying that view,” he pouts.

  “I’m sure you were,” I reply, smirking.

  “So, what would you like to do, now that you’re comfortable?” Brian takes a swig of his beer.

  “We can watch a movie, or just talk more…. unless there’s something else you wanted to do?” I ask him, and immediately realize what I just said. Hello, mouth. Meet foot.

  Brian gives me a small smile, then his look turns serious, genuine. “I could think of a whole lot of things I would love to do with you tonight, but, sweetheart, I’m here to show you I can be a gentleman.”

  He reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, running his fingers along my jaw. He tips my head up so I’m looking at him again, and I could swear he’s going to kiss me, but he doesn’t move any closer.

  “What?” I whisper.

  “You’re so damn beautiful. I couldn’t see your face with you looking down, and I needed to see your eyes.”

  I sigh and swallow slowly. Damn, this man. I watch as Brian’s eyes drop and scan the length of my neck as it moves.

  “Oh.” It’s all I can say; he’s literally made me speechless.

  Brian adjusts his hand so it’s on my neck, his fingers resting over my pounding pulse.

  I will not sleep with h
im, I will not sleep with him, I chant to myself.

  “I really want to kiss you right now,” Brian confesses. “But, I’ll wait. I’m here to prove to you I can be a gentleman, as I said before.”

  I smile coyly up at him. “You sure have been a surprise tonight,” I remark. “I like who you are with me, and I think you secretly love being able to show this side of you.”

  Brian drops his hand from my neck, grabbing one of my hands, and interlocks our fingers.

  “I can’t put my finger on it, but I feel different around you. There’s this connection that I can’t put into words. You make me feel like you’re here with me because you want to know me, and not because of my job, or my bank account, but because of who I am, and I’ve never felt that before,” he confesses.

  I don’t know how to respond to that, so I just sit here, shocked. Do I feel a connection with him? Yes, but we can’t do anything about it. Hell, he’s leaving in just a couple of days and won’t be back. It’s not like we can try out a relationship, when we live thousands of miles away from each other.

  “I feel the connection,” I finally stammer out. “But what that connection means, I can’t tell you. As much as I like you, and enjoy getting to know you better, and would like to continue to do so, I don’t think we can act on it. You’re leaving in just a couple of days, and I’m not looking for just another fling.” I really hope I’m letting him down easily.

  He squeezes my fingers a couple times. Then he sighs, and sucks in a deep breath. “I know, and that fucking sucks. I wish I could stay here for more of the summer and explore things between us more, but my mom and sister would kill me if I don’t come home next week, and I would look like a jackass if I backed out of the hockey camps.”