Triple Power Play (Obsessed Players Club #1)

30. Ethan

THIRTY

ETHAN

I wake to Aurora snuggling against me, her head on my chest, our legs intertwined, and her arm wrapped tight around me, as if she’s afraid I’ll slip away. Her stomach is pressed to my side, and I can’t resist caressing our growing baby.

Thoughts of the future arise, and I consider the repercussions of something that resembles a relationship.

A commitment harms Jackson. If he loses her, he’ll slide back into old habits, not to mention the backlash from the media or the potential loss of my coaching career. And I honestly doubt she’ll leave him.

Walking away is out of the question. I’m not giving up my son. Shared custody is possible, but it’d be difficult with my schedule. We’d have to maintain a close relationship for her to accommodate my lifestyle.

Which brings me full circle, because there’s no way I could have Aurora near and not want her. I can’t picture my life without her. The thought of it sends a sharp pang of regret through my chest.

Our sexual chemistry is unparalleled, but it goes beyond that. She fills a void within me no one else has.

My hand rests on her swollen belly, and a fierce longing to claim her comes over me. I knew I needed to stay away, but now, it’s too late. I want this.

I want her in my bed every night. I want to wake with her in my arms and watch her grow with our baby.

But that’s not possible.

Aurora’s waking groan calms my chaotic thoughts.

“Is it time to get up already?”

I chuckle at her sleepy protests and kiss her forehead. “Depends on how long you need to get ready. If you hurry, I’ll take you for breakfast.”

She’s not at all quick to get ready, and I have to deflect all her advances in the shower, which requires superhuman strength and ninja skills. Her teasing is top-notch, along with her wet, sun-kissed body.

I thought she’d appreciate a day together that didn’t revolve around sex. You know, one where we actually talk.

But she can’t keep her hands off me.

“Stop, brat, so I can take you to breakfast like a gentleman.”

She sticks her bottom lip out and strokes my traitorous erection. “I’d rather have breakfast in the shower.”

I grin but knock her hand away. “I bet that pout works on your boyfriend, but it won’t work on me.” I slap her ass, one hundred percent regretting it when her skin reddens and my cock twitches. “Now, be good.”

She rolls her eyes, and I spank her again, secretly falling in love with this dynamic.

By the time she gets out of the shower, I’m dressed in jeans and a button-up and working on my first cup of coffee. I’m on my second cup when she exits my bedroom in a pair of leggings, an oversized team hoodie, her high-top Converse, and her hair in loose waves. She’s ridiculously adorable.

Dread curdles in my stomach, and I glance away. I have no business dating someone this young and pretty. Eventually, she’ll figure that out too.

We walk two blocks to a diner without notice from the paparazzi. Still, I keep my hands in my pockets.

Not holding her hand or touching her feels wrong, and I question how long I can continue this charade.

The hostess asks if we want a booth or a table, and I select a booth in the back. Aurora gives me a disappointed glance, and I remind myself not to treat her like a secret—although she is.

We only have forty-five minutes before we need to leave for Santa Monica. After I check my watch repeatedly and mention our time crunch, she gives me another frown, and I realize my overbearing attitude won’t be as well received outside the bedroom.

She orders an egg white omelet with spinach and a bowl of fruit, and again, my mouth doesn’t get the memo to shut up.

“That’s all you’re eating? Please tell me you eat more than that.”

“I have a nutritionist. It’s better if I eat small portions every four hours.” She gives me a soft smile. “I promise I’m not starving your son.”

Your son . Fuck, I love that.

I take out my phone to set a reminder of her eating schedule when I get a taunting message from Jackson.

Captain Diva: How’s my girl this morning? She recovering from our strenuous day together?

I bet he was itching to tell me they were fucking and going mad, wondering if we were doing the same. I text him back with a smug grin.

Me: Strenuous? She seemed energized to me. But don’t worry, she rested in my bed after.

Captain Diva: About to be my bed permanently. See you soon, asshole.

Me: You better learn how to share, or I might keep her.

Captain Diva: Eat a fat dick.

Me: So not yours then?

Our back-and-forth banter has me chuckling, but then I glimpse Aurora’s slumped shoulders and pinched brows, and confusion overtakes my amusement.

I place my phone down. “What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head, suddenly fascinated by the traffic outside the restaurant.

“Aurora, this isn’t going to work if we don’t communicate.”

