Shutdown Player New Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Blurb

  Dedication

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1—Pregame Warmup

  Chapter 2—Sharpening the Skates

  Chapter 3—Shot in the Dark

  Chapter 4—Wraparound Goal

  Chapter 5—Tripping

  Chapter 6—Line Change

  Chapter 7—On One Edge

  Chapter 8—Riding the Pine

  Chapter 9—Stick Checking

  Chapter 10—Misconduct

  Chapter 11—Neutral Zone

  Chapter 12—Interference

  Chapter 13—Scoring Chance

  Chapter 14—Missed Block

  Chapter 15—On Ice

  Chapter 16—Top-Shelf Goal

  Chapter 17—Driving to the Goal

  Chapter 18—Shootout

  Chapter 19—Final Period

  Epilogue

  Complete Booklist

  About the Author

  Shutdown Player

  Seattle Sockeyes Hockey

  GAME ON IN SEATTLE #10

  By Jami Davenport

  Copyright © 2018 by Cedrona Enterprises

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this book ONLY. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Jami Davenport. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book with others, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  Cover by

  www.HotDamnDesigns.com

  The Seattle Sockeyes™, Seattle Steelheads™, and Seattle Skookums™ are fictional sports teams. Their names and logos are created for the sole use of the owner and covered under protection of trademark.

  This book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning

  This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-age readers.

  Email: [email protected]

  Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com

  Twitter: @jamidavenport

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  Blurb

  After a brief marriage to an unfaithful, gold-digging wife, Jared Roderick is looking for the perfect good girl, and he thinks he’s found her. Sweet, quiet, prim Stephanie Clarke is exactly the woman he wants and nothing like his cheating ex. Now to convince a reluctant Steph they were meant to be together.

  Steph has had enough of men controlling her life from her preacher father to her abusive boyfriend. She wants to regain the innocence she lost and ignore the ugliness of her recent past. She’s not the pure and sheltered virgin Jared desires and fends off his advances despite the sizzling chemistry between them.

  Jared is as determined to win Steph over as he is to win hockey games; but when he discovers his fantasy is tarnished, does he have the strength to skate the distance?

  Dedication

  Happy Birthday, Catherine E. This one’s for you!!!

  Thank you to Kate Willoughby, Lisa B. Kamps, and Kat Mizera for giving me permission to mention your books.

  Author’s Note

  Gone Missing, my new Romantic Suspense series debuts later this year. In the meantime, this book introduces Bronson Warner, a former Army Special Forces Sargeant and now a PI. Rough and tough Bronson finds people who’re missing, and he just might find his heart in the process.

  Chapter 1—Pregame Warmup

  Praying had never done Stephanie Clarke any good, but she did it anyway. A girl in her position had to believe in something. She chose to believe in God, even though she wasn’t sure he listened to her prayers anymore.

  Or did he?

  She needed to concentrate on the positive things in her life instead of dwelling on the negative. After all, he’d sent her friend Vi to rescue her from an abusive boyfriend after said boyfriend wanted her to sell her body. Now she had a second chance at life and maybe someday love. She had a nice place to live. Yes, she had a lot to be thankful for.

  One of those things was her job. She loved this new job, and she’d have never been hired if it hadn’t been for Vi’s connections with the Sockeyes hockey team. Izzy, the team captain’s wife, had offered her a place to stay and a job with her party-crashing business. Steph was being paid to “crash” parties and make sure everyone was having a good time. Sometimes she’d talk to an older person sitting alone in a corner. Other times, she’d convince a reluctant partygoer to dance. Steph had fun—good, pure fun. Izzy’s sisters and other employees attended, so she was never the sole party crasher and always had backup. Her new role forced her to step outside her comfort zone, because she leaned toward the shy spectrum on the social scale, but all in all, the new job was good for her.

  Tonight was a charity gala sponsored by the Sockeyes. Steph wasn’t known to any of the players other than Cooper, the captain, and Vi’s fiancé Matt, so she’d been tagged to work this party. For the past thirty minutes, she’d been sitting with Agnes, an ancient society matron, listening to her woes regarding finding an appropriate dog groomer for her beloved poodle.

  Agnes reached out a bony hand and squeezed Steph’s shoulder. Her blue eyes held a twinkle that belied their age. She lifted the scotch to her painted lips, took an unladylike swig, then belched. Several heads turned in her direction. She winked at Steph. “At my age, you don’t care what others think.”

  Steph laughed, honestly enjoying this woman’s company. But she’d always been more comfortable with older people than those her own age. Growing up, she’d often helped her pastor father take care packages to the shut-ins or visit nursing homes. She could sit for hours and listen to their tales and felt profound sadness that their own families didn’t take the time to hear their stories.

  “What about you, dearie? What is such a sweet, beautiful young woman like you doing here without a date?”

