Chapter Sixteen Mutually Beneficial
JAYCE
I follow the team into the locker room after practice, sweating and breathless and exhilarated.
It’s been a good day, starting with my morning run and coming home to Sutton in a sexy pencil skirt, looking like a hot librarian.
When I handed her the smoothie and her eyes lit up with gratitude, I felt a surge of satisfaction rush through me.
Fuck, it feels good to take care of someone. To anticipate her needs and meet them.
As I’m opening my locker, Coach suddenly walks into the room, snapping me out of my wandering thoughts.
He has a way of owning a space the moment he enters it, even when that space is filled with big, bulky hockey players.
His bald head only adds to his tough as hell appearance, as well as his seemingly permanent scowl.
I think the only time I’ve seen him genuinely smile and turn into a giant teddy bear was when his granddaughter Hadley was around.
“Listen up,” his voice booms, catching everyone’s attention. “Good work out there today, and great job with last night’s win. We’re on track to make a Stanley Cup repeat if we’re able to keep this momentum and reach the playoffs.”
We all cheer and whoop, the eagerness and excitement at the idea of another shot at the cup palpable among all the guys.
Coach looks over the crowd and finds Jensen. “Reece, got anything to say to these fellas?”
We all turn to Jensen who grins and nods.
“Sure do, Coach. Guys, we’ve really been hitting our stride lately.
Working like a well-oiled machine, and we’re stronger and better than we were last year.
Keep it up. Keep working together. No other team can compete with us, and that Cup is as good as ours! ”
A roar goes up among the team and we pump our fists in the air. We’re feeling hyped, and at this moment, I really don’t think there is another team that can take us on.
“Our next game is away,” Coach declares, his voice booming, as loud and deep as he is big and tall. “Stay focused, buckle down, and let’s keep kicking ass this season.”
Another round of cheers and Coach waves his hand in the air before turning to make his way out of the locker room.
As soon as he’s gone, the guys swarm me.
I’ve been expecting this. I arrived today right before practice started so no one had time to interrogate me, and I haven’t responded to anyone’s texts so they’re all chomping at the bit wanting an explanation for last night.
“Okay, let’s hear it,” Carson demands, leaning against the locker next to mine. “What was that proposal last night?”
“Yeah,” Jensen adds, leaning on my other side, as if making sure I can’t get away. “Are you going to really try and tell us you and Sutton have been secretly dating behind all our backs?”
“You really think you can keep a secret like that from us?” Zander demands to know. “After every secret we’ve ever tried to keep has been dug up and exposed for all to see? Besides, we’re meeting the girls at the bar later, so if you don’t tell us, I’m sure they will.”
“You all are worse than a group of teenage girls when it comes to secrets,” Wilder jokes, then shoots me a sympathetic look while holding his hands up, as if to say, ‘If you need support, I’m here. Otherwise I’m staying out of it.’
Letting out a long breath, I look between all of them and say, “All right, take it easy, guys. Sutton and I are in a mutually beneficial arrangement for the sake of our families. We understand each other and are helping each other out.”
They all blink at me, as if confused.
Zander murmurs, “Man, marriage is about love. How can you even think of marrying for less? Don’t get me wrong, Sutton is amazing, but do you love her?”
I’m not surprised by his response. I’m pretty certain all these guys feel the same way because their heads are clouded with the supposed happily-ever-afters they are desperately hoping don’t come to an end. Sure, their relationships are great, but I’m not such an optimist about love.
“Love is subjective,” I reply with a shrug. “Relationships are transactional. Sutton and I are both practical about these things. We have to be for the sake of our futures.”
Carson lets out a laugh and shakes his head. “Shit, dude, you’re in sooo much trouble.”
The other guys crack up at this as well.
“He sure is,” Jensen chuckles.
“Big trouble,” Zander grins.
Even Wilder smirks, amused. I don’t expect them to understand.
Why would they? They don’t live with the same pressures and expectations Sutton and I do.
People say money buys happiness, but in my experience, it mostly creates shackles and leashes, holding people in place because they’re so terrified to lose it.
“You guys don’t need to worry about me or Sutton,” I insist, turning to open my locker. “We know what we’re doing.”
I feel a little annoyed when the guys chuckle around me and Jensen says, “Right. We totally haven’t heard that before.”
Rolling my eyes, I don’t respond. They’ve all found something nice and it’s made them ridiculous. It won’t happen to me. I know better.
Love is a fairytale, and I don’t have time for make-believe.
