Face Off Read online

  “Yeah, yeah, but I’m telling you, once you see her, you’ll be willing to bend the rules.” Kelly planted herself on a stool at the breakfast bar and watched Savannah as she finished putting the chicken breasts she was grilling later in the marinade.

  “Don’t count on it,” Savannah said as she put the container in the refrigerator and grabbed a couple of beers before going to join her at the bar. “I won’t get involved with a neighbor, or anyone else who knows where I live for that matter. It opens me up to all kinds of messy and uncomfortable scenarios.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t live here.” Kelly winked and took a long draw from her beer bottle.

  “And you don’t date my neighbors either.”

  “That was never part of the rules.”

  “It was never an issue before. Now it’s part of the rules.”

  “You’re no fun.”

  “I’ve heard quite a different story from the women I meet.” Savannah grinned and took a drink of her own beer. She and Kelly had been friends since grade school, and they came out to each other shortly before starting high school. That was when Kelly had come to live with them after her parents had been killed in a car accident. Since they were the only two lesbians either of them knew of, it made sense for them to date each other, right? They never got any further than kissing, and maybe a couple of groping sessions, but soon realized they were much better as friends. They’d been inseparable ever since.

  “I’m sure you have.”

  Leo jumped up on the counter and came over to rub on Savannah’s hand. She scratched behind his ears and he started purring loudly before flopping onto his side then rolling onto his back so she could rub his belly.

  “So spoiled.” Kelly shook her head.

  “Rotten,” Savannah said.

  “All right, I’ve got to run a few errands,” Kelly said as she finished her beer and got to her feet. “I’ll be back for dinner though, and we’re still going to Allentown tonight, right?”

  “Absolutely.” Savannah gave Leo a kiss on the end of his nose before following her to the door. “Call first though, you know, in case the new neighbor drops by.”

  “You really are an ass sometimes,” Kelly said, shoving her middle finger in Savannah’s face.

  “Careful where you put that finger,” Savannah said with a laugh. “I may be a hockey player, but I do still have all my teeth.”

  “You might not when I get through with you.” Kelly blew her a kiss before turning and going down the front walk to her car in the driveway. “Love you, Van.”

  “Love you too, Kel,” she said. Savannah stood on the front porch for a few moments pretending to watch Kelly, but she was really hoping to catch a glimpse of the new neighbor. After Kelly drove away, she gave up and went back inside. “What do you think, Leo? Is your aunt Kelly yanking my chain? The neighbor’s probably eighty years old, isn’t she?”

  Leo meowed and wove his way between her legs, almost tripping her in the process. She reached down and picked him up, and he immediately began to purr.

  “Let’s take a nap, little guy, otherwise your Aunt Kelly isn’t going to be happy when I fall asleep in the car on the way to the dance club.”

  * * *

  It was after four when she woke up to someone knocking on the front door. It was too early for Kelly to be back, so she wondered who it could be as she forced Leo off her chest and sat up on the couch. She stood and rubbed her eyes while she walked to the door.

  “Hi.” That was what she wanted to say when she saw the woman standing on her front porch, but all she could do was stare. If this was the new neighbor, she was definitely not eighty years old.

  “Hello,” the woman said as she glanced over her shoulder toward the house next door as if she were nervous to be standing there. When she met her eyes, Savannah almost gasped, but somehow managed to smile at her.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah, my name is Madison Scott, and I just moved in next door,” she said with a smile that threatened to turn Savannah into a puddle. Madison shifted her weight and chuckled as she shook her head. “I really can’t believe I’m standing here asking you this, but I was wondering if I could use your shower. Please.”

  Savannah wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting to hear, but that certainly wasn’t it. She cocked her head to the side and looked out at the street. This had to be a joke, right? Some hidden camera show? Maybe Kelly had put her up to this.

  “Um, I’ve never been in the house you bought, but I’m pretty sure it has indoor plumbing.” Savannah grinned at the blush spreading across Madison’s cheeks. “Did you forget to have the water turned on or something?”

