Luna
FORTY-ONE
I’m on the edge of my seat, and I don’t think I’ve taken a full breath since the puck dropped in the third period.
I watch Cayden do another save as he drops to his knees, stopping the puck with his leg pads before flying back up to stop a rebound with his glove.
He’s in the zone and completely dialed in to every little detail around him as he tracks the movements with precision and speed.
Glancing at the scoreboard for the millionth time, we have just under five minutes left to go, and neither goalie is giving an inch.
Knox’s fill-in is someone named Cross, and he seems to be doing a good job of keeping up with the rest of the lineup.
Although, based on the way he keeps smiling every time someone tries to hit him, I’m thinking his biggest challenge might be staying out of the penalty box.
Four minutes.
Kane takes a hard shot from the point and breaks his stick from the impact as the puck is sent at a deadly speed toward the net, hitting the goal post before the players scramble to take control of it.
Someone from the Bolts bench hands Kane a new stick when he sails by, grabbing it on his way before catching a pass from Foxx and stick-handling the puck down the ice.
Three minutes.
My heart pounds in my chest as I lean forward, my nails digging into my palms as Kane passes it to McCormick in front of the net.
He takes a swing, and the puck is deflected off the goalie’s stick, going right back into the chaos in front of the net.
McCormick is able to gain control again and sees an opening between the goalie’s legs as he slides it right through the five-hole.
The red light turns on, and the buzzer rings out across the stadium as I surge to my feet with the rest of the crowd.
Cayden flips up his mask, and I see a small smile play on his lips as he takes this brief break to hydrate himself. He’s still on full alert as his eyes scan the ice. His tense body language tells me he’s not breathing a sigh of relief yet.
If I’ve learned anything from watching hockey, it’s that two minutes is enough to go from winning to losing. All it takes is seconds to turn the game around.
Pushing his mask down, he gets in position as the ref drops the puck. The Vipers center takes control, but Cross is on him as he slams him into the boards, knocking the puck loose.
Hayes manages to set it free and pass it to Foxx, but their opponent is right there to intercept.
My eyes flick to the scoreboard as I stand up with the crowd around me.
Sixty seconds left.
The clock starts ticking down the seconds, and the fans go wild, amping up the energy in the arena to support their team.
The Vipers get a breakaway, and the stadium forgets to breathe as Cayden crouches down and tracks the puck.
When the stick connects and sends the black disc flying in the air, thousands of eyes track it, but only one pair matters.
Cayden drops into a butterfly and blocks the right side of the net with his body. The puck ricochets off his shoulder, and before he can get back up on his skates, a rebound hit has him diving with his glove to the other side just as the buzzer goes off to signal the end of the third period.
Getting up on his skates, Cayden drops the puck from his glove, and the roar of the fans echoes off the walls as the rest of the Bolts players rush to the net to swarm Cayden, giving Bayside a 1-0 win.
His eyes find mine through the bodies surrounding him.
Twenty thousand people are screaming his name and celebrating the man who just carried them through one of the hardest battles of the year.
But he isn’t looking at any of them.
He’s looking at me.
As if I’m the only one he needs to see…the place he wants to land after the chaos.
My fingers curl around the number forty jersey I’m wearing when I realize that the most terrifying thing about falling for Cayden Blade isn’t breaking through the walls around his heart.
It’s realizing he now owns mine.
His smile stays on his face as he skates with the team to the tunnel. Once he disappears inside my phone dings a couple of minutes later as I’m gathering my things.
Cayden
Don’t leave your seat. I’ve sent Bobby to come and get you.
Before I can respond, a guy with brown and blue eyes appears by my side wearing a Bolts collared shirt.
“Miss Bennett?” He asks with a hint of southern drawl.
“You must be Bobby,” I smile. “Cayden just texted me you were coming.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he grins, sending a blush to his cheeks. He’s young and couldn’t be more than twenty.
“Please call me Luna. We are too close in age for the ma’am part,” I chuckle.
“Guess it’s just a habit,” he says nervously, walking up the aisle steps as I follow him.
He leads me to an elevator once we hit the main level, and it’s a short ride down before the doors open again.
The number forty with Blade written across the back comes into view before Cayden turns at the sound of the elevator doors opening.
He’s still in full uniform and skates, his hair still sweaty and damp from the game as I take in the slight curls all askew on his head. I watch his chest rise and fall like he’s still coming off his high from playing the game minutes before and hasn’t had the time to catch his breath.
“Thanks, Bobby,” he says, never taking his green eyes off of mine.