  Steph blushed and ducked her head. She hated compliments. Vi told her to accept them graciously and get over feeling as if she didn’t deserve them. But she didn’t. Steph was a bad person. Or, at the least, a weak-willed one, and she couldn’t shake the inadequacy born of years of emotional programming.

  “I just got out of a bad relationship. I’m taking a break.”

  “Ah, you came here for the scenery, just like this lecherous old woman.” Agnes giggled and patted Steph’s hand as her keen gaze swept around the room and settled on a group of hockey players sitting several tables away.

  Steph laughed. “Are you a hockey fan?”

  Agnes made a show of fanning her face. “Who wouldn’t be? I especially love the hard hits against the boards and the fights.”

  “I don’t like the violence.”

  Agnes snorted. “That’s the allure of the sport.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I might also own a piece of the team.” She w
inked, and Steph wasn’t sure if Agnes was pulling her leg. She decided to keep her mouth shut. Judging by the size of the jewelry the woman was wearing, she could afford to own the entire team.

  Agnes stared at her so hard that Steph squirmed and fidgeted with her water glass. The older woman reached out to give her a squeeze on the arm, and Steph flinched. She couldn’t help it. Old habits died hard. She lifted her head and met Agnes’s dissecting gaze.

  “You’ve just gotten out of a bad relationship. A very bad one. An abusive one.” Her words weren’t a question.

  Steph felt the color drain from her face, and a shiver ran down her spine. She nodded slowly. “How did— How could you know?” Did she have abused woman written all over her or something?

  “I know things. It’s a gift at times and a curse at others.” Agnes shrugged, as if her abilities were nothing unusual. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

  “I hope so.”

  “You’re doing a good job tonight.”

  “You know what my job is?” This woman should be creeping her out, but for some reason, Steph trusted her, and she trusted very few people.

  “Absolutely. I’ve hired Izzy’s company for a few parties myself.”

  “Am I that transparent?”

  “Oh, hell no. I’m that good.” Agnes snickered and took another long gulp of her scotch. She reached into her small clutch purse and pulled out a business card. “I like you. I could use a personal assistant to run errands, take care of correspondence, help with my business, things like that. Would you be interested?”

  “What’s your business?” Steph couldn’t imagine this society matron doing much beyond bridge games, tea at the country club, and attending the opera—if Seattle had an opera. Steph wouldn’t have a clue.

  “I’m a matchmaker.” Agnes paused, as if waiting for this bit of news to sink in.

  “A matchmaker?”

  “Yes, but only for a select few. It’s a hobby of mine because I have a talent for weeding out the gold-diggers and finding good, sincere people who’ll make honest matches for my lonely millionaires and billionaires. Seattle is overrun with nice-guy nerds unsuccessfully looking for a life partner.” She pointed at a couple dancing close and staring into each other’s eyes as if no one else existed. “They’re one of my matches from ten years ago.”

  “Wow. They look like they’re still in love.”

  “Of course, they are. I do forever matches, just like me and my Walter. God rest his soul.” The profound sorrow in Agnes’s eyes at the mention of her dearly departed tugged at Steph’s heart, yet Agnes recovered quickly. “You’ll do fine. I’ve been looking for someone like you.”

  “But you know nothing about me.”

  “I know enough. I know you’re honest and a hard worker. I know you’re not looking for a man, which is a huge plus. My last two assistants were on the hunt and stalked my millionaires. Not good for business, as you can imagine.”

  “I can.”

  “Are you interested?”

  Steph tamped down her excitement. “Yes. I am.” She smiled broadly. God had dropped an opportunity into her lap she couldn’t pass up, since they were few and far between.

  “I can be difficult.”

  “I’m good with difficult people.”

  “I expect one hundred percent nondisclosure.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll keep my lips sealed.”

  “I won’t tolerate any hanky-panky with my clients unless I bless such behavior.” Agnes winked as if sharing some private joke with Steph, only Steph wasn’t in on the joke.

  “Never happen.”

  Agnes pressed the card into Steph’s hand. “Call me on Monday.”

  “I will.”

  “Now, you’d best get back to your job. I’ve seen Izzy glance over here a few times.” Agnes surveyed the room. Her eyes zeroed in on someone, and Steph followed her gaze. “Now there’s one for you. Mosey over to that handsome boy and cheer him up.”

  Steph swallowed. She knew who that handsome boy was. Jared “Hot Rod” Roderick. Insanely gorgeous and talented on the ice. The man in question was way out of her league. Beyond drop-dead gorgeous, with the strong, silent, brooding thing going for him. Steph had had all she wanted of brooding men. Usually their attitude hid more than brooding. She should know.

  “He looks like he wants to be left alone.”

  Agnes cocked a brow. “Honey, if you left him alone, you wouldn’t be doing your job, would you? Now go make him smile.”

  Before Steph could react, Cooper approached and bowed low, holding out his hand to Agnes. “Miss Agnes, would you do me the honor?”

