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A sharp wolf whistle pierced the air, and then the noise abruptly ended.
One of the gentlemen obviously pointed out that the other’s mating call was lame, but she couldn’t see who to thank from this angle. She could feel their stares though.
Clinging to the door top, she extended the toe of her shoe to tug the purity pamphlet toward her. Her foot slid on the slick surface, parting her legs. The door swung with her weight, carrying her along, and she stopped a good two feet away from her goal, her legs in an unladylike sprawl. If her feet separated much further, she’d be doing a full-on impromptu set of sidelines splits. A chill rattled up her spine, and she inched her feet back together.
“I’ll see what’s up, Coach.” The shushing whoosh of thick-bladed skates sounded on the surface, followed by manly murmurs, and then, Mikah was in front of her, taller, broader in his uniform, even freaking hotter than before. “Missed me already? Most stalkers don’t actually trail me out onto the ice.”
What would Queen Anne say? Piper racked her brain, but the wisdom of the ages didn’t rain down on her. “Not a stalker.” She let out a breath. “I need a few minutes to make an announcement to the team.”
“Nothing interrupts practice.”
Yeah, they’d been talking about really important stuff over there. “My cousin Dahlia sent me. She works here.”
“Dahlia will have a better time fitting in if she keeps her nose outside the playbook.” His voice was mild.
Another whoosh of skates. Number thirty-six joined them, dark hair, teal eyes, easy manner. He bent and scooped up the purity pamphlet.
Dang, Piper reached out to snatch the paper from him, while also keeping hold of the half-door.
Number thirty-six easily skated a foot out of reach while reading aloud, “Purity. Until. Ring. Intensity. Teasing. Yearning. I don’t like the sound of this.”
She’d scared off the guy with wild eyes, that couldn’t be good. “Give that to me.”
He returned her pamphlet without protest. “I’m Kiernan. Center.” His Boston accent dropped the “r” from the word. He gave her a sweeping look that stayed mostly on her legs. “What’s up?”
“I need to make a brief announcement. Your coach is aware.” Well, he was if he checked his texts mid-practice.
“I got this,” Mikah said.
Kiernan skated back.
“I’ll take you over, and you can argue your case.” Mikah hooked his arm around her waist and waited.
Piper had been thinking they could wave the team to come here, but hey, his arm felt secure, and she had a thing for great biceps. If his plan meant pulling her closer, she was all in. She gave him a nod.
Mikah lifted her and moved across the ice fast. Everything happened quickly, not usually a guy’s best trait, but she couldn’t deny gliding along in his arms was hot.
Coach stared at them. “She’s not your hockey stick, Czerski.” He looked ready to blast out more words.
Piper held up her palms to cut Coach off. “Please read your texts. I’ll be super brief.”
Coach pulled out his phone.
Mikah set her on her feet.
Piper balanced on the slippery ice by holding on to Mikah’s arm. She turned to face the guys. They were a handsome group. The words flitted away from her brain, but the chill from the icy surface moving up her legs and under her skirt kept her grounded. “I’m Piper Amvehl. Helping out your project manager, Dahlia.” She left off Dahlia’s last name, which would have revealed that nepotism was alive and flourishing in the executive suites. “Dahlia’s hosting a ceremony for her sorority next week. She thought to bring the women here, get her two worlds to meet and all.”
The guys’ postures grew straighter, and their heads tilted with masculine interest.
“After practice next Wednesday, the ladies are attending a lecture. Afterward…” If there were any women left who wanted to take a vow of abstinence… “You men will come out and meet them, take a few photos, praise them for pledging. The men who attend get a charity credit. That’s it.”
“Pledge what?” This came from number fourteen, the brown-haired one called Liam. “You said they’re already members of her sorority, eh?”
Suspicious Canadian dude. Still, probably better to relay the program now than have them run from the ice next week. “The women are taking a purity pledge.” Piper projected great enthusiasm into her voice, as if this were a normal activity for a twenty-something to jump on, yay purity.
Liam jerked back a foot. “I don’t want any part of that.”
Heads shook from too many guys to count, and the rejections were too quick to match to specific players. They used refusals like, “Can’t” and, “I have to look myself in the mirror.”
