Chapter 34
Damon didn’t know why Hal made him stand behind him, like some kind of bodyguard, while the old guy thanked the players and the fans for attending the game. Unlike a lot of mega-rich sports team owners, Hal Jensen was the real deal. A self-made guy who gave back as much as he earned.
He kept the tickets cheaper than they could have been with incentives to the stadium, gave his team excellent bonuses, and treated them all like people, not just commodities. So when the big boss asked, his people came through.
“Damon, a word for the fans?” Hal stepped aside as the intermission wound down.
Damon glared at him, wishing the guy would look intimidated and not so amused. Then he glared at the stadium—they stood in the middle of the ice on a rolled out carpet to prevent slips. “Yeah, yeah. Great to see you all. You know the rest.”
The crowd went nuts, people yelling and cheering while a few idiot Oiler fans booed him. Damon shot them the bird.
That got the crowd even louder.
Hal chuckled, as did the security folks. “Give them something, Damon.”
Damon cleared his throat, aware Marlie watched from the box. “After the Raptors win, we’ll be gearing up for our next few victories. Wishing you all happy holidays. And I’ll see you at the game come the new year.” He waved.
Everyone was on their feet chanting, “Demon. Demon. Demon.”
Damon left with Hal, not about to lie to himself that hearing his name from the fans felt incredible. He had to heal his knee fast. No way he’d let everyone down before they took the next Stanley Cup.
Hal slapped him on the back as they left the ice. “Nice job. Hope we can count on you to come back soon.”
“You know it, Hal.” Another thing Damon liked about the guy—he insisted everyone just call him Hal and treat him like a regular person.
“And tell Marlie how much I enjoyed talking to her.”
“Oh, you’ll see her again. She’s mine.”
Hal’s smile widened. “Good. She’s genuine.” Unlike a lot of the spouses and companions of some of the team.
“Yeah. She doesn’t take any of my shit.” Damon chuckled. “I just have to figure out a way to convince her I’m the real deal.”
“Then I suggest avoiding the scandals half your teammates get up to.”
“No kidding.”
“Enjoy the rest of the game.” They had another two periods to go. “I have to get back to Milly and the grandkids. We’re supposed to hit the cabin for Christmas and we’re taking extra time so my daughter can have a few date nights with my son-in-law.”
“Nice. Have a great Christmas, boss.”
“You too, son.” Hal left, and Damon turned to head down to the locker room.
He made it just as the coach finished up. Kowalski grinned at him. “About time you got back.”
“I’m just here to watch and cheer, Coach.” He accepted the coach’s hug. Then he flipped off the team, who razzed him about slacking. “Hey, I saw a few things.”
“Please, let’s hear it.” Kowalski stood back as Damon lit into the guys, quickly pointing out what they did right then wrong. Then he pulled Colby aside.
“Yo, man. Been a while.” Colby bro-hugged him. Not easy with all the pads.
“You’re looking good. But two things. Tell Hallman to watch his recovery.” Their backup goalie had gotten some playtime, and he needed it. “He’s getting too caught up in watching the play and not setting up again.”
“Yeah, I saw that, but—”
“And two, you make sure you’re talking with Lars and Mickey. They can get lost sometimes.”
“Tell them that.”
“No. You tell them that. You’re in charge on defense. Remember that. But seriously, you’re doing great out there.”
“Thanks. You coming back soon?”
“Scared?”
Colby chuckled. “You wish. So are you?”
“I’m getting there. I should be good to play in January. But you’ve saved our asses this season. Maybe I’ll return to back you up.”
Colby snorted. “Yeah. That’ll happen. Thanks for coming down here to check in. I’ll try not to work too hard.”
“Huh?”
Colby shot him a sly grin. “I’d hate for your girl to be so impressed with me she drops your fat ass.”
McClusky and Ford swung back, overheard, and laughed a little too hard.
“Shut up, dickheads.” Damon growled at them. “And if either of you make me look bad in front of Marlie, I’ll end you.”
Ford perked up. “Does this mean you’re coming to the party tonight?”
“After you win, you mean.”
Ford nodded.
“I guess. I want to show Marlie a good time.”
McClusky cleared his throat. “So you’re saying you want me to take her out on the town for you?”
“You want to keep the rest of the teeth in that empty head, McClusky?”
McClusky guffawed. “As if you could catch me once I start running.”
The guys left the locker room, Damon following. He put more pressure on his left leg, pleased when the pain he hoped not to feel didn’t come.
Though he itched to return with his team, to go out there on the ice and defeat their opponents, he went instead back upstairs to find his girlfriend—because yes, she’d admitted it, kind of, that they were dating—talking to his agent.
Mark spotted him and left a little too quickly.
Hmm.
Marlie stared at Damon with a big old grin.
He groaned. “Okay. Spit it out. What has Mark been saying about me?”
“Oh, not too much. Your sports drink deal sounds stellar. Too bad you lost out on the booze sponsorship since you won’t hit any orgies.”
He groaned. “Mark and his big mouth. I suppose he said I’m boring. I’m totally not. I’m a rough prick. A bad boy. A barely legal criminal type.” He gave her his best threatening stare.
She only smiled kindly. The kiss of death.
She patted the stool next to her. “Have a seat, Boy Scout. You can give me a blow-by-blow of the game. And no, I didn’t mean that sexually.”
He sighed. She laughed.
And they watched the Ice Raptors take the win four to one over the Oilers.
“Exciting game.” Marlie looked as excited as the rest of the folks in the suite about the win. Everyone congratulated everyone, making sure to tell Damon he was missed, before they filed out.
Damon sat back, waiting for the stands to empty. “We’re invited to a party tonight. Do you want to go?”