  “No, there’s water. The utility company seems to have forgotten I needed the gas turned on yesterday though.” She ran a hand through her short blond hair before shoving her hands in the pockets of her shorts. “While I’m not opposed to taking a cold shower when the need arises, I’m really not in the mood for one today.”

  Savannah stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. Leo, being the love hog he was, immediately ran over and began checking out the new person in his house. He stood on his back legs and placed his front feet on Madison’s thigh.

  “Leo, stop,” Savannah said, but Madison was smiling when she bent over to scratch him under the chin.

  “Can I pick him up?” she asked.

  “You can, but if you do, you might have to take him home with you.”

  “I’m not sure my dog would like me bringing home a cat.”

  “No worries on that front,” Savannah said. “Leo would whip him into shape in no time.”

  It was infinitely easier to talk to Madison when she wasn’t looking at Savannah. When she didn’t have to see the beautiful green eyes and the perfectly crooked smile Madison gave so freely and which caused Savannah’s heart rate to increase. What the hell was going on with her? Madison was more athletic and less feminine than the women she was usually attracted to. But anyone would have to be blind to not see how gorgeous she was.

  “He doesn’t mind dogs?” Madison asked as she stood up with Leo looking as though he were in heaven cradled in her arms. Savannah experienced a small stab of jealousy at the sight.

  “He thinks he’s a dog most of the time.” She felt silly standing there near the front door, and thought maybe she should offer her guest a drink. But then she remembered why Madison was there in the first place. “The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Extra towels are in the cupboard by the sink, and there’s plenty of shampoo and conditioner, if you need it.”

  “Thank you so much,” Madison said with one of those heart melting smiles. “I’m going to dinner at my sister’s house tonight, and I’ve been sweating my ass off all day. But hey, I’m moved in. It’ll take me forever to get unpacked, but at least it’s all there.”

  “Did you need clothes too?” Savannah asked, noticing for the first time she hadn’t brought anything with her to the door. “I’m sure I could find something for you to wear, but they’d be a little big, I think.”

  Savannah took the opportunity to allow her eyes to roam Madison’s body. They were close to the same height, but it was pretty obvious she had more muscle and bulk than Madison. Which certainly wasn’t a bad thing, she thought as her eyes stopped momentarily on her chest.

  “You’re a naughty one, aren’t you?” Madison said, causing Savannah to jerk as she looked at her face, fearing she’d been caught checking her out. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Madison was actually talking to Leo, who was nipping at and then licking the tip of her nose. Madison met her eyes and winked at her. “He’s a lover.”

  “Yes, he is.” So am I.

  “I feel like I’m asking too much of you already,” Madison said, moving toward the couch so Leo could jump out of her arms. “I can run back home and try to find the boxes with my clothes in them.”

  “What are neighbors for, if not to offer a hot shower and clean clothes?” Savannah asked with a shrug.

>   “You’re a life saver, and I’d hug you if I weren’t so sweaty.” Madison said, looking relieved. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”

  “Madison,” she said when she headed toward the bathroom. She wanted to tell her she didn’t mind a little sweat, but thought better of it. The woman was probably straight, and a comment like that would only cause problems. “I’ll leave the clothes on the chair outside of the bathroom.”

  “Thanks, and please, call me Maddie.” She blew her a kiss, and Savannah was sure she was going to hyperventilate.

  After she got the clothes for her, and fought the temptation to actually take them into the bathroom, knowing there was an incredibly gorgeous—and naked—woman in her shower, she walked quickly into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Leo was on the counter watching her, a self-satisfied smug look on his face.

  “You, sir, are a whore,” she told him, and she laughed when his tail swished in response. “But, dude, she blew me a kiss. Do straight women do that to another woman they just met?”

  He meowed and just stared at her. She shook her head.

