Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
R owdy
I definitely wanted to kiss her.
I wasn’t sure why exactly, except for the fact that she was beautiful and had all the hallmarks of a damsel in distress. Yeah, yeah, I had a hero complex. I’d been told that enough times to make me think it was actually true.
And you know what? I didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought. I liked to take care of people. It was practically imprinted in my DNA. That’s what you got for having parents who’d told me practically since birth to look after my younger sister and brothers.
But when Tressy had fallen into my arms last night, that protective instinct flared into immediate life, along with the need to kiss her. Now I just had to figure out how to make her want to kiss me back. She definitely had the look of a woman who’d been hurt and built hundred-foot walls around her heart. Apparently talking about what she was running from wasn’t the way through those walls.
And she was running from something. I wanted to lock her and her daughter in my house and make sure no one could get to them. But that was called false imprisonment, and I should steer clear of that. At least for the first half of the season, anyway.
My dad would appreciate if I didn’t land in jail again this season, although the Devils’ attendance had jumped last year after me and a few of the guys had been caught?—
“It’s a little big, but I think it’ll be okay. I guess.”
Tressy walked back into the kitchen, head down as she examined the clothing I’d given her. I guessed she wore the t-shirt under the sweatshirt, which meant my name and number were plastered all over her back like a brand. I liked that a little too much. And she definitely didn’t need to know that.
I’d purposely chosen the most sedate Devils sweatshirt ever made just so she wouldn’t balk at wearing it. It had the STDD logo of the devil with a leer and across the back it said, “Let mayhem reign.”
Not their best slogan ever but still one of the most accurate.
Don’t know why you’re getting yourself all worked up. She’s not going to stay. This is a bad idea, dude.
Nah. I never had bad ideas. Maybe they weren’t all exactly the best ideas, but spending time with this woman was not a bad idea. Besides, this is what my mom wanted. Raffi didn’t have to speak to get her point across most of the time. She just had to look at you a certain way. Hell, the goddamn president would do my mom’s bidding if she stared at him long enough. I was sure of it.
“Looks pretty good from where I’m standing.” And before she could take that exactly how I’d meant it, I added, “You ready to go?”
She hesitated for a second, and I geared up to go full charm on her. Full-charm mode was usually a last resort. Then she lifted her head and smiled at me. Not even a full-blown, happy-to-see-you smile. Just a little hesitant grin that made her full pink lips curve and her blue eyes crinkle at the corners.
And holy hell, my gut clenched, and my blood sizzled like she’d lit a fire under my balls. The hair actually rose on my arms.
I couldn’t remember the last time a woman had made me feel like this. Like I’d been awakened after a long sleep. Damn, did I really just compare myself to Sleeping Beauty? That was kinda weird.
Then she took a deep breath and nodded, like she was going into battle, or at least headed out to take on a seriously pissy elementary school principal.
“Sure.”
“Then your chariot awaits.”
I thought about holding out my hand and waiting for her to take it, but I didn’t want to push my luck. I waved her toward the mudroom at the back of the kitchen that connected to the garage and to the driveway where I’d parked my truck.
It’d been years since my brothers and sister and I had made that mudroom our first stop after practices, so it didn’t smell like rancid teenage sweat and disgusting hockey equipment anymore. Must’ve taken my mom years to get rid of that odor.
My mom was a freaking saint. I knew that now.
“What about my car?” she asked when I opened the passenger door of my truck for her.
“We’ll run by garage, tell Donny what happened.” I did offer my hand now, because the Bronco was jacked up enough to make it hard for her climb in. When she stopped for a second to assess the situation, I realized she only just came up to my shoulder. Probably weighed half of what I did. She looked a little underfed, like a model. Or an actress.
She was certainly pretty enough to be one, with her shiny blond hair and bright blue eyes, the sharp angles of her high cheekbones and the lushness of her lips. The woman was stunning. Hell, she looked even better without all the makeup she’d been wearing last night. Not that she’d looked bad. She just looked amazing now.
Or maybe that was my little head doing the talking.
Didn’t matter. I was already halfway to being gone for her. I didn’t know her middle name or her favorite food. But she didn’t take my shit and she loved her daughter with the ferocity of a mama lion.
When she took my hand to let me help her into the seat, heat seeped into every nook and cranny of my body. Even my scalp tingled with it. But yeah, I felt it mostly in my cock. Christ, I hoped she couldn’t tell. She’d probably run like hell in the opposite direction. Frankly, I’d been shocked as shit that she’d agreed to come with me.
