Icing On The Date (The Bannister Brothers #1) Read Online Free Page B

alcohol.
    “Owen Bannister appears to be at it again,” the sportscaster said. “The Colorado Summit defenseman seems to be creating havoc this week both on and off the ice.”
    The Colorado Summit? The National Hockey League team? He was a hockey player? That would explain his ridiculously muscled physique. But she didn’t think hockey players really had to worry that much about the press.
    Apparently she was wrong.
    “Owen, along with his brother Bane, make up the team’s scrappy defense, and fans have affectionately dubbed them the Brawling Bannisters,” the sportscaster continued. “But there’s not a lot of affection for them this week as it seems that one half of the pair is causing chaos on and off of the rink. Owen was spotted downtown last night throwing back drinks instead of punches. Buying drinks for the bar, he appeared to be celebrating instead of grieving the destruction of the dynamic duo. In fact, some would even call his behavior disorderly conduct.”
    What did he mean by the “destruction of the dynamic duo”? Had Owen done something to hurt the team or to wreck his relationship with his brother?
    That couldn’t be right. She’d seen him and Bane together the night before. And even though Bane had seemed annoyed at Owen, their relationship was obviously close and seemed solid to her.
    But then again, what did she know? She’d apparently been making out in the ladies room with a famous hockey player and hadn’t even recognized the guy. She shook her head at her earlier guesses. So, not a CEO, a notorious mobster, or a celebrity. Well, a celebrity of sorts.
    Certainly a celebrity to hockey fans. He was famous enough to have a story placed in the news about him. And not a flattering one. Just the kind of story that he’d obviously been trying to avoid.
    No wonder he and his brother assumed she knew he was. But she didn’t have time to follow sports and didn’t think she’d ever even seen a hockey game. No wonder she didn’t recognize the guy.
    She focused back on the sportscaster’s commentary.
    “After last week’s game, it’s rumored that one, or both, of the Bannister brothers could be benched for the season. Or worse.”
    What was worse than being benched for the season? Kicked off the team? No wonder Owen was upset. Especially if whatever had happened at last week’s game had been his fault. And she assumed from his behavior and his comments the night before that it had been.
    Poor guy.
    There was no point in her worrying about it now, though. She had enough on her plate, and it appeared Owen did too. At least Bridget, or Brittany, or whatever her name was, got her picture on television. She might not have ended up with Owen, but Gabby had a feeling the girl was more interested in the notoriety than actually making out with the hockey player anyway.
    Instead, Gabby had been the one to make out with him. Well, not exactly make out. But he did kiss her.
    Oh my God, did he ever kiss her.
    Memories of the night before seeped into her thoughts. Who was she kidding? She’d been thinking about that kiss all night—and several times this morning.
    After leaving the hotel, she’d still had to go down to the county jail to bail out her brother. He’d been happy to see her and thankful and full of his normal apologies and excuses. She’d dropped him off at his apartment and fallen into bed around two o’clock in the morning.
    And had dreamt of Owen Bannister.
    She didn’t have time for daydreams now, though. She had work to do and a lot of it. She’d thought after last night that she could count on her brother’s help today, but he’d already texted her with another flimsy excuse of why he couldn’t make it. So, she was on her own. As usual.
    Flipping off the TV, she grabbed her coat and the basket of supplies, said goodbye to Thor, and headed down the back stairs of the apartment.
    Circling around the front of the building, she couldn’t have been more surprised to see Owen