The bar is busy, though it’s no surprise.
Night Hawks fans flock to this place for a chance to see us, and maybe take a shot or two.
Thankfully, our fans are pretty chill, except for the occasional over-eager Puck Bunny, so we don’t have problems when we hang out here.
The cold air sweeps in whenever the door opens, so the guys and I are gathered on the far side of the bar away from the entrance.
Jensen and Carson are playing darts in the corner while Zander and Wilder sit huddled at a table nearby, having some way-too-deep conversation about the best place in the city to get fried chicken.
I’m standing against the wall in between the guys, watching the room as I nurse a glass of whiskey.
I keep glancing toward the door, wondering where the girls are.
I’ve been staring at that door for a long time, just waiting and waiting for them to appear.
Okay, well… waiting for Sutton to appear, really.
They should’ve been here by now.
At that moment, the bar door opens and there she is, as if my mind has somehow conjured her.
She’s changed out of her sexy pencil skirt and blouse and into some hip hugging jeans and a long-sleeve shirt that shows off her slender dancer figure.
The other girls walk into the bar too, but I can’t tear my eyes from Sutton.
Fuck, she’s beautiful. Her long brown hair is loose and falling in soft curls around her shoulders, and when she moves her head, that flash of teal teases me. I want to wrap her hair around my fist and get a full view of that teal as I fuck her from behind.
I shake my head, pushing the thought away. Damn, I gotta keep it together. Can’t cross that line again.
No matter how badly I might want to.
As I watch her and the girls start to move across the bar, I’m all-too aware of the eyes following them. A group of beautiful women is bound to draw attention, but everyone here knows Rylee, Skyler, and Grace are off-limits.
They might not know that Sutton is too.
Proving my point, some tall guy with slicked back brown hair and a polo shirt approaches her, distracting her and pulling her away from the other three women.
Gritting my teeth, I’m pushing away from the wall and heading straight toward Sutton and the guy chatting her up before I’ve fully comprehended that I’m moving.
I come up behind Sutton and the guy talking to her catches sight of me and freezes.
“Jayce Vaughn…” he gasps.
“Hey, babe,” I grin, slipping my arm around Sutton’s waist. She looks up at me, startled and momentarily tenses before relaxing into my touch. I shoot the guy a look, maintaining a cool exterior even while, inside, I want to knock his fucking head off. “Sorry, buddy. This lovely lady is taken.”
I lift her hand to show off her ring.
“Right,” the guy murmurs, his cheeks going pink. “Sorry.”
As he turns and hurries away, Sutton arches a brow at me. “Was that really necessary?”
“Gotta keep up appearances,” I wink at her, turning her towards the corner where the guys are. “Eyes could be anywhere.”
A decent excuse that I latch onto so I don’t dwell on how pissed off seeing that guy talking to Sutton made me.
When we reach the guys, Grace and Rylee are already there.
Rylee has sidled up next to Zander, breaking up his and Wilder’s fried chicken talk, and Grace is stealing Jensen’s darts.
I wave my hand over to the bartender and he nods.
A few moments later, a waitress makes her way over to us and hands me a drink, which I give to Sutton.
She accepts it, blinking in surprise. “Is this…an aperol spritz?”
I nod. “It is.”
“I love those.”
She takes a sip and grins and I look up to find Rylee and Grace watching us with raised brows and little smiles. I do my best to ignore them, but they keep shooting us amused looks that I don’t think Sutton notices.
After a few more rounds of alcoholic drinks for most of us—and some fun mocktails for Rylee—I notice Sutton’s eyes appear to be growing heavy. She's at the table now between Rylee and Grace, her chin propped in her hand as she does her best to stay alert and pay attention to what they’re saying.
“Hey, Sutton,” I say, coming up behind her. “It’s time to go.”
It comes out more of an order than a request, which I didn’t really mean for it to, but she just looks up at me and nods. I’m surprised by her easy trust and willingness to let me look out for her, but I like it. A lot.
“Okay, sounds good.” Standing, she gives Grace and Rylee each a smile. “Good night, you guys.”
“Good night,” they reply. Rylee waggles her brows and Sutton rolls her eyes and chuckles as she turns to me.
I wave at the guys and wrap an arm around Sutton’s shoulders as I lead her through the bar to the door, not willing to give any other guy a chance to intercept her.
I catch sight of the guy who was fawning over her earlier and glare at him with a smile.
He immediately ducks his head and turns away.