She released my hand as soon as she slid onto the bench. Shutting her door, I hustled over to the driver’s side and hopped behind the wheel.
I saw her glance at me out of the corner of my eye, but I got us on the road instead of getting lost in her eyes again. I turned down the radio before Springsteen, singing about a barefoot girl, spilled out of the speakers at a deafening volume. I patted myself on the back for not forgetting my gear in the back. If I had, the stench could be sickening. My stuff was already at the arena waiting for tonight.
The first game of the season.
For the first time in forever, that thought didn’t bring the buzz of excitement it usually did. And I couldn’t figure out why that was. I couldn’t blame it on Tressy. I’d realized something was different with me at the end of last season. And now…
“So these offerings… You’re not going to, like, sacrifice a chicken or anything like that. Are you?”
Since I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not, I answered honestly. “Nah.” I paused. “But it can get kinda strange.”
“Strange how? ”
Putting the truck in gear, I stomped on the gas and tore out of driveway before I realized I had a lady in the car and should probably drive like a normal human. I dropped the speed back to only ten miles over the limit. Of course, it felt like I was crawling, but when I looked over to see how Tressy was handling it, she was peeling her fingers off the arm rest so I figured I should keep it there.
“Well, last year, one of the rookies offered to remain a virgin for the rest of the season if he scored a hat trick in his first game.”
She went silent for at least a full half minute. “Did it work?”
I snorted. “Course not. So he lost his V-card the next night and scored a Gordie Howe hat trick at the next game.”
I stole another glance and found her looking bemused and amused.
“A what?”
“It’s when you get a goal, an assist and a fighting penalty in the same game.”
“And that’s a good thing?”
“Yep. Especially in our league.”
Another silence. “Is there something different about your league? I don’t know that much about hockey, sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. I can teach you everything you need to know.”
I flashed a smile, but she didn’t appear to be falling for my charm. I could respect that. Didn’t like it, but I could respect it. Just meant I had to work harder. And I was nothing if not a hard worker.
“Our league is different than other leagues you might know. Like the NHL. Sure, they make a hell of a lot of money, and they get a lot of press. But we have a hell of a lot more fun.”
“And how do you do that?”
“We don’t take the game as seriously, so it moves faster. We give a better show.”
“So it’s more of a hobby league. ”
My back cranked into a straighten line, and I had to remind myself she wasn’t dissing me or my game. She honestly just didn’t know.
“No. We just think the game should be more fun.” Damn, I sounded like I had a stick stuck up my ass, so I made a conscious effort to relax. “We make it more fun for everyone. Our league doesn’t have some of the rules the NHL does. I mean, we have rules. We’re just a little more, uh, lenient when it comes to some things.”
“Like what?”
“Like penalties. There’s not a lot of penalties in our league. And we do a lot of fun stuff for the fans during the game.”
“Like what?”
She sounded genuinely interested, and I flashed her another grin, which still didn’t land with the impact it usually did.
Losing your touch in your old age, man. And not just with women.
“Well, all the players have a certain thing they do when they score a goal. Like Rebel. He does this stupid dance that everyone loves, and the Angels toss Devils’ underwear into the crowd. KooKoo grabs a Thor hammer from the bench and circles the ice with it while the girls throw lightning bolts.”
“Girls?”
Shit. I glanced over, not surprised to find her staring at me with raised eyebrows. “Uh, the Angels. So, I’ve known some of the, uh, women since birth, so, yeah. Sorry.”
“You’ve always lived here?”
“Except when I went to college. Penn State.” I shrugged. “Never wanted to live anywhere else.”
Which probably sounded pretty pathetic to this woman. Then again, I really didn’t know anything about her, so…
“What did you go to college for?” she said.
There was that interest again, that tone in her husky voice that felt like her fingers running down my back. And not in a weird way. No, I really wanted her to run her fingers down my naked back while I?—
“Political science with a minor in psychology.”
I knew exactly what she was thinking. Which kinda pissed me off. Yeah, I was a professional athlete, and my parents owned the team. And, yeah, I’d inherited enough money from my grandparents to live comfortably for the rest of my life if I never held another job again.
But I wasn’t some lazy-ass hick with no brains and?—
“I always wanted to study poly-sci,” she said, “but I knew I’d never be able to use the degree, so I went for boring. Business management.”