  “You’re right, little man,” she said, setting her bottle down and running a hand through her hair. “I never even introduced myself. What a freaking idiot I am.”

  A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and then Maddie came walking down the hall toward the kitchen. She was smiling and finger combing her wet hair as she sighed, sounding to Savannah like she was extremely happy to be clean.

  “Is this your name on the back?” she asked, indicating the Warriors jersey Savannah had given her to wear. Savannah nodded. “Is there a first name to go with it? I don’t usually use a woman’s shower without at least knowing her name.”

  “Savannah,” she said, the reference to using a woman’s shower not escaping her notice. She filed it away for future reference. Maybe she was off base with the assumption Madison was straight.

  “So, you play hockey?”

  “I do.”

  “I don’t know much about the game, really. I’m more of a baseball fan.”

  “I won’t hold it against you.” Savannah grinned and offered her a beer, which Maddie declined.

  “I should really be going,” she said, looking disappointed. “I still need to find my clothes so I can make it to my sister’s before dinner. I’ll get these back to you tomorrow, if that’s all right?”

  “There’s no hurry,” Savannah said, walking her to the door. “Besides, I know where you live.”

  “Yes, you do.” Maddie stopped before walking out and turned to hug her. Savannah froze at first, but then hugged her back. She couldn’t suppress the shiver running through her when Maddie spoke softly into her ear. “Thank you for the shower, Savannah Wells. I’ll see you soon.”

  Savannah found she couldn’t speak, but she simply nodded when Maddie released her and then turned to leave. She stood there for a moment to regain her composure, then realized Kelly would probably be there any minute. She needed to get the chicken on the grill.

  Chapter Three

  Maddie decided to wear the jersey Savannah had loaned her to her sister’s house for dinner. It was comfortable, and it smelled like Savannah. Holy crap, was she beautiful. Maddie felt as if she’d won the next-door neighbor lottery, and she couldn’t be happier. It was going to be a wonderful summer if she was going to have a front row seat to Savannah wearing shorts the entire season. Her legs were amazing, both powerful and muscular. Unlike her own, which were toned enough thanks to her being a part-time jogger, but they certainly weren’t as drool-worthy as Savannah’s.

  She’d spent more time than she normally would have fawning all over the cat because she was captivated by the eyes that were such a light color of blue they appeared to be gray. And she’d seen in them what she was sure Savannah had been trying to hide—desire. She couldn’t suppress the smile as she glanced at herself in the rearview mirror. The hug certainly hadn’t been planned, but she’d needed to know if the rest of Savannah’s body was as fit as her legs. It most definitely was.

  Her heart was beating faster than normal as she pulled into her sister’s driveway. She shut the engine off and sat there for a few moments, hoping her thoughts wouldn’t be written all over her face for Dana and her family to see. The front door opened and she saw her fourteen-year-old niece leaning against the frame watching her. After a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, she got out of the car and headed toward her.

  “Oh, my God!” Amy screamed as she ran toward her. Maddie stopped as her niece slowly circled her, wondering if she had some incredibly large bug on her shoulder or something. “Please tell me this isn’t an authentic game worn jersey because I may have to steal it from you.”

  “I honestly don’t know if it is or not,” Maddie said, looking down at the front of it. She shrugged. “It wouldn’t surprise me if it was though. But it isn’t mine, so you can’t steal it.”

  “What the hell is going on out here?” Trent, her incredibly handsome brother-in-law, asked as he appeared in the doorway. “Jesus, Amy, the way you screamed, I though you must have been abducted by aliens or trolls or something similarly hideous.”

  “Dad, look at what she’s wearing!” Amy said.

  “Let’s take it inside,” Trent said with a small smile. “I think you’re scaring your aunt.”

  “Just a little,” Maddie said with a wink, holding her thumb and forefinger close together.

  She followed them into the house, smiling at the energy Amy wasn’t able to contain. Maddie watched as Amy ran straight to the kitchen and came back out, dragging Dana along behind her. Maddie removed her shoes, because her sister always insisted on it. Yes, she was one of those people, just like their mother.

