After Hours

Brielle

By day, I'm a struggling fashion designer buried in sketches, fabric, and the kind of dreams that don't pay the bills yet. By night, I make a living being watched. On After Hours, I'm in control. I decide what people see, how much they get, and when the show is over.

Most of the time, that control follows me into the real world.

Then there's Roman Shore. My brother's coach and the man who runs the Vancouver Havoc dugout. He looks at me like he's already decided I'm trouble and he's not about to make the mistake of getting close.

He keeps his distance like wanting me is something he refuses to allow. All that does is make me want to see how far I can push him.

Usually, I'd have lost interest already. Only this time, I'm close enough to realize the distance between us doesn't come from indifference. It comes from restraint.

And the more he tries to hold the line, the more I want to be the reason he finally loses it.

Roman

I've built my life on control. Every decision I make comes with the understanding that I'm responsible for keeping the Vancouver Havoc together. The only way this job works is if I stay disciplined and keep my focus where it belongs.

Getting involved with one of my players' sisters isn't an option, no matter how determined Brielle is to make it one.

She looks at me like she already knows I'm going to lose this fight. She pushes, I pull back. She smiles, I shut the door before she can slip through. It should be simple. And it would be, if I didn't already know exactly how dangerous getting close to her would be.

Because before I ever stood this close, I was already watching her from behind a screen. My life was fine when she was just a late-night distraction. Now she's standing right in front of me, daring me to forget every rule I've ever had.

And the more I try to keep my distance, the harder it gets to pretend I don't want to break every one of them for her.