“
The best part of my job is being in charge of entitled men who think they’re better than me because they have a dick.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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He gives me a wave and flips his hat backward before walking toward us. Jesus Christ. Shit like that should be illegal for men to do in public.
”
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
We need to make him watch the ‘Juno’ positions clips and figure out which ones he likes.” Grant drops to the floor and thrusts into the rug. “Have you ever tried this one, Hud?
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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I love you, Mama. To the stars, the heavens, and beyond.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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Of course I mean it. I’d go to war for your daughter. For you, too.” “Why?” she whispers, and I think of a hundred ways I can answer that question. Because I’m attracted to you. Because I’m determined to show you there are good men out there. Because it’s the bare minimum of what you deserve. Because I’m fucking falling in love with you, and I’d let you break my heart if that’s what you wanted. “Because y’all are mine.” I tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “And I protect what’s mine.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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Piper makes me sound like a hero, when, really, I’m just treating people how I’d want to be treated. The right way to be treated, and that boils over to Madeline and Lucy too.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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You’re going to be the death of me, Madeline. Please be gentle when you kill me.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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Probably a book with Clifford, since she’s six. G-Money Not as entertaining as the book I’m reading right now. There’s accidental cannibalism in it lol. Me I don’t want to know.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
I don’t have enough free time to be a murderer, and I saw how good you are with knives. I wouldn’t stand a chance against you.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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I swear the only thing hotter than a guy with a kid is a guy wearing a backward hat.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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and every day I’m closer to selling pictures of my feet on the internet.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
G-Money I think it’s cool the league is becoming more inclusive. First Emmy, now Lia? Fucking amazing.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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I don’t add the other part. The admission that not a single woman has caught my eye, because I’ve been thinking about her lately. Nonstop, really. Wanting to touch her. Wanting to taste her. Wanting to wrap my arms around her and kiss her until she’s dizzy and forgets her name.
”
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Hello, Lucy,” I speak and sign. Her mouth pops open and she scoots closer to me, looking at my hands then up at me. Madeline gasps, but I don’t let myself get distracted. “My name is Hudson. I have two dogs, Gus and Millie. My favorite food is a cheeseburger, and I play hockey.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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Hey.” Maverick puts his arm around my shoulder. “You’re a catch, Huddy. Your person is out there, and you want to know the wildest fucking thing?” I huff. My breath comes out like a wisp of smoke, and I can’t wait to hear. “What?” “She’s trying to get to you right now. It’s just taking her a little while. Traffic, you know?” “Wow. That might be the deepest thing you’ve ever said, Mav.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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I’m tired of books that claim the main characters don’t like each other. I want to see it. Give me a dagger to the throat,” Liam says, and Grant nods in agreement. “Pretty sure that could be considered assault,” Riley chimes in. “Not in dark romance it’s not,” Grant says. “That’s why I like that shit the most.” “Yeah, because stalkers are more believable than two people not liking each other,” I draw out.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
This was a very bad idea. I haven’t updated my will. I haven’t seen the Grand Canyon or the Great Barrier Reef yet. I’m too young to die.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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Madeline rests her cheek on my shoulder and picks up the last bite of her cookie. “What font should we use?” I choke on a laugh and wipe under my eyes. “Comic Sans. Obviously.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
It was all surface level stuff, though. I’ve never really had a friend. Someone I could spill my guts to and call crying in the middle of the night if I needed a minute to vent. I always felt like a bother, like I was interrupting something more important, so I kept to myself. I’ve always wanted that strong friendship—a woman or two I could have in my corner when the going gets rough—and my heart races with anticipation as we join the pair at the table.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
I didn’t want to inconvenience you. Me It’s not an inconvenience if it’s something I want to do.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
When Madeline stands and says she’s going to grab Lucy from school, hours have passed, and I can’t help but think about how today is the best day I’ve had in a long, long time.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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Madeline lifts her chin. “You noticed that?” “I notice a lot of things.” “Oh.” She’s quiet for a minute, working the needle through the fabric again. “No one’s done that in a long time.” “Done what?” “Noticed the little things.” She shrugs, still hyperfocused on that damn needle and thread. “There’s nothing special about me.” I frown. She’s not wrong about many things, but she’s wrong about that. Madeline Galloway is special, and I’m sad she’s been led to think otherwise. “Agree to disagree,” I say, and her cheeks turn a faint shade of pink.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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My mouth goes dry, and I know I’m no better than a man with the thoughts racing through my head. I’m staring at him like I haven’t been fed in goddamn years, but I can’t help it. Hudson Hayes is built like a god, and he’s hot as hell. I could pretend to be oblivious to it before. Sure, he has a pretty face. A smile that can make you blush and eyes that twinkle when he thinks something is really funny. But now? Now I know he has a six-pack. Now I know he’s been hiding a body that looks like it was handcrafted out of the finest marble, but he does and he is, and my brain nearly short-circuits because of it. “Jesus Christ,” I mumble. “What?” he asks “Nothing. I—the smell.” I stare at his ear instead of his chest. I’ve never seen such a good-looking man before. I could bounce a quarter off his stomach if I wanted to, and I really kind of want to.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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It’s not the only outlet. Ethan rides motorcycles. Grant carries around this small notebook but won’t tell us what is inside. He claims it’s to play tic-tac-toe with himself, but it’s obvious he’s lying. I’m wondering if he’s drawing or writing a book.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
