Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Cam
Nate grinned. “You kissed the boss?” The last word came out as a choked laugh. “Bro?—"
I dropped my chin and shook my head. “I know. It was a dumbass thing to do.”
In the moment, it seemed right. One minute, we were having an honest conversation and the next my lips were on hers. She tasted like pure heaven. Soft and sweet, with a hint of herbs.
The only taste in my mouth now was regret. Okay, she hadn't pulled away, or gotten angry, but why would a woman like her want to be kissed by a guy like me? She could have any man she wanted. She was brilliant, beautiful and sexy as hell.
And me, I was a bitter, grumpy asshole on the verge of retirement from the only thing that had any real meaning in my life. I didn't want to think about what came after. Endorsement offers were still coming in, but that wasn't something I expected, or even wanted, to keep doing forever.
How many times could a guy have a photoshoot in his underwear anyway?
“It just happened,” I said finally.
“If there's anything we know about you, it's that things don't just happen,” Flynn reasoned. “You wouldn't have kissed her if you weren't thinking about it.”
I tilted my head and looked at him through one eye. “I can be spontaneous.”
He looked back at me for a moment before leaning over to tie up the laces on his skates.
“I can,” I argued. I looked at Nate and Blake to back me up.
Nate was too busy trying to hold back a laugh, and Blake was grinning like an idiot.
“Fine,” I said darkly. “I'm not always spontaneous. But this was spontaneous. One minute we were having a conversation about Clio?—"
The laughter faded.
“You told her about Clio?” Blake asked. “What did she say?” His brow was corrugated in sympathy, his tone careful, not wanting to overstep the line .
In the past, I made it clear I didn't want to talk about Clio, but I'd invited the topic into the locker room, and I couldn't back away from it now. Fortunately, it didn't evoke the same pain as it used to.
“What do you think she said?” I rubbed a hand over the back of my head.
“She thought you were a dumbass for falling for that bitch?” Zack offered from the other side of the locker room.
He was right, but I flipped him off. I was a dumbass where she was concerned. I wasn't going to admit that to him.
I lowered my voice and said, “Andi felt bad for me.”
“And then you kissed her?” Nate asked.
“I got caught up in the moment.” I pushed my foot into one of my skates. “We were stuck at the top of a rollercoaster, having a deep and meaningful conversation. I acted without thinking. It won't happen again.”
“Sounds romantic,” Blake said. “Did you ask them to stop the rollercoaster right there?”
I stared at him. “Of course not.”
“Do you think she asked for the rollercoaster to be stopped?” Flynn rested his hands on his thighs. He looked like a father wanting the honest truth from his errant child.
“No,” I said, immediate and firm. “She had no idea we were going on the rollercoaster until we did. Neither did I. It was?—"
“Spontaneous,” all three of them said at the same time.
“Exactly,” I said. “I saw her sitting there by herself, clearly needing a friend. I decided to be that friend, if she'd let me.”
“Seems to me like she wasn't the only one who needed a friend,” Flynn said.
“Sounds like more than friendship to me,” Nate said. “If you ask me, I'd say Cam has a crush.”
“Lucky no one asked you,” I retorted.
“Of course they did.” He grinned. “They didn't say the words, but the intention was there. Right, Blake?”
“I didn't ask, but I came to the same conclusion,” Blake said. “Cam definitely has a thing for the boss. Personally, I think they'd be cute together.”
“I agree.” Nate nodded. “I vote that Cam should go for it.” He raised his hand.
“I vote that too.” Blake raised his own hand. “What do you think, Flynn?”
“I think you should stop talking about me like I'm not here,” I said. “It might surprise you to learn that none of you have a vote in my love life.”
Nate and Blake shared looks of mock shock, mouth open, eyes wide.
“Can you believe that?” Nate asked. “We don't get a vote?”
Blake shook his head and raised his finger. “You're going to have to give me a minute to get my head around this.” He screwed his eyes shut for a few moments, then nodded slowly. “Okay, I tried, but I can't. I vote that we get a vote in Cam's love life.”
Zack walked past on his skates, heading out to the rink for training. He stopped beside us and gave us all a long look, like we were lab specimens gone wrong. Germs in a petri dish that should be thrown in a hot dishwasher as quickly as possible. And only handled while wearing thick, long gloves.
“You guys are idiots. Being on the same team with you is embarrassing.” He curled his lip at us and looked disgusted.
“Feel free to leave then.” Blake grinned and gave him a go away gesture with his fingers. He looked completely unmoved by anything Zack had to say. Like everything else in his life, he let it roll off him like the proverbial water off a duck's back.
If he took anything seriously, I never saw it. Sometimes I wished I could have a not-give-a-shit attitude like him. I needed to stop letting things get to me.
