Scoring One Night (Blue Ridge Mountain Hockey #4)

Melanie

A wave of nausea hit me as I stood in front of the Devils' training facility, my head throbbing in time with the beat of my pulse. Why had I let Sophia talk me into going out last night? And why on earth did she leave without me in that damn E-Ride car?

Hugging my notebook filled with paperwork and notes I made for the first day, I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over, a mixture of humiliation and regret. The memories of last night were hazy, but the feeling of Aspen's lips on mine, his hands on my body, was all too fresh in my mind.

"Was he stupid hot, ? Yes. Did he give you the best orgasm of your life? Yes to that, too. But he's on the team," I muttered under my breath, swallowing hard against the bile that rose in my throat.

My skin felt clammy, and my stomach roiled with every step I took. I couldn't believe I'd slept with Aspen Rivera, the golden boy of Castle Ridge and soon-to-be co-worker at the Blue Ridge Mountain Devils. What was I thinking?

It's not like I was one of his teammates. I wasn’t a hockey player, but I still worked for the team. I just read the employee manual. There were no interpersonal relationships allowed.

Shaking my head, which just caused me to wince in pain, I was so disappointed in my actions last night.

Sure, they were the stuff of amazing wet dreams, but I wasn’t living a dream. I was living in reality.

"Morning, !" the coach called out cheerily as he passed me. I forced a smile onto my face, trying to hide the shame that gnawed at me.

"Morning," I croaked out, cringing at how rough my voice sounded. I needed to find Mia Warner's office, my new boss, and put this whole incident behind me.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed open the door to the training facility. The scent of sweat and rubber hit me like a freight train, making my stomach churn. My brain pounded against my skull as I walked through the maze-like corridors in search of Mia's office.

I couldn't help but replay the events of last night in my head. The taste of cheap tequila still lingered on my tongue, and the scent of Aspen's cologne clung to my clothes like an unwanted reminder of my lapse in judgment.

When did I switch from beer to tequila? I hate tequila.

Oh, right, at Aspen's place. I couldn't believe I was the one who suggested we go to his place. All the alcohol I drank at the bar seemed to hit me once we were in the car together.

My hand covered my face.

"Never again," I vowed to myself, gritting my teeth and willing my pounding headache to subside. "From now on, it's all about professionalism and focusing on my career."

But deep down, I knew it wasn't just the hangover that made me feel wretched. It was the thought of how I'd let my guard down, allowed Aspen to see a side of me that I'd always kept hidden. And now there was no going back.

I told him things last night I never told anyone, not even Sophia.

"Hey, Aspen!" a voice called out just a second too late as I turned a corner and collided with something solid. Stumbling back, I looked up to find Aspen Rivera staring down at me, his dark hair falling into his eyes.

"Sorry, uh, , right?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

My brows shot up. Was that a joke? Daisy always warned me that Aspen was immature, but I didn’t expect him to act like he barely knew me right after having sex with me.

"Yes, ." I smirked as I bent down, trying not to throw up as I picked up the notebook and papers. "Don't tell me you already forgot my name, Aspen."

I purposely said his name because I wasn’t a jerk. It's not like I slept with people all the time and then acted like I didn’t know them.

Aspen snorted because, of course, he did. Just making me regret sleeping with him even more.

"I know your name. I'm just surprised to see you. Why are you here?"

"Starting my new job," I replied as I slowly stood, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm the new physical therapist for the Devils."

Not that he didn’t already know that, since I mentioned it many times last night. He even told me we would have so much fun together.

He meant sexually, and it seemed like a fantastic idea at the time, but now... not so much.

"Really?" He blinked in confusion.

"Yes, really," I snapped, rubbing my throbbing temple. His gray eyes flicked over my disheveled appearance, but at least he had the decency to look sheepish.

"Sorry," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't realize we had a new physical therapist."

My head shot back. Did he really not remember me mentioning the new job?

We had both been drinking last night, and he was already at the Castle Moat before Sophia and I arrived. Maybe he was more drunk than I thought.