I meant you. To feel like I’m living and not just surviving. I didn’t know if my heart could take losing my mom. There were so many days where I pretended I was okay. Where I’d smile and laugh at practice with the guys then come home and cry myself to sleep because I was so fucking sad. I haven’t been sad since meeting you, though. You’ve… you’ve poured love into the cracks I’ve tried so hard to fill myself, and I think I’m finally whole again.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
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Those urges weren’t there a week ago, and I don’t know why they’re here now. Is it because we’re sharing things with each other? Is it because her eyes sparkle like the stars? Is it because I haven’t felt this kind of closeness with a woman who wasn’t Piper, Lexi, or Emmy in what seems like ages? Or ever. Maybe it’s because it’s her, and the more time I spend with Madeline, the more I realize she might be the most incredible person I’ve ever met.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Denver’s assistant head coach is a woman.” Lexi points across the ice to a woman with blonde hair and a clipboard in her hand. Her blue suit is tailored and fitted to her toned thighs, and she’s deep in conversation with one of the players on her team. Every few seconds her eyes flick up. She scans the ice, and I wonder if she’s looking for someone specific.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Her lips pull up into a grin. She lifts her chin, a dare there, before she says, “Fuck it,” and crashes her mouth against mine. The planets realign. The earth stops rotating, and this is different from how we kissed on New Year’s. This is intentional. Something that has purpose and something she’s doing without any provoking.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Who?” Piper follows my gaze. “That’s Hannah, Grant’s sister. She’s a professional figure skater.” She smiles at my daughter and transitions to only signing. What size shoe do you wear, Lucy?
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
My neighbor and friend from childhood, Jimmy Silva. He’s come to a couple games.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Nope,” I say. “I’m fine.” I’m treated to a view of his back muscles as he walks away, and I push the heels of my palms into my eyes. It’s wrong to be gawking at him. That’s exactly what I said I wouldn’t do when I took this job, but here I am: my tongue almost hanging out of my mouth, my skin flushed and my pulse racing. Starry-eyed, like I’ve never seen a man before. And, fuck, is Hudson a man.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
This way I get to see the parts of yourself you say you don’t love. The cellulite, the stretch marks. You don’t have to like them, Maddie, but I’m fucking obsessed with them. I’ll worship them for both of us.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
I wish I could tell you the hard days get better, but sometimes you have to go through a lot of shit before you come out on the other side.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
We stay exactly as we are, and it takes everything in me to not tilt my head. To not turn my cheek and nuzzle into his embrace, a plant begging for sunlight.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Can I—” “Anything. Nothing. Whatever you want.” Hudson cups my chin with so much care, I almost melt because of it. “I’m at your mercy.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
I want it to be good for you, too.” “Maddie.” Hudson smiles. Brushes his thumbs along my ribs and drums his fingers against my skin. “This right here—being with you? Touching you? Breathing the same air as you?—is good enough for me. Everything else is a bonus.” Goddamn him for being the most perfect man.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Did you all see Amelia Green out in Denver got promoted from assistant head coach to associate head coach? First woman in the NHL to hold that position.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
We don’t say anything else. I put my chin on top of her head and drape an arm over the back of the bench. I like having her by my side. She might be the most favorite friend I’ve ever had, and I know I should be the one thanking her.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
She’s so soft, and when she kisses the corner of my mouth, I whimper. It’s torture—hell on earth—but when she huffs out a laugh at my patheticness and kisses me fully, I’m a lost cause.
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Her lips pull up into a grin. She lifts her chin, a dare there, before she says, “Fuck it,” and crashes her mouth against mine. The planets realign.
”
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
It’s not the length of time that determines your happiness. It’s the person,
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
I don’t care if that was a joke. Knock it the fuck off or save it for the bar when I’m not around. And keep my roommate’s name out of your mouth. None of you are touching her, and you’re not going to talk about her like that again. Got it?
”
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Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
If I played cricket, that would’ve worked really well.
”
”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
What was with the penalty you got earlier? I saw you chirping that dude.” “He liked one of Emmy’s photos on Instagram last week, and it pissed me off. The hit was worth the two-minute timeout I got in the sin bin.” “You’re joking.
”
”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
My Uber driver asked if I’m in finance. Gag me.
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”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
My mouth goes dry, and I know I’m no better than a man with the thoughts racing through my head.
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”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Every day I’m losing faith I’ll find anything comparable to my previous salary, and every day I’m closer to selling pictures of my feet on the internet.
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”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Says the guy who picked the book with cannibalism in it,” Liam grumbles. “Accidental cannibalism. Jesus. I don’t want to eat people.
”
”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
everything happens for a reason, even if you don’t know what the reason is at the time.
”
”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
It feels like I’m drifting out to sea, away from her. The more time that goes by, the more difficult it is to get to the shore. I’m lost in the ocean with no hope of finding my way back to land.
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”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
Hey.” Maverick puts his arm around my shoulder. “You’re a catch, Huddy. Your person is out there, and you want to know the wildest fucking thing?” I huff. My breath comes out like a wisp of smoke, and I can’t wait to hear. “What?” “She’s trying to get to you right now. It’s just taking her a little while. Traffic, you know?
”
”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))
“
and life is too short to not tell the people you care about exactly how you feel.
”
”
Chelsea Curto (Slap Shot (D.C. Stars, #3))