Cayden
THIRTEEN
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
What the fuck is she doing here?
I felt her the minute I got in front of my net. It took me all of two seconds to hone in on her in the stands just a few feet away from my goddamn net.
My blades rough up the ice in front of me, a little more aggressively than usual, as I try to work out my frustration.
It’s not the fact that she’s here that has me so worked up. It’s how I felt seeing her in the stands at one of my games that has me all fucked up. It’s how much I liked it.
When I saw her with her hair cascading over her shoulders and in that black dress with those sexy as sin boots, I wanted to scale the glass and claim her right there.
One word kept repeating in my head, putting me in a complete mind fuck.
Mine.
But she’s not and can never be.
Doesn’t matter anyway. She’s clearly with fuckboy next to her.
I do a quick glance in her direction and see their heads together, whispering frantically to one another before I turn away, dropping in front of the net to do a couple of quick hip stretches.
Why the fuck didn’t she mention a boyfriend?
Did I imagine everything I felt between us?
And the bigger question…
Why the fuck do I care so much?
I don’t want to care this much.
Getting on my blades again, I get in position as the ref gets ready to drop the puck. Closing my eyes briefly, I use every fucking technique I know to clear my mind. The crowd noise eventually fades away, and when I open my eyes, all I see is the puck.
She wants to come see a fucking hockey game?
Then I’ll give her one she will never forget.
The puck drops, and I watch the ice spray as players bust into action. My gaze is sharp and unwavering, knowing the slightest deviation or glance her way will shatter all of my control. It’s damn near impossible to ignore the fact that she’s here when I can feel her eyes on my every movement.
It makes me want to dig deeper than I’ve ever done before—stop a hundred pucks for her tonight if I have to.
We’re playing the Wildcats tonight, and they came for blood, but tonight I’m feeling a craving for it.
My body tenses on high alert as one of their players gains control of the puck, rushing down the ice toward me on a breakaway. He’s one of their leading scorers and hard to read sometimes on where he’s aiming for, but I use every skill I’ve mastered when I notice he’s wanting the bottom right.
I move with speed, doing a T-push to the other side and dropping my leg to stop the puck. It ricochets off my leg pad, sending it back into the game before another slap of the stick has me diving to the ground for a long reach catch.
Getting enough of the puck to stop it from crossing the line, it drops with a heavy thud onto the ice before I throw myself on top of it. The ref’s whistle blows for the save, and I gather myself back up to standing.
“Holy shit!” Hayes grins, stopping abruptly in front of me with a spray of ice. “That’s going on a highlight reel later,” he cries, tapping my helmet to his.
“Fuck man, that was beautiful,” Stone says, coming up behind him with the rest of the team and giving me their praise and quick helmet taps before skating into position for the faceoff.
Adrenaline is coursing through my body on a high that nothing has ever been able to touch. Not even sex feels as fucking good as a save like the one I just did.
Turning, I flip my mask up and squirt water over my face to reset my focus before aiming for my mouth. The crowd is still cheering for me as my eyes find Luna again. She’s flushed and excitedly clapping with the rest of the arena.
A grin spreads across her face, and for a moment, I wonder what it would feel like to have her cheering for me like this at every game, standing here knowing that when the game is over, I have something else waiting for me.
Something that tells me not even this save will be able to fucking touch it. A small smirk plays on my lips as I flip my mask down, breaking eye contact and turning around.
At least for tonight, I can pretend.
Pretend she came here for me.
Pretend that I’m not scarred beyond repair.
If pretending she’s mine gets me through this game and allows me to breathe easier with her in the stands…
Then who am I to try and fucking stop it?
“Please tell me you’re going to Breakaway,” Foxx asks, coming up next to me as I button up my white dress shirt. “After a game like the one you just played, it would be fucking unjust not to celebrate. Even Stone and Savi are coming.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I grunt, shoving my arms into my dark grey jacket.
There’s no way in hell I can go back and lie in an empty bed right now. I’m too amped up from the win, and seeing Luna still has me on edge.
Now that the game is over, and I’ve got my thoughts back, all I can think about is her with that guy tonight. I could use a drink and some distraction, or I’m going to go out of my fucking mind tonight.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Foxx grins, slapping me on the back. “I’ll see you over there when I get done with my interview.”
I nod as he walks away. Grabbing my phone, I check in with Mae, making sure everything is good at home. She’s watching a movie in bed, and Scarlett is sound asleep in her room as usual this time of night.
Taking the player’s exit, I walk outside. There’s a group of fans waiting off to the side, and I take the time to sign a few autographs and give the kids a few selfies before walking in the direction of the bar.
When I arrive at Breakaway, I use the side entrance and smile at Roger, who handles the VIP door as he lets me in with a grin.