Okay, not what I’d expected. I stole another glance and found her staring out the window with an expression I could only describe as wistful. Again. Not a Neanderthal. Sometimes an asshole and sometimes the life of the party but never a complete dick. My mom had taught me better.
“So what do you do for a living?”
She didn’t answer right away, a long enough pause that I thought she wasn’t going to. Then she took a deep breath, like she was bracing for impact. Or giving her answer some serious thought.
“I manage a talent agency.”
Now, I might not be the brightest bulb in the shed, but that sounded like a dodge. I was willing to give her some leeway because obviously, she’d had a rough time of it last night.
“Were you at some fancy party last night with your clients?”
Yes, I was digging for info but, honestly, could she blame me? She stumbled into the bar last night and fell into my arms. It was a scene straight out of the movies Rain liked to watch, the sappy ones with happy endings where no one ever took their clothes off.
Another short, sharp breath. “Yes. But I… I had a fight with…someone, and I decided I needed some time away. ”
I felt the sudden need to growl. “Did someone hurt you?”
She glanced at me, her gaze narrow, probably because I sounded like I wanted to punch whoever had dared to upset her.
“No. It wasn’t like that.”
Her answer didn’t sound that convincing and my hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“Who—”
“No one hurt me physically.”
This time her answer was much more assured. My hands relaxed, slightly, on the wheel.
“Some asshole break your heart?”
Yep, still fishing, but I couldn’t help myself. It was like pulling fucking teeth. I knew I should let her keep her secrets, knew it wasn’t any of my damn business.
And still…
“No. Nothing like that.”
That still didn’t tell me whether she had a guy in her life or not. Maybe I should just come out and ask. Usually, I couldn’t shut up. And caution wasn’t in my vocabulary. This woman, with her quiet reserve and a princess dress that probably cost more than I earned playing hockey for a season, had the power to make me think about every word that came out of my mouth. When my mom figured that out, she’d want Tressy to stay forever.
I waited for her to go on, biting my tongue and focusing on driving. When the silence dragged on for more than thirty seconds, I heard her release a heavy breath.
“My mom and I have a pretty…contentious relationship. She did something that—” She shook her head. “I just needed some space. So I grabbed Krista and we left. Probably not the smartest thing to do when you’re pissed off and upset. Definitely not the most adult.”
That last was said mostly under her breath. My hands relaxed a little more, and I breathed easier. Family shit. I understood that. Hell, I’d had enough fights with my dad growing up that it was a mystery how I’d made it to the age of thirty.
“Family can be a blessing and a curse.”
“Your family seems wonderful.”
I heard something in her voice that almost sounded like longing, which would make sense if what she’d said about her mom was true. And I had no cause to doubt anything she said. Just because she didn’t want to talk to me didn’t mean she was lying. It just seemed like she had secrets. Then again, maybe that was just my over-active imagination.
“They are. They’re also annoying, frustrating, nosy, loyal and the only people who love me unconditionally.”
“You make it sound like you’re unlovable. That’s not the vibe I got last night.”
I flashed her a quick grin and saw her gaze drop to my mouth for a hot second. Maybe I hadn’t lost my touch, after all.
“I guess they think I’m a decent guy.”
“I got the sense that the women I met last night think you’re more than just decent.”
Was that a little hint of jealousy I heard?
No, you’re just an idiot.
“I guess if you stick around for a few days, you can decide for yourself.”
As I suspected, Donny wouldn’t be able to get the rim until Monday, which meant Tressy and Krista would be staying a few days longer.
Tressy had nodded and thanked Donny as she handed her keys over like she was giving up a beloved pet. Then she climbed into my truck and slumped into the passenger seat.
“Sorry about the tire.” Though I wasn’t really. Actually, I was pretty damn elated .
She sighed, shaking her head. “Not your fault I didn’t know you shouldn’t drive on a flat for as long as I did. I just didn’t want us to be stranded on the side of the road. I had to get Krista somewhere safe.”
“And you did. Take a few days off and enjoy yourself.”
She fell quiet again, and I had to bite my tongue to stop while I was ahead.
I had three days to get her to trust me. To show her how to have a good time. To show her how much fun we could have. Fun that involved kissing. And yeah, more than kissing. We would have amazing sex. I could just tell. We’d click together like Lego bricks. Close and tight and… Yeah. Better stop that train of thought now or I’d head into the arena with a hard on.
