Stick Games (Boston Bucks #9)

Chapter 1 - Gabe

Gabe

Three Years Ago:

“I’m going to kick his fucking ass.” I still can’t believe Millie, my best friend’s kid sister, got dumped the day of her prom. I crack my knuckles as rage fires the blood in my veins.

My best friend, Ryder, puts his hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. “No, you’re not kicking anyone’s ass.”

“The douche bag at least deserves a black eye. Tell me I can do that much.”

“You just made first line, dude. You can’t do anything to fuck up your career with the Bucks.

” I open my mouth to protest, but he cuts me off.

“Come on, Gabe. You don’t need the bad publicity.

Just take her to the prom, dance with her, and then bring her home.

” He nods toward my closet. “Now, get into your suit and let’s go tell Emilia the plan. ”

He’s right, and when it comes to making my name on the team and maintaining my position, he has my best interests at heart.

Unlike me, Ryder went straight to first line playing for the Los Angeles Hawks, and I’m so fucking proud of him.

We might be friends, but he’s more like a brother to me, which is why every summer break we both head home to Minnesota to spend a couple of weeks together.

I pull open my closet and take out the suit I wore to my prom years ago, before I headed off to Boston. Will it even fit me? I’ve been working out hard since I last wore it.

I pull it out and examine it. It held up well, but… “I don’t think this is even going to fit me.” I glance at Ryder, who was always a little bigger than me. “Do you still have yours?”

“Yeah, if yours doesn’t fit, you can wear mine.”

I toss my suit onto my bed and scrub my face, not at all sure about any of this.

“Are you sure Millie is going to want this?” Honestly, I don’t even think Millie likes me anymore.

We used to always get along, until she blossomed into a beautiful young woman in her high school years.

As a figure skater going to the Olympics this year, we shared the ice at our local rink, and yes, I noticed her a lot.

But I certainly wasn’t going to do anything about it.

Not only is she younger than me, she’s my best friend’s kid sister, and she has a career to focus on.

When I came home in the summer and we shared ice time, I’m pretty sure she watched me as much as I watched her. Hell, the chemistry between us was so hot and volatile, I was sure it was going to melt the ice.

What did I do about that?

Nothing.

Not a goddamn thing.

Okay, maybe that’s not entirely true. I did avoid her, going out of my way to keep a measure of distance.

A relationship with me, the drama and conflict it would have caused with her brother and family, was the last thing she needed while getting ready to compete on the world stage.

My only choice was to ignore her. Living in Boston became a blessing because I don’t have to see her every day.

At least not in my waking hours. My dreams? Well, that’s something else entirely.

Honestly, I miss her. Miss the carefree days of our youth when she was easygoing and liked to laugh.

I also miss her birthdays when we all used to play the ‘yes’ game.

I grin as I think about it. She loved to boss Ryder and me around, and because it was her ‘yes’ day, we had to do whatever she wanted us to.

But it was all child’s play, like doing dishes or her chores.

Although that one time she did enjoy making me carry her around on my shoulders all day.

I tug the jacket off the hanger and pull it on. “Maybe you should go run this by her before I show up in a suit.”

“She’s at home in her room, hell bent on staying there for the night.

She’s embarrassed, Gabe, and if she has time to think about it, she’s just going to say no.

If you show up dressed, I have no doubt she’ll warm to the idea of going to her prom with a famous NHL superstar, and rubbing that in the douche bag’s face. ”

“I guess you know her better than I do.” I step up to my mirror and examine the suit. It’s a bit tighter than it used to be, but I think it will do. “What do you think?” I turn to face Ryder and hold out my arms.

His face softens, and while he’s a tough defenseman playing for Los Angeles, there isn’t a thing this man wouldn’t do for his sister or his friends. “I really appreciate this, Gabe.”

I nod. “You owe me.” It’s a joke and he knows it, but it’s all I can do in the face of his emotions. Hell, I care about his sister too. More than I ever want him to know, so being a smart ass is the only way I know how to mask that.

His phone pings and he pulls it from his pocket. “Okay, get dressed. We need to get a move on it.”

“Shit, I need a corsage for her.”

He tosses me a fast grin. “Already thought of it.”

“Of course you did.” I shake my head as he slides his finger across his phone and I can’t help but wonder who he’s hooking up with tonight while I take his sister to her prom. It’s going to be torturous, but I’d never tell him that.

Ryder Sullivan and I have known each other our whole lives and when one of us needs a favor, the other always steps up.

Heck, his place is only two doors down from mine, and while we’d been hoping to be on the same team, we ended up on opposite sides of the country.

It’s a hell of a lot of fun playing against each other, though.

He actually plays with his cousin Jensen Bang, who also grew up in Minnesota.

I play with Tanner Bang, another one of his cousins.

There are five brothers in that family all playing in the NHL, and one sister who is a skating coach, so it’s hard not to play with, or against them.

But that’s another reminder I can’t let anything happen between Millie and me. The Bang brothers would also kill me.

I kick off my jeans and tug on the pants.

Also snug, but they’ll do in a pinch. I take the jacket off and slip into the crisp white shirt.

After doing my tie, and pulling my jacket back on, I work hard to push down my apprehension.

I turn to find Ryder’s fingers racing over his phone, a mischievous grin on his face.

“What time does the prom end?” I ask.

“Midnight, I think.” He tucks his phone away. “Don’t wait up for me.”

