Entering the locker room was something she had to do from time to time. But it wasn’t her favorite place to speak to players. In the first place, it was difficult to know where to put her eyes while waiting for some dude to put on his underwear and speak to her. All that male hotness in one place made a girl a little dizzy.
And today the whole issue was suddenly ten times trickier. Because Leo was in there. She did not need to see Leo naked. It was bad enough knowing that they basically worked in the same building now. The team had a series of home games this week, and it was weird knowing that she could turn a corner at any moment and come face to face with the only man who had ever loved her.
Naked Leo would be more than her poor heart could take. She’d probably burst an artery if she spotted all six-foot-two, two hundred muscled pounds of him (thank you, stat sheet) across the locker room. Her imagination kept wanting to veer off and picture Leo 2.0 without his clothes on. As a teenager, he’d already been strong and fit. She used to admire his biceps while sitting in the passenger seat of his truck.
Now? If she stood in that locker room while he stripped, they’d have to surgically remove her gaze from his muscular ass.
She could never go in that room again. Obviously.
Fortunately, players began to emerge from the locker room in ones and twos, their hair wet from the showers. “Massey!” She stopped one of them in the hallway, her clipboard poised. “You didn’t RSVP for the Brooklyn Arts Benefit next week. Don’t forget about it.”
The big defenseman paused to give her a grin. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there. And I’m bringin’ someone, but I haven’t decided who.”
Georgia made a note on her pad. “Okay. E-mail me her name at least forty-eight hours before, okay? You don’t want to stand around while they hunt for your date’s name on the last-minute list.”
“Will do.” He lumbered off and she snagged one of the next two guys to emerge, asking him the same question.
When she next looked up, Leo was standing just two feet away, looking down at her with those sweet brown eyes she’d always loved. “Hi, Georgia,” he said.
“Hi,” she attempted. But the word only made it halfway out, and the result was something more like a halting gasp.
“Look,” he said, shifting a duffel bag on his broad shoulder. “I’m really sorry about the press conference. I didn’t think—”
“I know,” she said way too quickly, cutting him off. Reliving that moment was not something they should do. “Let’s just move on.” And that came out snappishly. Damn it. “Um, there are some promo things you’re going to need to do in the next few weeks. I need to e-mail you a list. Where should I send it?”
He studied her for a second before answering, a serious expression on his rugged face. “My e-mail hasn’t changed, Gigi. Send me anything, anytime.”
“Right.” She swallowed. “Okay. The, uh, first thing you need to know is that the entire team is required to attend the Brooklyn Arts Benefit a week from tonight. It’s black tie—a cocktail party. And you need to send me the full legal name of your date, so that she’ll be admitted to the party without a delay.”
He frowned. “I don’t have time to find a date. What if you went with me? Are you spoken for?”
“Uh . . .” What? “I can’t,” she snapped, her shock getting the best of her. “That’s, um, nice of you, but I could never date a player.” Jesus. He didn’t ask to date her. “I mean, I can’t appear to be dating a player,” she rambled. This was getting worse by the second. “. . . And I work that night anyway. Hard. Long hours.”
Holy hell. She couldn’t even string a coherent sentence together. If anyone overheard this halting conversation she’d never work in PR again.
And now Leo was staring at her as if she’d sprouted two extra heads. “Well, all right. If that’s the way it’s going to be.” He sighed, and she crumbled a little inside. The heap of awkwardness between them was piled higher than the ice shavings outside the Zamboni door. It was so tall she couldn’t even see over the top.
She clearly needed to get out of there before sticking her foot in her mouth again. Taking a step toward the door, Georgia mumbled something about calling if he had any questions, then she made her escape.
Or she tried to. But Leo wasn’t having it. He used those long legs to keep up with her. “Wait, Gigi.” He put a hand on her elbow just before they reached the double doors. “Can we have coffee sometime? Just to catch up?”
Her heart did the tango around the inside of her chest. He wanted to have coffee together. That’s something a well-adjusted woman could do with her ex-boyfriend, right? “Uh, okay? I usually have a publicity meeting with new players. We should do that anyway.” It was yet another tepid response. Way to go, Georgia. But she couldn’t bear for him to know just how hard the whole situation was for her.
His expression flattened. “Fine. Okay. We’ll do that.” He opened the door and held it for her. Gratefully, Georgia slipped past.
But neither of them made it very far before an ear-piercing shriek split the air, and a flying body shot past the rink workers and launched itself at Leo.
“Treviiiiiiii!” The girl’s voice was pitched almost as high as a dog whistle. “Oh my God, baby! You looked so good out there!” As Georgia stared, a beautiful woman attached her body to the front of Leo’s. Then she attacked his mouth with hers.
Leo took a staggered step backward before finding his balance. And even though he looked quite astonished to be suddenly kissing this girl, the sight of her lips on his mouth was actually sickening. Something went wrong in Georgia’s stomach as the stranger grabbed Leo’s rugged jaw in both her hands and leaned in even farther. Her fingernails were perfectly painted, shiny and rich-looking. And her hair fell in silky sheets down her back as she held him.
Georgia had the sudden urge to use her clipboard to whack the back of the girl’s perfect head. And even though she knew she should just walk on past them, she couldn’t have looked away for any amount of money.
After a minute, Leo eased the woman to her feet on the floor. “Amy,” he huffed when he pulled his mouth free. “This is a surprise. It’s been, how many mon—”
“But you’re here!” she squealed. “In New York! I couldn’t believe it! I wasn’t going to miss your first practice! Omigod, why didn’t you call me? When did you get in?”
“Uh, yesterday,” he said, catching her hands as they wandered his body. “It was, um, sudden.”
At least Georgia wasn’t the only one capable of stammering.
“Well, let’s go!” the interloper said, grabbing his hand. “We can have a late lunch, and you can tell me everything.”