Narrowed whiskey eyes meet mine. “And what are we working on?”

“Being parents, being together. Whatever this is.” I gesture between us.

“And what is this? A secret, right? At the end of the day, I go home to Jackson, and you do whatever…or whoever .”

Oh, shit, baby girl is jealous. My chest fills with male pride, and I want to laugh out loud. That’s a first for me, and I find I quite enjoy her jealousy.

I’d enjoy it even more if I could put her over my knee and fix that attitude.

One step at a time.

“I’m not doing whoever . We’re viewing houses today to figure out what this is.”

She presses her lips together. “Whatever.”

That smart fucking mouth. An image of her choking on my cock last night flashes in my mind, and I sigh.

“Are you upset I’m using my phone?”

“Please stop.”

Her voice trembles, and I grind my molars, reminding myself she’s twenty-two. Jackson was likely her only serious boyfriend, and he was unreliable and dishonest.

Still, I’m not letting her get away with ignoring me.

“I’ll stop when you tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s the pregnancy,” she grumbles.

Although I don’t fully believe her, I call the waiter over and ask for a glass of orange juice.

When it comes, I slide it to her. “Drink. Do you have low blood sugar? When was the last time you ate?”

“Thank you.” She takes the glass, bringing it to her lips. “Yesterday afternoon.”

Yesterday afternoon? Didn’t she say she had to eat every four hours? I should have fed her something other than my cock last night.

She sips delicately and inhales deeply, and my worry intensifies. Maybe she’s not tearful because she believes I’m talking to someone else. Maybe she’s sick.

My tone elevates, and my heart races at the thought of her passing out on me. “Are you dizzy?”

She shakes her head, staring at her lap.

Fuck it. I abandon all caution and relent to the overwhelming urge to care for her.

After ensuring we’re not being watched, I move about the semicircle booth and sit beside her.

Her brows furrow. “What are you doing?”

“Stop overthinking and let me take care of you.”

I wrap my arm around her and draw her to my chest. I kiss her temple, and she rests her head on my shoulder. She smells of my spicy bodywash and her sweet self, and I groan internally.

“If, for some insane reason, you’re worried I’m messaging other women, you can stop. I was texting and joking with Jackson. There’s no woman in my life but you. I can’t imagine there being anyone other than you.”

“I have no right to those feelings.”

My heart skips, and my palms turn sweaty. I glance down, and she’s clinging to my shirt the way she was clinging to my body this morning.

Desiring me on a physical level is one thing, but her having deeper feelings for me? Absurd. Unfathomable. Not possible.

So why is my breath quickening?

“Look at me, Aurora.”

Impatient, I tilt her head back. She opens her glassy eyes, and fuck me, I’m blown away by the vulnerability shining through.

“One: I knew what I was getting into when I invited you over. As did Jackson. He wouldn’t have let you spend the night with me if he didn’t. I wouldn’t have let you spend the night with me. Two: Give me your trust. I’ll protect it. I promise, you’ll never have to worry about that with me.”

She gives me a doubtful, pointed stare as if to say, You were married when we met.

“That was with you, and my marriage was over, which brings me to number three: You’re a twenty-two-year-old gorgeous cover model, and I’m a thirty-five-year-old washed-up hockey player. If anyone doesn’t have a right here, it’s me.”

A scowl comes over her beautiful face. “Those aren’t your words. Someone told you that, which doesn’t make them true.”

I swear, she’s clawing her way into my heart.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re still far above me.”

She slides her hand beneath my shirt and teases me by running her fingers along the waistband of my jeans. “I’ve seen every part of you, and there’s not a single inch I don’t love.”

Squeezing her cheeks and puckering her lips, I give her a hard, smacking kiss. “Stop, pretty girl, or I’ll put you on my lap right here in this restaurant.”

She gives me that mischievous smile. “I won’t mind.”

And I can’t refuse. I tangle my fingers in her thick hair and devour her until we’re both breathless.

I’m doing a shit job of keeping this private.

“How many places are we touring today?” Aurora asks as we ride through downtown LA.

She has yet to question why Ricky is driving or why we’re in Jackson’s custom Land Rover, which I’m pretty sure is armored. Where I come from, an armored vehicle means trouble. Where he comes from, it might be a standard of living.

I’m not complaining. There’s a privacy partition I’m quite enjoying, since Aurora hasn’t stopped teasing me.

