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Chapter 1

Hudson

“Are children always this noisy?” Lukas asked as alked across the expansive gym floor of the newly opened Dorsal Kids Club

We paused just in tih kids as they chased each other with pool noodles

“When you put a couple hundred of them in close quarters,” I answered

Lukas’s eyes constantly shifted, as if each individual sound drew his attention “And remind me e’re here?”

“Because ent informed me that if I wanted to secure that endorse” I forced a smile for a couple of wide-eyed parents as we lass-lined conference room

“Well, you are a PR nightmare”

“Speak for yourself” I shot him a raised eyebrow

“I’et into fights I keep my nose clean, and I was just voted the sexiestrecord—”

“On or off the ice?”

“I do well in both places” He smirked

“And one day that is going to bite you in the ass”

“Maybe you’d be less cranky if you got a good bite on the ass,” he threw back, his accent drawing ave them a wink “You could always call up that social worker”

“Don’t start,” I warned him

Immediately, visions of Shea filled my head Soft, touchable hair that reminded me of merlot A petite frame that possessed lush, fuckable curves that I kneould fill my hands perfectly because they already had in those short et away froeous, heart-shaped face covered by all that flawless skinof freckles across the bridge of her nose—they all added up to the dick-hardening perfection that was Shea Lansing

Especially those eyes Those gunray eyes that took in every detail The ones that never quite met mine

The ones that held a wariness in them that let me know I didn’t have a shot in hell with her

“Connor could set you up with her—”

“I mean it,” I snapped

Lukas whistled like a boo “You knohen you said you had to go to the boys and girls club, I thought it wasyou know…”

“A club?” I offered

“Yeah, like Thirty-Five”

I laughed out loud “You thought I was going to the bar at one pm on a Saturday?”

“You can understandhoops

“No, I really can’t, but now I get why you tagged along” I shook enuine as alked into the conference room Smiles were rare for me lately And lately was the past year or so Maybe the move to Seattle, to the Sharks, had been for the best

I wasn’t ready to say what she had done was, though Maybe I never would

“Mr Porter!” A ed brunette clapped her hands “We’re just so honored to have you here with us!” The woave“So So So honored,” she repeated, her tongue darting out to swipe her lower lip

“Happy to be here,” I answered, quickly looking away A few years ago I would have gone for it—hell, it see the offer—but I’d learned to be way more careful about who I slipped my dick into There were certain levels of crazy that weren’t worth a quick orgasm

Then again, there were so crazy for, period

Shea A flash of auburn hair, gray eyes, and curves filled my memory, but I shut it down, the saot too close

“Lucy, sit down,” Clara ordered in her gravel-filled voice “Hudson,” she greeted lad you made it Let’s show you around”

She quickly ushered us frolass door before Lucy could follow

“Now, let’s fill you in on e’re doing here,” Clara said, leading us into the open gyh “Do you mind?” she asked as a two-person camera crew joined us

“Not at all,” I answered, knowing it was expected of me

She nodded and began “As you know, the center is designed for the mentorship of youth I won’t say ‘at-risk,’ since our only require person desires a role model”

Clara spent the next half hour walking us through the center and describing the prograround checked, trained, and matched with a “Little,” whos were held in the center until all parties felt co in the outside world Most er So

It was all about the connection between the Big and Little

We h the aquatics center, the crafts rooy the process

“And all of these kids needat the dozens of kids and adults engaged in different activities fro was open, visible through giant glass s that let in the light

“No, al, and today is their first meet-up”

At least that was one area I wouldn’t be expected to volunteer I didn’t exactly have that open, warm and fuzzy personalit

y that uys like Connor or Eric

Or Lukas, who currently had four kids trailing hiylances he kept throwing toward his unwanted entourage

“Mr Porter, is this a good ti a mic asked

I fought every instinct I had to decline to coame interview Fines or no fines, I wasn’t a fan of the media or the way they twisted words for headlines

Why the hell did they want aame I played

But here, the ga millions in an endorsement deal that I didn’t honestly care about, anyway

“Clara?” Lucy interrupted, saving“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem”

“It’s okay,” Clara answered “What’s up?”

Lucy’s eyes flickered nervously from the camera team to me before she finally whispered, “I’ve already called her mother, butshe rejected another one”

Clara sighed “Where is she?”

Lucy nodded toward the conference rooainst the wall

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but it looks like my attention is needed elsewhere,” Clara told the team “Mr Porter—”

“I’d like to tag along, if I could,” I interjected Getting out of the intervieould be a bonus, but irl had rejected already, and why

I liked picky people, even small ones

Clara’s brow puckered like she eighing the propriety of bringing ainst the money I’d donated With a set an idea of what goes into to pairing Bigs and Littles” She looked over at the crew “No cah This part isn’t for the public Lucy, why don’t you take the news crew over to Mr Vestergaard The camera always seems to love him”

“It’s aover to where Lukas was shooting hoops with sos

Once we’d ditched the camera crew, Lucy, Clara, and I made our way into the conference room, which had emptied to leave only the redhead

Lucy closed the door behind us

“Another one, Elliott?” Clara asked

The girl aze with raised eyebrows and a dis Her hair was dark red and braided down over the side to rest beneath one of her shoulders, strands co loose all over the place Her jeans were fitted, but torn at the knee, and the black Vans on her feet matched her retro Pink Floyd T-shirt from the ‘75 tour of Wish You Were Here

“Elliott,” Clara urged again, a clear tone of warning in her voice

“She sirl said

I laughed and was rewarded with glares from all three females in the room

Elliott narrowed shockingly pale green eyes at me

“Pickles,” Clara said, returning her attention to the girl “The first one was too snobby, according to you—”

“She talked down to me like I was a charity case” Elliott folded her arms across her chest

Lord help this kid’s er