Which was a definite possibility because I’d just pulled into the driveway to the parking lot. The players’ area was filled with trucks and SUVs. It looked like almost everyone had beaten me here. Shit, I hoped like hell I wasn’t the very last or I’d have to do the toilet run, and there was no way in hell I wanted to do that with Tressy here.
I’d just put the truck in park when I saw Bonesaw come flying up the street.
With a grin, I looked at Tressy. “Gotta move it. Can’t be the last one.”
I hopped out of the car and hustled around to open the door for her. Bonesaw laid on the gas and tore into the parking lot when he saw me get out of my truck. Apparently, Bonesaw didn’t want to do the toilet run either.
Reaching in, I grabbed Tressy around the waist and lifted her out of the car. Couldn’t wait for her now. I didn’t even have time to enjoy the feel of her in my hands because we had no time left. Grabbing her hand, I tugged her toward the players’ entrance, and she followed me with a startled laugh.
“What’s going on?”
“If you’re the last guy to get here on the first day of the season, you have to do the toilet run. I’ve never had to, and I ain’t starting today.”
She had to run to keep up with me as I hustled toward the door.
“Am I going to regret asking what the toilet run is?” She didn’t sound out of breath.
“Absolutely.”
Behind me, Bones cursed as he got out of his truck, just as I opened the door and waved her through ahead of me.
Bobby “The Bonesaw” Brassard was six-feet-one of solid bulky muscle from head to toe. The guy was a tank in human form. But surprisingly fast on his feet. I just managed to shut the door before Bones made it to the entrance.
And when he realized I’d locked the door on him, meaning he had to go around to the front, Bones lifted his hands and gave me both middle fingers.
At the same time, Bones yelled, “Sorry, ma’am,” through the glass, giving Tressy a smile that made him look like a kid due to the missing front tooth. Then he glared at me and made a gesture with his arm that was universally understood to not be a compliment.
Tressy made a strangled sound, and I glanced over my shoulder at her. She had one hand over her mouth, covering a laugh. And damn if she didn’t look even prettier. I would’ve continued to stare if I hadn’t seen Bones snap his head around to look over his shoulder. Following his gaze, I saw Dryden Hollowell, one of the rookies, cruise into the parking lot.
I immediately unlocked the door, let Bones saunter through, then locked it again when Denny ran up to the door.
“Hey, man, how’s it going?” Bones said as he shook my hand, his smile trained on Tressy. “Hello, ma’am. Sorry for the language just now. Heat of the moment and all.”
Tressy’s smile had widened until her eyes were almost closed. “Not a problem. ”
“I’m Bobby. Nice to meet to you.”
“Tressy.”
After she’d shaken Bones’s hand, she turned to me and that smile grabbed hold of my gut and twisted. “Are you all so…?”
Vaguely, I heard Bones laugh, in a way that should warrant some type of retribution. Like an elbow in the gut. But honestly, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. When she smiled like she was now, I felt bathed in warm light.
Of course, that was probably the lust pumping through my veins, but it all kinda went hand in hand. And honestly, lust had never felt like this before. This…soft.
“So what?”
“Crazy”
She said that word like it could infect her, like she wanted nothing to do with it.
“Hell, this isn’t even bad.” Bones offered helpfully. “Just wait until the season actually starts. Then it gets insane.”
I wanted Bones to disappear into the floor, the wall, the next dimension. Anywhere away from here. Because Tressy looked like she suddenly wanted to be anywhere but where she was.
“Um, hey, guys? The door’s locked.”
The rookie knocked politely, looking confused as all hell. Bones started to laugh, which made me laugh, which made Tressy shake her head, probably because she thought we were all insane.
Then she turned to me and Bones and said, “I’ll give you to ten, then I’m opening this door.”
I snorted out a laugh while Bones whooped and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.
“Thank you very much. You’re a true lady,” Bones said before sprinting down the hall.
Leaving me smiling down at her, her grin doing weird and wild things to my insides. Without thinking about it too much, I leaned down and pressed my lips to her cheek. I carefully didn’t get too close to her mouth, even though I desperately wanted to kiss her, hard and deep and heavy. And I didn’t linger.
But, damn, her skin was soft, and she smelled amazing.
The fucking rookie knocked on the door again, and I pulled away, my gaze locked with hers. She didn’t look angry.
“Uh, Rowdy…?” the kid said from the other side of the door.
Tressy’s lips twitched at the corners.
“Ten,” she whispered.
“Come down to the ice after you let Denny in.”
“Nine.”
I gave her one last grin and took off, before I said, “fuck it,” and kissed the hell out of her.