“All good?” Henny asked, lining up the last of the orange cones for the clinic. Kenton had gone after Clarissa, dodging Roscoe’s questions but chasing after her like a sad little puppy in need of some affection. Roscoe figured he’d be out of commission for the next half hour.

Not that Roscoe could blame him. At least someone was having a good morning.

Roscoe grabbed his stick with both hands and stretched it over his head. “Operating at eighty-four percent,” he said. “Give or take.”

“Damn. We’d better call Dunn,” Henny said. “Boy’s not allowed to take vacation anymore. You get weepy when he’s not around.”

“I do the same when you’re not around, Kyle Henderson.” Roscoe winked at him, then followed up with a punch in the arm. “You ready to work?”

“Always. You?”

“Kids are my jam.”

Overall, Roscoe felt like he had a handle on the situation now. He’d spent the last two nights since their inaugural meeting putting together what he thought was a pretty good training program, and he’d planned to lean on Nick to set the example for the other kids. But no matter how excited Roscoe was about working with the teens, he couldn’t deny his disappointment about Reggie Heinz. He really hoped she’d be back again.

Along with her mother.

Thinking about the woman now made his head swim, which made no sense. Was he just lonely, picturing his family on vacation without him? Had Henny’s talk of making babies set his biological clock to ticking? Forty was creeping up fast, and he’d already had one relationship crash and burn on him… How much time did he have left, really?

Christ, was he just going soft and mushy in his old age?

Roscoe hadn’t a clue. All he knew was that of all the beautiful women he’d encountered in his adult life, none had managed to get inside his head like Ally Heinz—not even his ex. They’d only talked for a few minutes, really—and not even about anything substantial. But something about her just got to him, working its way inside and grabbing on tight, refusing to let go. Was there a Mr. Heinz? Why was she so upset about her kid playing hockey? Did she like Italian food? What turned her on? What would it feel like to part those plump pink lips with his tongue, kissing her until he made her weak and wet with desire…

His cock strained against his pants, threatening to make a scene. It’d been happening on and off for two days straight; he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Ally since they’d met.

Fuck. Two days might not seem like an eternity to most people, but it sure was a long-ass time to deal with a perpetual hard-on.

What would the sweet, sexy hockey mom say if she knew the effect she had on me…

“Look alive,” Jarlsberg said. “Here comes the cavalry.”

The kids spilled down the tunnel and onto the ice like an oil slick. And there, at the very back of the line, came the woman who’d occupied most of his waking thoughts and all of his dreams. For a moment Roscoe thought he may have conjured her up, but the fact that she was fully clothed was a pretty good indication that this wasn’t one of his dreams.

If this is a dream, please don’t wake me up…

“Didn’t expect to see you back here,” he said casually. Ally nodded, and again, he felt that same spark of awareness he’d felt at Wednesday’s practice. His eyes were immediately drawn to her mouth, hoping for a smile.

“Change of heart,” she said simply, some of that old shyness creeping in around the edges. “Is it okay if Reggie joins you guys today?”

The kid was all smiles, geared up and ready to go.

“Absolutely,” Roscoe said. Then, to Reggie, “Go ahead and get into the lineup. Kooz will show you what we’re working on today.”

Reggie nodded once, then she was off, eager as ever to get in the game.

“What happened?” he asked Ally. “Things seemed pretty final the other day.” Yeah, he was fishing for reasons to keep her there, even for a few extra minutes. He didn’t know what the fuck was going on with him. Suddenly he was an awkward teenager again, no idea what to say, what to do, how to stand, how to hold his stick. All Roscoe knew was that he wanted to be near this woman. To find out what made her tick. To make her laugh.

To taste that sweet mouth.

“I’m sorry. I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Ally said. “At least, I got off on the wrong foot.”

Roscoe leaned in closer, like they were sharing a secret. “You did almost fall on your ass. Lucky for you, I have excellent reflexes.”

“Don’t remind me.” Ally tucked her blond hair behind her ears. It was soft and shiny, falling in uneven waves that Roscoe wanted to run his hands through. Barely reaching her chin, the front of it wasn’t quite long enough to stay put, and a lock slid forward again, brushing her cheek. “Anyway, I was hoping you’d give us—Reggie—another chance? I gave it a lot of thought, and it’s possible I… well, I may have overreacted about all of this.”

Roscoe cracked a grin. “Ah. She wore you down.”

“You have no idea.” Ally blew out a breath and laughed. “She ignored me for a day and a half—we’re talking not a single word. Then she launched one of the most intensive nagging campaigns I’ve ever experienced, and believe me, I’ve heard them all.”

“I’ve seen some of those campaigns in action.”

“Do you have kids?”

“Nieces and nephews.” Roscoe’s heart swelled a little as he thought of them. Right about now, his oldest nephew Sammy was probably leading the pack of cousins out into the chilly Atlantic, devising contests for who could catch the biggest wave, who could hold their breath the longest, who had the best underwater handstand. The little ones would still be eating breakfast, but they’d be outside soon enough, filling their red plastic buckets with sea glass and dried crab legs as their parents stretched out on the sand with books and iced teas and bottles of sunscreen. He missed them fiercely; they’d Skyped last night, everyone taking a turn in front of the camera with Uncle Roscoe, but it wasn’t the same as getting to hug them in person.