"Well, the Devils have a new PT, and I'm it. Get used to it," I said a little sterner than I wanted.

Clearing my throat, I continued, "But I need to find Mia Warner's office before she thinks I'm late on my first day."

"Right," he said, pointing down the hallway. "Her office is just down there on the left. You can't miss it."

"Thanks," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"Hey, ?" he called out just as I was about to brush past him. "I'm sorry if I made things weird just now. I didn't mean to."

My shoulders sagged. He was as embarrassed as I was about last night. His job was on the line, too.

We both took part in what happened last night, so it was up to both of us to work through it.

"Me, neither," I confessed, giving him a tight smile. "Let's just... focus on work, okay?"

"Deal," he agreed, grinning back at me. "So what if we know each other? It's not like we can't work together, too."

Aspen leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed completely unfazed, which only made my feeling of relief quickly morph into irritation.

Just because we know each other?

I knew my mechanic, but that didn’t mean I'd sleep with him.

"Must be nice being a hockey player," I quipped, attempting to mask my discomfort with humor. "Sleeping around without a care in the world."

Aspen's eyes widened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey now, it's not like that," he countered, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Some of us actually have standards."

Thank goodness for that.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "And what might those be?"

Aspen chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, for one, they have to be able to keep up with me, if you know what I mean."

Then he did the worst thing ever, he winked. That kind of sleezy wink guys gave when they didn’t actually care about you. It was the kind of wink they gave when they just wanted to stick their dick in you.

"Is that supposed to make women feel special?" I asked, crossing my arms defensively.

"Of course," he replied, his eyes meeting mine. "But I guess that's up to them to decide."

Now I was just confused. He was acting like last night never happened, but telling me that I was special to him all at the same time.

"I may be the new physical therapist for the team, but I take my job very seriously. I need to know we can be professional with each other." My heart raced in my chest.

This was the job I had worked so hard for, but at the same time, I didn’t really like being used by someone I was going to have to work with.

"," Aspen said, breaking into my thoughts, "I don't want you to think that just because we... you know, are friends... it means we can't be professional around each other."

Friends? Well, if that's what he wants to call it, then that's what it'll be.

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because from what people tell me, you are rarely serious."

"Hey, I'm serious about my job and my team," he insisted, his expression earnest. "But I also believe in living in the moment and enjoying life. Just because we're friends doesn't mean we have to make things weird."

I exhaled slowly, feeling a strange mix of relief and irritation. "Fine. As long as we can keep things strictly professional from now on, I'm good."

"Deal," Aspen agreed with another wink.

"Thanks," I said, already turning away from him. My heart raced as I walked down the hallway, determined to maintain professionalism and distance between us.

As I continued down the corridor, I couldn't shake the image of Aspen's baffled expression as we talked. It was clear he didn't understand my insistence on professionalism, and part of me wondered if I was overreacting. And his use of the word friend with what we did together was strange, too.

The other part of me—the part that had worked so hard to get where I was today—knew I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not even for someone as charming and drool-worthy as Aspen Rivera.

As I approached the door labeled "Mia Warner" in bold letters, I took a deep breath, trying to focus on the task at hand. A wave of determination washed over me, drowning out any lingering doubts or regrets. This was my chance to prove myself, and I wasn't going to let anything, or anyone, hold me back.

Knocking softly on the door, I heard Mia's brisk voice invite me in. I entered her impeccably organized office with a feeling of excitement. It was my time to prove myself.

" Greene?" Mia asked, rising from her desk and extending a hand. "I'm Mia Warner, welcome to the Blue Ridge Mountain Devils."

"Thank you," I replied, shaking her hand firmly. "I'm looking forward to getting started."

"Excellent," she said with a nod, motioning for me to sit down. "Let's discuss your role as our team's new physical therapist."

As we dove into the details of my responsibilities, Aspen—and the events of last night—faded into the background. With every word exchanged, I felt more confident in my decision to maintain professionalism and distance from him.

This was my opportunity to make an impact on the team and prove myself as a skilled physical therapist.