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Calista clapped her hands and pointed to an interior door. Zee opened it, revealing a deep blue tiled shower, and a half wall obscuring a toilet. The shower insets held large dispensers of toiletries. “Private bath.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “We had plans for tubs so guys could soak, but we couldn’t get the order in time.” She tipped up her gaze to Zee. “Would you like that?”
“Oh yeah.”
Ronan’s eyebrows arched. Guests were being treated like kings. He was torn between amazement at her work, and the urge crawling up his spine to get her away from Zee. He had to be freaking civilized and focus on the renovation. The shower stall was huge with multiple shower jets. Steamy images of Calista and maple syrup swept into his mind. He wanted that again, every night.
Zee looked at him. “I’ve got this, you check on your men.”
They were big boys. “I’m good.”
Zee frowned.
Yeah, Ronan had his number. Zee wanted time alone with Calista. Ronan’s shoulders tightened. Not on his watch, and not with his mermaid. Ronan gave Zee an immovable expression.
“One more.” Calista opened the next door, revealing a smaller third room. She skipped through. Her concept was amazing, and her enthusiasm adorable.
The small room held a large massage chair recliner centered before a wall-mounted TV over a mini-refrigerator. Calista touched the high-end armrest control panel. “After a hard game, you can unwind, or, before the game, some guys might need quiet and solitude.” She opened an exit door that led out to a conference room bigger than theirs. The room had a narrow table and recliner seating, enough for the full team, and an overhead and a wall screen. “Or if the player prefers, he can gather with his buddies.”
“This is amazing, Calista.” Zee sounded impressed, and the way he said her name was familiar, as if he knew her. He didn’t know her like Ronan knew her. He might be the end all for his team, but not for Calista. This room wasn’t for him either.
Calista turned her beaming face on Ronan, looking for his response. That’s how it should be.
Ronan strode around Zee and stepped into the conference room ready for Calista to join him and leave Zee to change. “Spectacular job, Calista,” Ronan said, and he was being utterly sincere. He’d seen nothing like it at any of the visiting team locker rooms at any time during his career. After today, Ronan was taking this locker room for the Snowers. They’d work out the logistics. He needed to apologize for not coming the first time she’d asked, and praise her clever layout further, steal a kiss, turn her energy on him.
Zee reached over and shut the door in his face. The lock clicked, sealing Zee and Calista together inside the locker room, and Ronan alone in the conference room.
Son of a bitch.
* * *
Calista giggled as the door snicked closed on Ronan. Who knew serious Zee was a prankster? She looked up at him. “Not nice,” she said, though her voice still held humor. The men’s appreciation had buoyed her confidence. Being an hour late was turning out okay. “I’ll go out the other way so you can explain if the guys have questions.”
“They can figure it out.” Zee took a seat in the big chair and wiggled to get comfortable. He nodded and relaxed into the Italian leather. “These are something.”
Calista loved his easy acceptance. The last time she’d proposed better chairs, the topic had sparked a cringe-worthy battle and Dodo veto. She’d had the install team do as much build out as they could off site, and then had a huge crew complete the work while the team was away. She almost couldn’t believe she’d gotten it done.
Zee looked up at her. “I heard you went to see the twins.”
Calista’s lips quirked up, remembering the duos enmeshed dynamic. Jakob would shoot forward, fast like Mikah, and Conrad would hang back, controlling the puck, then Conrad would shoot it to his brother seemingly without looking at him. “They’re fun to watch.”
“They said you’d acquire both of them if you owned the team, that true?”
Why was he even asking? “Of course.” Zee must be blinded by a big brother lens. Calista looked at him indulgently and reassured him, “We’d be lucky to get them, both of them, either of them.”
“Have you considered me?”
“For what?” Her question came out lively, her mood having gone from anticipatory out at the rink, sinking lower because of Dodo, and then lifted by showing off the men’s locker room. Imagine when she did the Snowers side, they’d love her. And at school, the plumbing improvements and new layout would sway the professor to hand over her diplomas early. Team Genius bubbled to her lips, but she held in the words because her friends weren’t nearby, and praising herself in front of others, even future family, could be taken as odd.
“You’re scouting the twins. What about me? Can you imagine the four Czerski brothers playing together for your Snowers?”
Calista arched her eyebrows. Zee. The End All. The top player in the league switching from the Geels to the Snowers? Calista leaned against the wall, sank to the floor, and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. Zee and his brothers, all over 6’5”, combined they’d have the tallest team in the league, and the best reach. With their looks, Dahlia would sell a shed ton of merchandise. The plays they’d make, they’d be so in sync, four players, one brain. Fans would shove at the gates to get in and see them play. She tilted her head up to him. “You’d consider that?” Her voice came out hushed and reverent. Not in a joking way either. The whole idea was beyond anything she’d imagined for the Snowers.
Zee’s icy blue gaze was steady. “If things go your way, yeah, my contract is up, and I want to be here, so you’ve got me.”
Her brain spun in a replay of images of all the times she’d seen him play. There were so many words to describe what a thrill having him on board would be. He’d be amazing in a Snowers jersey, number ninety-nine. Calista opened and closed her mouth. Words stolen, she simply nodded.
A grin settled on Zee’s serious face. “If the ownership goes your way, my agent will be in touch.”
Beyond blown away, Calista left him to change, on feet that floated an inch above the floor.