Out on the ice, the kids gathered around Jarlsberg and Kooz. They demonstrated a few light stretches, then led them through the warm-up routine. Ally watched her daughter closely, her eyes tracking Reggie’s movements, her body leaned forward as though she might need to run out there and save her from some invisible assailant.

“You’re not wrong to worry about your daughter, Ally,” Roscoe said, his voice soft. “But she’s safe with us. You have my word.”

“She’s… my world.” Ally pressed her lips together, her brows knitting in concentration. Roscoe waited for her to continue, but whatever she’d meant to say next, she let it go.

The moment had turned unexpectedly serious. Roscoe knew all about that mama bear protectiveness, especially with kids who played sports. But there was something more there. Something darker and deeper flashing in her eyes, running through her voice, emanating from her entire body.

Ally was truly afraid.

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable with this?” he asked. “Answer questions, give you a tour of the facility, introduce you to some of the other parents? Hell, I’m sure we’ve got a pair of skates around here that would fit you—you could even try it out for yourself.”

“Me? On skates? No. No way.” She let out a nervous laugh. “The one and only time I ever ice skated, I sprained my ankle and bruised my right butt cheek.”

Roscoe cocked an eyebrow, and the woman blushed scarlet.

“I can’t believe I said that out loud. Okay, moving on!” Ally looked away again, her smile fading as her gaze drifted back out across the rink. Roscoe couldn’t hear what Kooz had said, but the kids were busting up laughing.

“She looks happy,” Ally said softly. The words felt heavier than they should for such a casual observation.

“Kooz is goofy as hell,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “Teenagers like him because they think he’s one of them.”

“Hmm. And you’re not?” Now she was smiling again, looking at him with those glittery brown eyes in a way that made his whole fucking day better.

“Nah. Someone has to be the grown-up around here. Set the example.”

“Well, you are the captain. Setting a good example is probably second nature for you.”

“Only when my boss is around,” he teased. “The rest of the time I prefer to misbehave.”

Ally blinked, her mouth parting, the blush in her cheeks deepening. He’d never wanted to kiss a woman so badly in his life.

But instead of staring at her mouth like a total stalker, he lowered his eyes and sucked in some cold air, counting backward from ten. He needed to get back to work, get those kids in shape, figure out the media stuff for Clarissa.

“Speaking of setting a good example,” he said, “I should probably get back on the ice.” And stop thinking about what you sound like when you come…

“Right,” she said, her fingers curling around her purse strap. Her blouse gaped open again, giving him a peek at her smooth skin. He couldn’t see the bra today, but that didn’t stop him from obsessing over it.

Fuck, his cock was throbbing in his pants. He needed her to leave. To say her goodbyes, turn on her heel, and walk away.

But holy fuck he wanted her to stay.

“I guess I should head out, before I’m late for work,” Ally said. “I just wanted to make sure it was okay for Reggie to stay. She’s getting an Uber later, so she doesn’t have to take the bus. And her helmet is a few years old. I looked up the model number online and it still meets all the safety guidelines. But maybe you could make sure it fits her properly? And let me know if not, so I can order a new one?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you. That helps a lot.”

“Ally,” Roscoe said, leaning in close again. He took a chance, put his hand on her shoulder. Her skin was warm beneath her blouse, and Roscoe couldn’t help but imagine the bare curve of her shoulder, the softness of it, the exact shade of her creamy skin against stark white sheets. If Ally was surprised or put off by his touch, she didn’t show it. Instead, she leaned into it, and Roscoe could’ve sworn he heard her breath catch.

“You’re sure there’s nothing else I can do for you?” he asked.

She didn’t answer right away—just held his gaze, searching for something he couldn’t even guess at. She bit her lip, the silky strands of her hair shifting in the gentle wake of her breath.

“Actually,” she finally said, “there might be something.”

Take you home, lay you on my bed, strip off your clothes and fuck you with my mouth until you’re screaming for mercy?

“Name it,” he said.

“This might sound crazy, but do you have time to grab a coffee after the clinic? My treat? I could scoot back on my lunch break. I wouldn’t take up too much of your time. I just… I think I’d like to take you up on that offer after all.”

“Offer?” Roscoe’s voice broke on the word. He hadn’t said any of that stuff out loud, had he? About taking her home and—

“To ask a few questions?” she said. “About the program?”

“Right. Of course.” Clearing his throat, he said, “I’d—”

“Roscoe!” Henny zoomed past, showering Roscoe in a spray of ice like a goddamn frat boy. “Get your head in the game. Kooz and I promised the kids we’d beat your ass out here today, and we do not want to let them down.”

Ally laughed, the sound of it filling Roscoe with a deep longing that went far beyond physical attraction. “Well,” she said, “don’t let me keep you. I know you’re busy. Seriously, if coffee isn’t convenient—”

“Tell you what,” Roscoe said, rubbing the ice out of his hair. “Make it dinner instead of coffee, my treat, and you’ve got yourself a date.”