  Agnes morphed from a cranky, mysterious old woman to a giggly teenager. “Why, I’d love to.”

  Cooper grinned. He nodded at Steph and took Agnes’s hand. The couple glided to the dance floor. Steph stood, walked to the bar for a glass of ice water, and steeled herself. She could do this. She’d done it a dozen times to date. Not a big deal. Just talk to the guy. Try to make him smile.

  But when she turned around, he was gone.

  * * * *

  Marriage had changed Jared.

  And not in a good way.

  Up until a year or so ago, he’d lived a fucking charmed life. Then it all fell to shit.

  He’d spent the entire off-season cleaning up the mess, trying to recover and move on. Candy had done a number on him, one he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

  Finally, he had hockey back to take his mind off his problems. The first puck of the regular season had dropped on a rainy, windy October day in Seattle, and it was game on. Nothing mattered but hockey. This was the Sockeyes’ year. After a disappointing finish last year, they’d refocused and come out fighting. Especially Jared. He wanted a shot at the Cup.

  Through the first few weeks of October, the Sockeyes were at top of the West standings in points and in games won, at seven and three. They’d lost to the Islanders last night and would play the Rangers on Thursday night after having tonight off in New York City.

  The long and grueling hockey season was just beginning, but so far, so good. Jared wished he could say the same about his personal life.

  Jared glanced up as his teammate, Drew “Deli” Delacorte, pulled a chair next to him in the hotel bar where the team had commandeered a large table.

  Jared poured himself a beer from a pitcher on the table and slumped in his seat. He nursed his first, his second, and wondered if getting drunk would make him feel better. But then he’d have to deal with a lecture by team captain Cooper Black, and he avoided such lectures at all costs. Coop might be a controlling asshole, but he genuinely cared about the team, which scored points in Jared’s book.

  In another life, before his disastrous marriage, he would’ve been scanning the sparsely populated bar for eligible females and plotting his next move, much like teammates Ziggy and Rush. They’d pushed some tables against the wall to clear space for a makeshift dance floor and had cajoled a couple of flight attendants to join them. Rush, who danced like a refugee from the seventies, was doing some God-awful imitation of dirty dancing to the disco music blaring on a jukebox. Ziggy, not to be outdone, started the Electric Slide. Jared rolled his eyes, not sure if he was jealous or embarrassed. A few years ago, he’d have been in the thick of things. Now he was sidelined with no interest in getting back into the game.

  The music ended, and the flight attendants, seeing an opening to escape, waved goodbye and hurried out the door.

  Frowning, Ziggy and Rush shuffled back to the table.

  “Struck out, didn’t ya?” Cedric Pedersen, a.k.a. Smooth, grinned at his teammates. “Didn’t I teach you boys anything?” Smooth had once been the biggest manwhore on the team until he’d become a dedicated one-woman man. Now he was disgustingly in love and talking dirty on the phone to Bella every chance he got.

  Ziggy and Rush ignored Smooth and claimed a few empty seats across from Jared.

  “Hey, you’re single now, Hot Rod,” Ziggy
—whose real name was Gage Ziegler—said, stating the obvious. The entire team knew the sordid details of Jared’s divorce, much to his dismay.

  “Well, duh.” Jared rolled his eyes. Had he been that much of a moron when he’d been a rookie? Yeah, probably worse.

  Coop narrowed his eyes and glowered from the other end of the table. The team captain could sniff trouble from an ice rink away.

  Ziggy lowered his voice. “Wanna party with Rush and I?”

  Jared considered his options. He hadn’t partied with the guys since his wedding, not like he once did. Jared and Alexander “Rush” Markov had gotten in their share of trouble. The guys would probably go to a club, dance, and pick out a female—or multiple females—to sneak into their hotel room.

  Jared wished he could muster up the interest in a night of debauchery, but he couldn’t. Besides, such nights were expensive, and he was on a tight budget. His bank account had sunk to a new low this month, and he honestly couldn’t afford an expensive night out. He was broke and not proud of it. In fact, he was embarrassed as hell. A guy who made the money he did shouldn’t be looking at a three-digit bank balance.

  He shook his head. “Sorry, I have other plans.”

  “Plans? What kind of plans?” Ziggy studied Jared skeptically.

  “Vhat plans top barely dressed females looking to fuck hockey players?” Rush scratched his head, his dark brows drawn together in confusion.

  “He promised to play pool with us.” Matt stood behind Jared. “He kicked my ass last time. I’m looking to even the score.”

  Jared kept his face expressionless. “Yeah, he wants another beating. LuLu’s a glutton for punishment.”

  Ziggy narrowed his eyes and looked from one to the other. Finally, he shrugged and waved at Rush, now standing impatiently near the doorway of the hotel bar. “I’m outta here. Don’t wait up for us.”