OFF LIMITS

CHAPTER SIX - Circumstancial or Inevitable?

KAT

My dad is really focused on watching his iPad. I wouldn't dare to interrupt his concentration. Even if it's to ask for the thousandth time what the actual hell am I supposed to do here. Because it's just not making sense right now.

Everything I've done all day is obsess about the fact that the guy I hooked up with last night plays for the Grizzlies.

That's a lie, actually. Obsessing about it isn't the only thing I've done all day. I also almost let him kiss me, even though I know it would've been a horrible idea.

This is what I get for not watching hockey.

Mack was the last person I was expecting to see today, so imagine my surprise when I stepped onto the ice and there he was, looking at me with those ocean-blue eyes full of questions and evident confusion. Questions I didn't have the answer to and confusion I couldn't solve because I was as surprised as he was. I'm just able to mask my emotions better and keep myself from reacting too strongly to things.

I pride myself on the fact that there's not a lot that can unsettle me, but I just added Everett McKenzie to the list of things that do.

Case in point: the utility closet. What the hell was that?

Yes, he looked ridiculously hot with his hair wet and fresh out of the shower. He also smelled amazing. But that shouldn't be reason enough to let my guard down and almost let him kiss me again.

I need to get my shit together. My dad would go ballistic if he found out I slept with one of his players, and after what I just saw when Mack came to talk to him, it would be worse if he found out it was Mack of all people.

It didn't make sense to me when Mack mentioned my dad didn't like him. I may not know much about hockey, but from what I saw during drills, he's a fantastic player. There's no reason for my dad to dislike him.

Then there was this whole interaction here in the office, and now I'm more confused. What did Mack do? Why would my dad tell him to stay out of trouble like that?

I'm officially intrigued.

I take a peek at the clip playing on the iPad. It's a really clean play where the players on one of the teams are getting close to the net. In what seems like seconds, number twenty-one passes the puck to number eighty-seven, and he scores.

The next thing I see is a younger version of Mack hugging Rhett Myers, celebrating their goal.

I know Rhett. I mean, I don't actually know him. I just know that he plays for the Grizzlies and is now the team captain. My little sister used to be obsessed with him.

I had no idea Rhett and Mack knew each other from before.

"Is that Myers and Mack–" I stop myself. I can't call him Mack in front of my dad. He thinks I don't know him. "McKenzie?"

That was close.

"Yeah. They used to play together in college." He's still watching the screen with furrowed brows. His thinking face is the same as his grumpy face, so I have no idea if he's wondering if he made a good decision or if he's just grumpy about Mack's existence.

"You don't like McKenzie." It's not a question. My dad is very transparent. Just from that short interaction they had here, it's pretty obvious to me that he doesn't like him.

"I don't." The old man finally puts the iPad away and directs his attention to me.

"Why is that? He seems like a good player."