Chapter 31
31
LAYLA
I t’s game day.
Ronan’s hockey team is playing in Sin Valley tonight. So the entire Brighton family made the 45-minute drive down from Starlight Falls to cheer on the Saints. And since Archer and I are, you know, ‘together’ now, I somehow found myself invited along for the ride.
I’m not complaining at all. I’ve tagged along with Karli to plenty of other hockey games in the past. But that was all before Sky was born. With Razor being as unreliable as he is and my babysitters always flaking on me, I haven’t been to a hockey game in forever.
But tonight, I’m here with my baby boy. Just like the rest of the Brightons, Sky and I are both decked out in the team jerseys Archer bought us. It’s truly a family affair.
Just before the official start of the game, Darius and Nicky say their goodbyes. Technically, they’re working tonight.
Darius is part-owner of the Saints with his business investor buddies. Nicky works for the team’s PR department. So they both head up to one of the executive suites where various other members of the Saints organization will be enjoying the match. Meanwhile, the rest of us stay here in the stands and we have a whole section to ourselves.
I’d been worried about bringing Sky to his first hockey game, but Archer’s family is making sure he has a great time.
All night, Archer’s mother has been carrying Sky around like he’s her own grandchild. It tugs at my heart in the best of ways. She’s got my wiggly son on her lap, doting on him and making sure he’s set up with his snacks and his sippy cup. Even when other family members steal him away, the next time I glance over, I find him safely tucked back into Mrs. Brighton’s arms.
Dr. Brighton bought Sky a button that says, My first Sin Valley Saints hockey game! and Darius even got him little ear protectors to keep him safe from the loud arena volume.Felix, Mason and Nolan have been trying to teach my son the rules of hockey all evening, and it’s been going hilariously wrong.
They eventually give up on trying to teach Sky what a goal is, so instead, they’ve taught him to cheer whenever a hockey player gets thrown into the boards. Stella finds the whole thing hilarious. Now I’m afraid the Brightons have turned my innocent baby into a violence-loving, hockey fiend.But Sky’s having a blast, and that’s what matters most to me.
When the players hit the ice, everyone is fully concentrated on the game, rooting for a win for the Saints.
During the first intermission, Nolan, Felix and Mason find their way to the ice, looking downright ridiculous as they compete against a bunch of little kids in some sort of musical chairs activity. I look on, laughing and sipping on a spiced caramel apple cider with Daphne and Karli. All of us girls huddle together, chatting about the wedding that’s just around the corner.
But as soon as the game resumes, we’re all back to heckling the other team and making fun of their creepy mascot.
Everyone’s just happy .And it definitely helps that the Saints are currently up by two goals.
Archer and I are sitting right next to each other.I know it’s all fake, but somehow, tonight has felt like a date of sorts.We’re in public. We’re eating and drinking and laughing together. But it’s the touches that keep getting to me.
Every time Archer’s skin brushes against mine, it’s absolutely electric. And it seems that he’s been taking every opportunity to touch me. When he shares his snacks, he leans way over into my space. Whenever he has something to tell me, his lips graze my ear. Every time he reclines comfortably in his seat, he stretches and casually puts his arm around my shoulders.
And those moments when he looks at me and doesn’t say a word…When he stares at me like he wants to make my clothes melt right off my body…Oh god. He’s not even trying to hide it.
It makes me giddy and scared and confused all at the same freaking time.
At the second intermission, he leans over, fiddling with the copper earring dangling from my ear. “You wear these all the time,” he comments distractedly.
“They’re my favorite earrings,” I admit, enjoying the sparks of electricity that flutter down my neck.
His lips curve into a slow, tempting smile and his voice rumbles low. “I fucking love it when you wear the things I buy you.” Possessiveness flickers in his eyes.
Fuck.
Arousal rushes through my belly and trickles down between my thighs…while Archer’s family and my child chatter cluelessly nearby.
This is illegal. It has to be.
There’s no way it’s acceptable for this man to ruin my panties—in public—with a few simple words.
I shiver.
He bends closer, his mouth brushing my ear again.“Are you okay?”
I gulp before nodding. “I am. It’s just—well, you’re a little touchy-feely tonight, and I’m having a hard time knowing what’s real versus what’s a show for your family. I guess it’s messing with my head a bit.”
Archer combs my hair back with his fingers, waiting until I meet his eyes before he answers me. “All of it is real, Belle, as far as I’m concerned. It’s really fucking real.”
“I…um…” I breathe deep, having a very hard time getting my lungs to function properly.
He inches backward slightly, giving me room to breathe. “Look—I’ll admit I’m having a hard time keeping my hands away from you. But if you want me to stop—”
“Don’t stop.” I reach up, my fingers urgently clutching the front of his jersey, ready to pull him back into me.