  “Look, Mom!” Amy yelled, pointing at Maddie. “Look at what she has on!”

  “It has to be a Savannah Wells jersey, or else you wouldn’t be this excited,” Dana said, shaking her head. She met Maddie’s eyes and smirked. “When did you become a hockey fan?”

  “I’m not, really,” Maddie said, although she was seriously beginning to think she needed to become one. She hugged her sister, even though they’d seen each other just that morning when she’d picked Trent up in order to use his muscle to help move her furniture into the new house.

  “It is game worn,” Amy said, obviously in awe as she grabbed the sleeve and inspected it.

  “How can you tell?”

  “There’s black marks on it from the puck.” She looked at Maddie and scowled. “Where did you get it?”

  “Funny, that,” Maddie said with a grin. “My new next-door neighbor has the same name. She let me borrow this when I had to use her shower this afternoon because the gas company didn’t turn on my gas.”

  “Shut. Up.” Amy stared at her in disbelief. “You bought the house next door to Savannah Wells?”

  “I did.”

  “I am so spending the night at your house as often as I can,” Amy said, looking at her mother. “Like every weekend.”

  “I think you need to work that out with your aunt.” Dana sighed and shook her head at Trent. Maddie couldn’t help but snicker at the entire scene. “Maybe she doesn’t want you around all the time.”

  “Are you kidding?” Maddie asked as they all made their way to the kitchen. “My standing as the cool aunt just skyrocketed. I wouldn’t want to risk losing points now.”

  “You might change your mind when you realize she means it,” Trent said as he snatched a carrot stick out of a bowl on the counter. “She has a little bit of a crush on Savannah Wells.”

  “Dad,” Amy said, making the word sound as though it had four syllables. She hung her head and walked out of the room.

  “How do you guys even know who she is?” Maddie asked, suddenly curious.

  “The Kingsville Warriors are the hottest ticket in town,” Dana said, pulling a pan out of the oven. Maddie’s stomach growled at the divine aroma from the roasted chicken. “They’re the closest thing we have to a profession
al sports team unless you want to travel to Allentown or Scranton.”

  “And those places have baseball, right? Minor leagues?” Maddie asked.

  “And minor league hockey too,” Trent said. He pulled plates out of the cupboard and began setting the table. “There are a lot of kids around here who love the Warriors. Of course, there were a lot of them who were very disappointed when Courtney Abbott was traded away. She was a bit of a local celebrity.”

  “Courtney Abbott? She was a teammate of Savannah’s?”

  “Don’t tell me you know her too,” Dana said.

  “Actually, I do.”

  “Oh, God,” Trent said, rolling his eyes. “You’ve just been elevated to coolest aunt ever!”

  “How do you know Courtney?” Dana asked before yelling for Amy to join them for dinner.

  “Actually, I know her fiancée, Lana Caruso. They’re getting married here next month,” Maddie said as they took their seats at the table. “They’ve hired me to photograph the wedding for them. Why is Courtney Abbott a local celebrity?”

  “Two Olympic medals for ice hockey, is that reason enough?” Trent asked.

  “Yep, I would say it’s more than reason enough.” Maddie took a deep breath and shook her head. It was settled. She was going to have to study up and learn everything she possibly could about ice hockey. Especially if she hoped to be spending more time with Savannah. And she absolutely was.

  “You could do worse than Savannah Wells,” Trent said, and Maddie laughed. “What?”

  “I just met her today. You sound like you expect us to be married tomorrow.”

  “I’m just saying,” Trent said with a shrug and a look to Dana that Maddie knew was a plea for help.

  “You’re on your own with this one, honey,” she told him. “Maybe next time you should just keep your mouth shut.”

  “Keep his mouth shut about what?” Amy asked as she flopped down in the chair across from Maddie. She pointed at Trent and laughed. “You’re in trouble.”