“Great game, Mr. Blade. I can’t believe you walked away with a shutout against the Wildcats.
“You doubted me?” I feign being hurt, and he laughs. “Have a good night, Roger,” I smile, making my way through the crowd.
“You too,” he hollers behind me.
Congratulations are said as I walk by, and people recognize me. I nod politely and smile as I make a beeline for the VIP section.
Once I cross the ropes, I breathe a little better and feel less suffocated. I spot Knox on the corner sofa and see Savi next to him. She’s talking to a brunette, and my heart stills in my chest when I realize it’s Luna.
“Cayden! You’re here!” Savi pushes to standing, her round belly looking like she’s ready to pop at any minute.
I shake my head to clear it as she approaches me. “For God's sake, Savi, don’t get up on my account. Shouldn’t you be resting with your feet up somewhere?”
“You sound just like Knox,” she says, rolling her eyes before hugging me. “I’m perfectly fine. It’s just a little harder to get around these days, but it’s been a while since we’ve celebrated with the team after a win, so I talked Knox into bringing me here tonight. And I’m so glad I did!”
Her blue eyes are bright with excitement as she motions at the couch.
“I ran into Luna between periods and insisted that she and Connor stop by here after the game,” she says, sitting back down and smiling at Luna before she turns back to me.
“It sounds like Scarlett is enjoying her dance classes. I was just asking Luna how it was going right before you got here.”
Connor.
So that’s fuckboy’s name. I’ve never been the jealous type, but right here…right now…I feel it pumping through my veins whenever I think of the two of them together.
I glance at Luna, and she seems nervous. Her body language is off, and I can tell she’s on edge.
“She’s loving it.” I take off my jacket, throwing it on the back of the chair next to me, and loosen the collar of my shirt before taking a seat across from them.
“In fact,” I say, looking right at Luna, “after my game on Wednesday, I watched her latest class late that night. It’s a nice setup you have there for the parents to be able to watch when we can’t be there. I especially love the live feed.”
I know I’m playing with fire, but I can’t help it. Her brows knit together, and I can almost see her mind putting the pieces together when I mentioned Wednesday specifically.
Her lips part in a soft gasp when it finally clicks, red staining her cheeks when she realizes I could have been watching her. She quickly averts my eyes and nervously bites her bottom lip, causing my dick to restlessly twitch in my pants.
“Thanks for the recommendation again, Savi,” I turn and smile at her. “Seems Luna is a great fit for us.”
What the hell am I saying?
The words are just falling out of my mouth, and I can’t seem to stop them.
“It looks like it,” Savi murmurs, eyeing me closely before glancing at Luna, who’s studying me like she doesn’t know who the hell I am anymore.
That makes two of us.
“God, this place is amazing.” Fuckboy appears just then with two drinks in his hand. “I’m glad we came,” he smiles at Savi before taking a seat next to Luna.
“Me too,” Savi beams, leaning back against Knox.
He immediately wraps his arm around her waist, diverting his attention to the conversation he was having with McCormick and Kane to kiss her hair before going back to game talk.
His hand rests possessively on her round belly, already protecting what’s his.
“Don’t you think we had enough of these last night?” Luna laughs as Connor hands her one of the espresso martinis in his hand.
“You can never have enough of these,” he grins, taking a sip. “And last night at your place was no exception,” he winks.
Needing a drink badly, I reach over and grab the bourbon the guys have sitting on the table and pour myself one.
“We haven’t officially met,” I hear pretty boy say as I take a deep sip before settling back in my chair. “I’m Connor.” He holds out his hand, and I stare at it for a beat before I finally lean over and shake it, maybe a little firmer than I usually do as I tighten my squeeze before letting go.
“Cayden,” I say rather briskly.
His lips quirk up a bit, and I don’t see one damn thing that’s funny as he fights to hide a smile.
Sitting back, he drapes his arm over Luna and brings her closer.
She looks slightly caught off guard before relaxing into him.
It’s clear they are close and comfortable around each other, which means this isn’t some random guy she just met.
“You played a damn good game tonight,” he says, watching me closely.
“Thanks.” I meet his stare head-on, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing how much I want to rip his arm off of Luna right now.
His eyes dance with amusement as he leans over and whispers something into Luna’s ear, pulling her away from her conversation with Savi. Her laughter rings out, and it’s like a punch to the gut as her eyes focus on him, full of light and happiness.
Resting her hand on his thigh, she leans in closer to his ear to whisper something back. The grip on my glass tightens as I watch the two of them interact. I didn’t think seeing her at my game with another man could make me feel any worse.
I was wrong.
I can stop a puck at one hundred miles per hour, but I can’t stop what I’m watching in front of me.
I always wondered what hell would feel like.
Now I know.