Before he can form a response, excited screaming and shouting erupts around us. My head shoots up and I glance around, finding that everyone is jumping and pointing toward the jumbo screens mounted around the arena.
Oh, holy fuck.
It’s the Kiss Cam.
And Archer and I are currently featured on the big screen. Live and in color. With my hand fisted in his shirt and a deliriously horny expression on my face.
“Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!” the crowd demands.
I feel a panic attack coming on as my heartbeat quickens. My face burns. I know I’m turning red, and thousands of people are watching.
Archer won’t kiss me. I know he won’t. That would be against his rules.
We’ve been down that road before, only this time, I’m going to be embarrassed on the big screen. People will be showing replays of this moment for years to come, laughing at yet another Kiss Cam disaster.
I bury my face against Archer’s shoulder. Anxiety is threatening to end me, and I wish I could hide. This man is seconds away from rejecting me in front of a sold-out crowd. I refuse to even think about all the people who are watching the game at home on TV.
The whole world is about to discover how unlovable I truly am…
Just before I melt into the floor, I feel Archer’s strong knuckles brush against my jaw. He lifts my face up to his and stares into my eyes. I stare back, transfixed.
I see a man who would never hurt me. I see a man who would move heaven and earth to protect me.
“Fuck it…” he mumbles absentmindedly as his lips lower to mine.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
It’s just a feather’s touch at first. And then, his lips press fully against my lips.
There’s no hesitation on his part. There’s no indecision. There’s no uncertainty. Just his full, confident lips crushing mine.
He’s…kissing me.
Archer Brighton is kissing me.
The arena shrinks. Suddenly, it’s only me and him.
The kiss lingers for a blissful moment but I know I’ve got to break it. For Archer’s sake. He has rules and boundaries. I respect that.
Yet when I try to pull back, he groans in protest. His large, rough palm wraps around the back of my neck, holding me in place a moment longer.
I whimper against his mouth. I’m on fire, blood burning in my veins, living out a real life fantasy. His palm slowly glides up the back of my neck and my fingers fist into his shirt. I kiss him back and I’m struggling against the urge to crawl into his lap.
Eventually, the room creeps back into my awareness and our kiss comes to an end. By then, the camera crew has long moved on and the crowd is cheering for the next couple currently being broadcast on the screen.
I’m still in a daze as I ease out of Archer’s hold. My eyes flutter open and I find him staring at me. A drunken grin begins to stretch across my face, but then it freezes as reality hits me.
Archer just broke his number one rule. For me. To keep me from being embarrassed.
The Brighton family is still hooting and cheering, hollering over how romantic our very public moment was. Karli is the loudest of them all. Of course she is. Meanwhile, Mrs. Brighton looks so happy I’m afraid she might pass out.
But I can’t celebrate alongside them. Because Archer is giving me a very serious, very intense, very unreadable look. I can’t decipher what it means.
What I do know is, he only kissed me to save me from embarrassment. He broke his no-kissing rule for me, and given how strict he is about his convictions, I’m assuming that he’s going to resent me for that now.
So, instead of getting lost in an eternal replay of how good his mouth felt against mine, I’m feeling sick with guilt. I pushed Archer into doing something he’s uncomfortable with.I feel so damn guilty about that.
What a mess.
I’m lost in my head the rest of the game, not really paying attention to what’s going on on the ice.
It’s near the end of regulation when a gasp rings out around the arena and everyone in our section is on their feet. One of the Saints players just took a nasty hit.
I crane my neck to see better across the rink. In the tangle of bodies on the ice, I can’t make out what’s going on down there. “Oh my god. Oh my god. Is it Ronan? Please tell me it’s not—”
Archer’s hand finds the small of my back, offering me reassurance. “Ronan’s good. It wasn’t him.” The big man stares out at the ice. “See, he’s right there. On his feet.”
He’s right. Luckily, it’s not Ronan.
I glance up at the sky box and see Nicky sagging in relief, too, when she sees that her fiancé is okay. But her face is pure white. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be dating a hockey player. Meanwhile Darius is speaking frantically on his phone as he pushes his way through the crowd toward the exit of the executive box.
I have no idea who that injured player is, but all the Brighton brothers are talking in rushed words.
“That’s Raines,” I hear Nolan say above the noise. “Easton Raines.”
I look on in horror, watching the injured player quickly being wheeled out on a gurney. I feel awful for the guy, but I’m still so relieved it’s not Archer’s brother laying there.
Gosh, it looks so bad. I lean over to distract Sky, so he won’t watch the emergency medical crew doing their thing or the god-awful replays on the big screens.
Archer’s palm strokes comfortingly up and down my spine, and I realize that maybe he doesn’t absolutely hate me.
“Shit,” he grumbles. “Seems like the poor guy’s season might just be over.”