“A party?”
“You know. With other people.”
She frowned. “What kind of people?”
“Hockey people.”
“No Trailblazers?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea who they’re inviting. But I thought you could see how the other half lives if you want. If not, I’m game to hang at my place. Or downtown if you want.”
“A hockey party. One where the players go, where I’m invited. And my brothers aren’t.” Her evil laugh enchanted him. “Hell, yes. Hold on.”
She pulled out her phone and Facetimed someone. “Hey, Steve.”
Her brother, Will, Jeff, and Ed stared back at her from what looked like Ed’s house.
“Marlie, why haven’t you answered my calls?” Steve whined.
Marlie flipped the view around and showed off the suite, including Damon and some people down on the ice.
Her brothers were all talking at once, excited at having watched the Raptors’ victory, in addition to their “coach” giving a speech to the thousands in attendance. They also demanded he not be late for Sunday’s game.
“Yeah, yeah,” Marlie agreed. “Oh, and we’re invited to a party tonight at… Damon, where are we going?”
“Ford and McClusky’s bachelor pad. They’re pigs, but it’ll be fun. I think.”
Her brothers all started talking at once again, but Marlie soon hung up on them and ignored the ringing of her phone.
“You’re evil,” he told her.
“I know. But they deserve it.” She paused. “Are you sure you’re okay to go to this party? You don’t sound excited.”
“Nah, it’s all good. I’ve been before. Just… Don’t be surprised by anything you see or hear.”
“Okay. Now I’m intrigued.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Marlie stared around her at a condo twice as big as Damon’s, a penthouse a few blocks over from his place in the Pearl District. Joshua Ford and Ian McClusky had been nothing but sweet, two handsome, sexy offense players both on and off the ice. Apparently, they had a reputation as ladies’ men.
Something boring Damon Sinclair refused to be, according to his agent.
Everything Mark had told her only endeared Damon to her more. Ha. The big liar was no bad boy at all. Except when in the goal cage. Mark swore Damon could be filthy rich—well, richer than he was, if only he’d embrace that demonic, crushing persona he had when playing.
But no. Damon was nice. No drama, no baby mamas or threesomes and foursomes. No orgies or scandals—which Ford and McClusky involved themselves in, keeping their handsome faces in the limelight and delighting their rich, quirky sponsors.
Everyone at the party had some tie to the Raptors. The entire first and second line had shown, with a few of the guys from the rest of the team coming later.
She and Damon had enjoyed combustible shower sex at his place before she’d dragged out her one nice outfit—a pair of slim-fitting jeans, a deep green top that clung to her and hugged her breasts, and cute boots more ornamental than functional with heels that put her only a few inches shorter than Damon.
Yet she wasn’t the only tall woman in attendance tonight.
The place was full of models, a few actors, football players she recognized, and even a pro baseball player.
The hockey studs knew everyone fun in the city, apparently.
And the throbbing dance music provided by the DJ, in addition to the free-flowing alcohol and snacks, added to the kickass festivities.
Damon leaned closer to her. “Is it me or is it too loud in here?”
“It’s loud. But it’s a party, grandpa. Go with it,” she teased, thinking he looked both sexy and threatening as he loomed over her, his icy eyes glaring around them at everyone.
Dressed in jeans, a nicer pair of boots than the ones he’d worn to the game, and a charcoal-gray sweater that showed off his muscular physique, Damon looked incredible.
But then, maybe she was biased. He didn’t have the handsome features of his popular teammates, but his air of menace attracted people despite his intent to keep them all away.
To her bemusement, he seemed a little uncomfortable being around the crowd.
She tugged him to get his attention. “Do you want to leave?”
He blinked. “What? We just got here.”
“You seem a little uneasy.”
“Well, I recognize a few people. Not my exes, don’t worry.”
“Don’t you sound cocky.”
“I’m just saying, not everyone here is someone I’d voluntarily spend time with.”
“We can go if—”
“No. We’re here to have fun. Maybe even liquor you up.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and she snorted with laughter.
They mingled, and she once again met more of his teammates. Everyone acted friendly, even thrilled to see him back despite him not yet playing. Damon might try to pretend to be an ass, but the people who knew the real him liked him a lot.
As the evening wore on, they danced, and to her shock, he could move. She loved that he watched her as they grooved, feeling as if no one but Marlie mattered to her sexy stalker.
They parted a few times as his buddies tugged him away for one reason or another. She found the women in the party just as friendly as the guys. Not at all bitchy or trying to hook a hockey player.
Speaking with one model who’d appeared on the last cover of Vogue—and holy shit, would Ed freak about that, because he had a major crush—she realized she hadn’t seen Damon in a while.
The woman saw her looking around. “You in search of that scary guy with the sexy vibe? Demon Sinclair?”
“Yep. That’s the one.”
She laughed. “I think I saw him heading back toward Ford’s bedroom down the hall. But be careful. Those guys are freaky.”
“Freaky bad?”
“Freaky naked. They like to party. Without clothes. A lot.” The woman fanned herself and winked.
Marlie grinned. “I’m not offended by male nudity.” Though Damon had better have his clothes on.
Huh. A first. Marlie felt more than a little possessive over her bruiser.
Even in this party filled with Very Important People, she decided she didn’t care.
He hadn’t been making eyes at anyone other than Marlie all night.
And for all that they had been around other people while quasi-dating, this was their first instance of needing to trust each other.
So when she searched the back and found him half dressed with two topless women and five guys laughing their asses off, she did what any sane, sober woman would do when finding her man besieged by naked beauties.
She gave him the Mona stare and waited for his explanation.
Which had better be damn good.