“Yay! You guys made it!” Myla squealed as Sean and I walked into her and Gavin’s oversized penthouse. She was in true Myla form, bouncing over with a bottle of Moet gripped in her fist. “Gavin! Get the Tito’s!” she hollered over her shoulder before hooking her tiny arms around my middle nestling her head right in my boobs.

“Happy we could make it.” I squeezed her back with a giggle.

“Come in, come in.” She grabbed my hand, dragging us over to the makeshift bar where Jordan was shaking an Austin Apple for me already.

“Got you behind the bar even on your night off, I see.” Sean went around to hug Jordan and grab a beer out of the fridge.

Jordan shrugged, straining my drink into a tall glass. “You know how I am, Whistler—always gotta be hustlin’.” She started giggling as Will Crosby, the goalie for the Otters, made his way over, looking dapper in a dark blue sport coat and dark jeans.

I felt completely underdressed as I scanned the room from my barstool while Jordan made goo goo eyes at her long-term crush. I was sporting neon unicorn and rainbow leggings, an enormous sweater, and hot pink Nikes—it was all I’d had in my locker down at the station. It was almost one in the morning, and there was no way in hell I was going to head all the way to my apartment to change. I was dead tired and if I’d seen my bed, I would not have been able to resist the temptation to climb into it on the spot. At least Sean was in faded jeans and an old Otters’ shirt.

“Hey guys.” Crosby smiled at me as he shook Sean’s hand. “How’s it going on the thin blue line?”

My entire face instantly got hot and turned red as I chewed on my lower lip. It was going to be harder to keep this a secret than I’d thought.

“It was great tonight,” Sean answered quickly for us. “We worked the charity concert in Times Square. McBee’s first concert on the job was extremely successful and pretty entertaining, to say the least.”

It wasn’t unlike Sean to build me up, especially around friends, but my entire body buzzed on the spot. The small reference—if that was even what it was—went right over Jordan and Will’s heads as they moved the conversation right along to The Hysterics and how well their new album was doing.

“You know, the team got to meet all the band members and their crew not too long ago. They were at an away game we had in Chicago. Great group of guys.” Crosby’s statement just rolled off his tongue so naturally, like it wasn’t the biggest deal in the entire world.

Internally, I was freaking out—firstly, for the secret sexcapade Sean and I just had, and then because one of the hockey players of my favorite team was sitting in a condo with me, talking about my favorite band. It was all too surreal.

“How’s everything going with Mindie?” Sean asked coolly as he shot me a knowing glance. He could totally read my internal fangirl all over my face.

Crosby smiled wide. “The divorce is final, thank fucking God.”

Jordan’s face lit up instantly. “So glad that nightmare is finally ending for you.”

It sucked, but Will Crosby’s marriage crumbling was front-page news all over the city. His wife had been cheating on him while he was on the road and had given birth to another man’s son. All the while, Will had thought everything was fine and had been so excited to become a father. He’d found out by finding paternity test papers in the nightstand in his wife’s hospital room right after her son was born. My heart broke for the guy, but I was so thrilled that he was not having to deal with a lying, cheating bitch anymore. I couldn’t imagine having my dirty laundry aired out for everyone to see, I was proud of Crosby for handing it so well and not letting it all get to him.

“McBee!” Myla waved frantically, calling me over to the hallway that led to the master bedroom with Karla by her side.

I hopped off the stool, glancing at Sean. “This oughta be fun.”

He put his hand on my shoulder. “Nice knowing ya, McBee.”

Jordan and Will were deep in conversation and had no idea I was even walking away from the group.

“What’s up?” I asked as Myla slammed the door to her room shut.

Her husky, Seven, was snoring on the bed, and she barely even lifted her head when we walked in. “What a lazy pup,” Karla remarked before Myla dove into her third degree.

“Spill.” Myla stood tapping her foot with her hands planted on her hips. “Something is up and you’re going to tell us what it is.”

I glanced at Karla, who crossed her arms and nodded. “Yeah, you wouldn’t normally come this late after a long shift, and Sean hasn’t even tried to talk to Gavin or Brayden yet.”

Shit. They’re too good.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just too hyped from the amazing concert and I begged Sean to come with me so I wasn’t the only loser here not in appropriate attire.”

Myla pointed her finger at me with narrowed eyes. “You’re full of shit and you know it. We’re not going to drop it, so you might as well just come clean now.”

Looking from one best friend to the other, I knew they were going to beat it out of me if need be. “Fine, I did a thing…well, we did a thing.” I threw my hands over my face as it burned, my heart thumping in my ears.

“Oh! My! Goodness!” Myla started awkwardly swaying her drunken happy dance as she kicked off her black heels.

“I knew it!” Karla hopped on the bed, starting to pet Seven. “Details,” she demanded.

“We kissed and then had a little too much fun in the back of our cop car.” I quickly admitted, excited to be telling someone.

Both of them gasped in unison as I started to pace around the room.

“This is bad. This is so bad.” Panic started to take over as the words started to reply over and over in my head. I raked my nails over my scalp, pulling at my hair as the reality of what Sean and I had just done sank in.

“No, this is amazing.” Myla grabbed my arm, pulling me to sit between Karla and her on the bed. “The two of you are meant to be together. We all know it. We all can see it. I am so thrilled you guys finally did something about it.”

Karla shifted a little as Seven crawled into her lap, resting her head on my thigh. “Look, Myla and I will not tell anyone until you and Sean are ready. We won’t even tell the guys.”

Karla locked eyes with Myla as she reluctantly agreed to keep the secret. “Yeah, we won’t even tell Gavin or Brayden.”