“At least one of us will be going to bed with a smile on his face.”

He fixes my tie, and arches a brow. “You’d better not be going to bed with a smile on your face, dude.”

I laugh at that. “Come on, you know me better than that.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I asked you to take Emilia to the prom. I don’t trust her with any of our other friends.”

“You can trust me,” I say quietly, as guilt grips my nut sack and squeezes. Okay fine, I might dream and fantasize about Millie, but I’m never going to act on it, which means I have nothing to feel guilty about, and in no way does that break his trust, right?

“All right. Let’s go put a smile on my sister’s face.”

As soon as those words leave his mouth, my mind goes down a path it shouldn’t, and I instantly visualize all the other ways I’d like to make her smile. Fuck, man, she’s a grown-ass woman ready to compete in the Olympics this year. But she’s still Ryder’s sister and off limits.

With Mom and Dad gone away for the weekend, we head outside, and I lock up behind us.

Honestly, I wish they were home, so I wouldn’t be tempted to bring Millie home for the night.

Ryder’s house is only two doors down, but I hop in my car and meet him in his driveway.

I want to have my car ready and waiting if Millie decides to go through with this.

I work to tamp down my nerves, not at all sure how she’s going to react to Ryder’s idea. A part of me hopes she tells me to go to hell. It’s the other part, the part that wants to hang out with her, that worries me.

We head inside, and I’m greeted with smiles from Ryder’s parents, who raised me as much as my folks raised Ryder. Judging by the way William is putting his hand on my shoulder, in much the same way Ryder did earlier, it’s clear they’re privy to this plan.

“Thanks for doing this,” Williams says, a mixture of gratitude and worry on his face. I’m sure he’d love to tear the douche bag a new one too.

“Here.” Ryder presses the corsage into my hand. “Give me a minute with her.” With that, he darts up the stairs.

Amy takes my hand. “Come on. Let’s go sit in the living room and give Ryder a minute with Emilia.

” She guides me to the room off the hall, and I drop into my favorite chair, one I spent many hours in over the years when Ryder and I were into video games.

They ask about my parents’ mini vacation to Cabo, and then the conversation quickly shifts to hockey.

We spend the next fifteen minutes chatting, and I’m well aware that my gaze keeps straying to the doorway.

Another five minutes pass, and when I hear only one set of heavy footsteps pounding down the stairs, I relax.

Yeah, Millie isn’t going through with this and really, it’s for the best.

Ryder walks into the room, his brows furrowed, and I push to my feet. “Is she okay?” I ask quietly.

A smile spreads across Ryder’s face when another set of footsteps on the stairs echoes around us.

Ryder moves to the side as Millie takes his place in the doorway, and I nearly swallow my fucking tongue as my gaze lands on the most beautiful woman on the planet.

Jesus, tonight might just be the death of me.

As my body burns with want, my words get lodged in my throat, and while I want to say something, do something, I’m completely immobilized.

Millie’s gaze drops and she begins to back up. “You don’t have to do this. It’s ridiculous,” she blurts out, and that statement prompts me into action.

“Millie.” I move toward her, take her hand and her big green eyes lift to meet mine.

“Not ridiculous at all. I just…” I step back, her hand still in mine and I let my gaze race over her emerald dress that compliments her gorgeous red hair, and green eyes.

The fabric hugs her curves, and the way it fits her to perfection, messes with my ability to form a coherent sentence.

“You just look so beautiful.” I’ve seen her in skating outfits that showcase her firm, athletic body, but this…

this not only brings out the dark flecks in her eyes, it brings color to her fair cheeks.

She relaxes a bit. “You like the dress?”

Like? That’s a fucking understatement.

I lean in my words for her ears only. “Let’s go show that douche bag what he’s missing.

” As my warm breath wafts across the shell of her ear, a shiver goes through her.

Christ, if the others in the room can feel this electricity between us, they’ll toss me out on my ass.

I clear my throat and step back holding my arm out like a gentleman. “Shall we, Millie?”

She slides her arm in mine. “You look really nice too, Gigi.”

I shake my head as I slide the corsage onto her arm. “I never should have told you my middle name was Gerard.”

“When you stop calling me Millie, I’ll stop calling you Gigi.”

I laugh, because suddenly it feels like old times, when we got along and used to tease each other.

“Millie suits you.”

“Why is that?”

Emilia is so formal, and Millie? Well, I just like it better. “Because it’s cute.”

Her body stiffens and she focuses on the corsage. Jeez, was it something I said? Don’t girls like to be told they’re cute? Not that I consider her cute. She’s breathtaking, but I probably shouldn’t be saying that out loud.

She smells the flowers. “Thanks, this is really pretty.”

We make our way to the car. I open her door for her and she climbs in, looking much more relaxed than she did earlier. Her eyes are on me as I circle the front and I wave to her parents and Ryder as they stand on the doorstep.

I shift in my tight suit as I climb in and start the car. After backing out of the driveway, I glance at Millie. “It’s his loss, you know.” She shrugs and a measure of concern tightens in my gut. “Did you think he was the one?”

“No, but to dump me on prom day.” She picks at an imaginary piece of lint. “Not very nice.”

“Yeah. Ryder said I wasn’t allowed to give him a black eye.” That brings a smile to her face. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t show him what he lost out on.”

Easy, dude.

“What do you mean?”

I wink at her. “You’ll see.”