“No problem, Blade. If you need anything else, just ask. It was nice meeting you, Luna,” Bobby says, forcing me to look his way.
“Nice to meet you too,” I smile.
He walks away, and I step through the elevator’s doors as they shut behind me, leaving us alone in the hallway.
I’m surprised to see it deserted and was expecting to be thrown into the staff and team members scrambling around after a game. Instead, we are in some kind of back corridor, away from the bustle of the main area.
“Aren’t you supposed to be doing interviews?”
“They can wait.”
“And showering?”
“Eventually,” he smiles, separating the distance between us until my back is against the wall.
I bite back a smile. “Then what are you doing?”
His eyes drop down to his jersey that I’m wearing before coming back up to me.
“I needed to see you first.”
He reaches out and brushes back a piece of my hair.
“Thanks for being here tonight,” he murmurs, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb.
“There’s no other place I’d rather be,” I whisper.
“God, I love hearing that,” he growls before his lips find mine.
His hands dive into my hair as I grip his jersey tightly in my hands. With his skates and pads still on, he towers over me as his mouth moves over mine in a desperate need to satisfy this hunger growing between us.
My tongue tangles with his, and I sink further into him as he shields me against the wall with his body.
When he finally breaks away, we’re both panting as he presses his forehead to mine.
“Think they would notice if I snuck out the back with you and just left?”
“Seeing as you’re the star player tonight…No,” I giggle.
“I hate press,” he mutters.
“I’ll be here when you’re done. You wouldn’t want to let your fans down,” I smile, winding my arms around his neck.
His brows furrow before he grabs my hand.
“Come with me,” he says, walking down the hall.
“Where are we going?” I laugh as I try to keep up. Even in his skates and the gear that must weigh a ton, he’s still a faster stride than I can keep up with.
“I’ve got to shower real quick before interviews.” He opens a door leading us to another hall that’s busier with team staff before stopping in front of the locker rooms. “Give me twenty and then we’ll go to press.”
“We?”
“Well, yeah,” he grins. “Did you really think I would let you out of my sight once I got you down here?”
He opens the locker room door before looking back at me once more. “Twenty minutes. Don’t leave this spot.”
Disappearing inside, I lean against the wall and shake my head. I guess not even a win can knock the control out of him.
Pulling out my phone, I send a text to Sophia for an update on Savi.
Me
How’s Savi doing? Any baby news yet?
Knox caused quite the commotion when he ran down the steps in full uniform to get to his wife. After a brief conversation, Savi and her family left shortly after he got there, with Knox holding her hand and gently helping to guide her up the stairs toward the exit.
Sophia
Savi and the baby are doing great! Knox still looks like he’s about to pass out at any second, but the doctors say she’s almost to nine centimeters, and it could happen quickly. She’s lucky she didn’t stay for the third period. Thank God, Knox forced her to go.
That sounds just like Savi.
Laughing, I text back.
Me
I’m glad to hear Savi and the baby are doing good! Keep me updated when you hear more.
Sophia
Will do! Are you still at the game?
Me
Yes. Cayden is showering and then has press.
Sophia
We saw the rest of the game when we got to the hospital. Tell Cayden congratulations for us. He kicked ass.
Me
I’ll let him know. Love you, Soph.
Sophia
Love you, Lunabug.
Sophia
Oh shit, sorry. Old habits…
Chuckling, I respond.
Me
It’s fine. Doesn’t bother me as much anymore. No sense in changing it now.
Sophia
Oh, good cause, I don’t think Maverick will ever stop. You’ll always be our Lunabug.
I send a heart emoji back and pocket my phone.
It’s true. It doesn’t bother me anymore like it used to. I guess Cayden has a lot to do with that. He sees the woman in me and makes me feel every bit of one, too. A little childhood nickname doesn’t make me feel like the baby of the family anymore. It just makes me feel loved.
The doors open, and I push off the wall with a smile, expecting to see Cayden.
Thane walks out freshly showered and dressed in a nice dark suit. He gives me a brief smile, but I notice it doesn’t reach his grey eyes.
“Hey, Luna,” he says. “Blade should be out soon.”
I nod my head and smile. “Congratulations on the winning goal. You must be ready to celebrate.”
“I guess,” he shrugs.
“Anyone waiting for you after the game to help you celebrate?” I ask, hoping maybe he’ll let me learn a little bit more about him.
The second I say it, I know I’ve hit something in his armor as a crack seeps through, making me regret asking.