Ignoring her question, I try to distract her. “Are you always this affectionate, baby girl?”

My words are meant to be playful, but she takes them all wrong, pulling away and apologizing.

I scoop her up and return her to my lap. “Did I say I didn’t like it?”

With her back against my chest, she relaxes into me. “I don’t know what you like.”

I slip my hand under her hoodie and palm our baby. My dick twitches, and I will it to calm the fuck down. I lean in, unable to resist her mouth for even a minute. “Oh, I think you know exactly what I like.”

She parts her lips, and I weave my fingers through her hair and deepen the kiss. The car comes to a halt, and I fight not to smile.

I live for this.

The back door opens, and she tries to break free. I hold her in place, my hand clasping her throat and my tongue dueling with hers.

Not until the door slams and the seat dips next to us do I release her.

Cheeks flushed, her head snaps in the opposite direction, and her mouth pops open. “Jackson,” she gasps.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” he snarls, his chest heaving. “You’re lucky she’s between us.”

He glares at me, and I can’t help but chuckle. Although my captain isn’t afraid to throw down, he’s nothing but a moody, tattooed puppy.

I lift her from my lap. “Hug your boyfriend, baby. I don’t want him fracturing another hand.”

She moves toward him, but he hesitates, anger still lurking in his eyes.

For a flickering moment, I worry he’ll refuse her. I consider the potential benefits for myself but dismiss the thought, guilt overwhelming all else.

He recovers and draws her into his arms, and relief floods through me. I may revel in annoying him, but I’m not here to crush him.

I work on my phone to respect their privacy, but I can’t help but overhear their conversation.

“What are you doing here?” she asks him with genuine happiness.

“You want me to leave?”

“No, of course not.”

“Good, because I’m taking you to see our new house.” The excitement in his voice is impossible to ignore.

“Our house? What do you mean?”

Jackson playfully shrugs, and she peers at me for the answer. I shrug and run my thumb over my bottom lip to hide my smirk.

Jesus, my cheeks are aching from all this smiling.

She gives him that pout of hers. “Tell me, Jax.”

I have no doubt he’ll spoil her relentlessly, either out of fear she’ll leave again or gratitude at having her back. He already does, whether she knows it or not. A luxury cliffside penthouse on one beach and a gated compound on another?

Excessive for someone who spends most of his life on the ice.

No wonder she doesn’t understand me. My emotional availability is less than ideal. Having her in my bed is my way of saying I adore you. It’d never happen with any other woman.

Yet this kid buys her mansions—we’re not the same.

This time, however, he holds it in. “No more questions. You’ll have to wait. Now, how’s my baby?”

He caresses her stomach, and strangely, I don’t feel territorial or possessive.

“We’re fine.”

She kisses him, and once again, jealousy doesn’t overwhelm me.

Maybe it’s because Jackson and I have grown close these past few months—as close as one can be to Jackson, besides Aurora. Or maybe it’s because I’ve always been aware of his attachment to her.

Or perhaps it’s her —the girl with endless affection and the power to bring a man to his knees.

“Did he at least feed you?” he asks, loud enough for me to know it’s directed at me.

“Of course I did. By the way, she barely eats.”

Aurora scowls at me, but Jackson glances over, surprisingly amicable.

“She’s a picky eater. Only eats about ten things. I can give you a list.” He taps her nose. “You better be eating. You’re carrying a future hockey god in there, at least if you keep me around,” he says, throwing another jab my way.

“And I almost liked you for a second.”

Is this what living together will be like? He and I banter back and forth while we tease Aurora? Doesn’t seem so bad.

There’s a brief silence before Jackson resumes his lovesick behavior, and I reconsider my previous assessment.

He trails kisses along her neck. “I missed you.”

She giggles. “You tell me that every day.”

“Because it’s true. I hate being without you.”

Can someone please rip out my eardrums?

Still, I remain captivated by them. It’s as if they have their own language. They stare at each other and have entire conversations with their eyes.

She lowers her voice. “Are you mad?”

“Do I get to be with you?”

“Do you want to be?”

“Am I breathing?” He tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I have a lot to make up for. If this is what you want, I’ll survive. As long as you’re with me.”

Satisfied with his answer, I return my attention to my phone when he says, “I still plan on stealing you away, but for now, I’ll put up with him.”

With Jackson, there’s no telling if he’s joking or not. But, same as him, I have no choice but to deal with it.