Zack rolled his eyes, sneered and stomped past. He muttered something that sounded a lot like, “Fucking dickheads,” before stepping out onto the ice.
Apparently I wasn't the only one who took things too seriously. If anyone needed to take the stick out of his ass, it was him. What was his problem anyway? So far, I hadn't managed to figure it out. It was possible he didn't like us, but that was unlikely. We were very likable. Right?
“About that vote,” Blake started. He frowned like he was serious, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, just visible under his beard.
“No,” I said. “No voting on who gets a vote about my love life. Which, for the record, is non-existent. It was just a kiss and it's not going to happen again.”
Only— I couldn't get the way she felt and tasted out of my mind. I wanted more, and I couldn't have it. The best thing, the only thing, I could do right now would be to put her out of my mind. And make sure I was never stuck on a rollercoaster with her again. Because if I was, I might kiss her again, and if I did I might not stop .
“But you want it to,” Flynn said softly.
“It doesn't matter what I want,” I said. “If she needs a friend again, I'll be that for her. That's it. She owns the team. You know what people would say if we got involved.”
They'd spread it all over social media and make it into something that it wasn't. Like they had with Clio. Like they did any time any of the guys got involved with anyone. They circled like a school of piranha, ready to descend on us and rip us apart for their own amusement and profit.
The only regret I ever had in going pro was becoming the target of monetized gossip. If I had my way, it would be illegal.
“They'd say 'Lowball Bay Sea Dragons forward has steamy relationship with property development heiress,' " Coach Lampton said. He walked towards us, his eyes on his phone. “That's what it says, right here.” He tapped the screen, then turned his phone around to show me.
On the screen was a photo of Andi and me getting onto the rollercoaster. We were smiling together. The second photo showed us stopped at the top. A third showed us closer together, my fingers in her hair, lips on hers.
All of the photos were grainy, and the last one could have been anyone, but put all three together like a series of events, it was clearly both of us.
Fuck.
“Fuck.” I closed my eyes, hoping the image would be gone when I opened them again. It wasn't.
“According to this, you were making out and couldn't keep your hands off each other,” Coach said. He looked up at me and raised his eyebrows.
“It was one kiss,” I muttered. “It won't happen again.”
Not after I was the asshat who offended her by suggesting people might see her as a spoiled little rich girl. The only one spoiling anything was me, spoiling the moment with my thoughtless words.
She made quick excuses once we had our feet on the ground and left. It was for the best. I couldn't screw up if she wasn't talking to me.
I hoped like hell she wouldn't insist on me being traded to another team, just to get rid of me. I didn't think she was petty like that, but there was a time when I didn't think Clio was either.
The back of my mind, my cock and my balls all conspired to agree that Andi was nothing like Clio. There might have also been a couple of thuds in my chest that joined that unhelpful chorus. Apparently only the front of my brain was on my side now .
“Tell that to the PR department.” Coach shrugged. “That's their domain. Mine is getting your asses out there on the ice to train.” He nodded to the other guys. “Get out there. North, the PR department wants to see you after training.”
I groaned inwardly. This, right here, was a really good reason not to be spontaneous.
We could have ignored the photos of us spending time together if there wasn't a photograph of our kiss. People would move on from friends hanging out together at the pier. If they thought there was something more juicy going on, they'd be invested. They'd think they were entitled to know everything that went on behind closed doors. If that was nothing, they'd make something up.
It was nothing I couldn't handle if I had to, but my stupid ass hadn't thought about the impact on Andi. I hadn't thought about anything but wanting to taste her mouth. If I'd taken a moment to consider the consequences, I would have stopped myself. If that meant standing up, rocking the carriage and jumping off the side into the ocean, it would have prevented the coming shit storm. Right now that was at category one, but I had the sinking feeling it would pick up momentum.
“It might be time for another one of Blake's naked runs around the outside of the arena,” Nate deadpanned. “People would forget Cam like that.” He snapped his fingers.
“I'm down for that.” Blake grinned.
As far as I knew, he'd never run naked in public, but if anyone would do it, it would be him. None of us were shy about our bodies, not after sharing locker rooms for so long, but baring everything in public would give the PR department a migraine.
Not to mention, he'd be dumped by the team in about two seconds flat, and never play professional ice hockey again. Blake wouldn't give up his career for a few moments of public nudity.
I hoped.
“No one is running naked around the arena,” Coach said. “Don't be distracted by this shit. Let the PR department deal with it and you guys deal with your jobs.” To me he added, “I suggest you be more discreet next time.”
He moved away before I could say there wouldn't be another next time. Judging by the look on his face, he was thinking the same thing the other guys were.
Of course there would be a next time, it was just a question of when.