Chapter 12 Never a Mistake
NEVER A MISTAKE
ELI
I pace the Four Seasons Hotel lobby, checking my phone for the tenth time while I wait for Stella to arrive. My practice ran too late to drive to Boulder to pick her up. She said yes to our date—and she said she’d make our costumes.
Once Aiden heard about Stella attending the party with me, he insisted he wanted to help make them.
Since his grandmother sewed him a half dinosaur half robot costume for Halloween, it should have scared me.
But it doesn’t matter what we wear, as long as I have Stella out on a date for a night in the city.
That thought alone keeps me going as I wait.
The past week had been brutal, and so had the three-day trip to play the L.A. Vipers on their home ice. We lost to them, keeping them solidly in first place in the league right now. In our division, we’re in second place.
From Stella, I hardly heard a word out of her once she agreed to this night out, given that it was midterms and studying had swallowed her whole.
I’d sent her a college care package complete with a dozen types of cookies.
“Snacks to study by,” I’d told her. The few texts we managed felt like crumbs when I desired the whole meal.
I’m desperate at this point—to hold her again, to be inside of her, to hear her moan my name.
I replay the feel of her in my arms more times than I care to admit.
The way she’d kissed me in the closet like she was remembering something she hadn’t meant to lose.
The sounds she’d made riding the leather glove, the way she’d let go—things I can’t stop thinking about.
Our date night has finally arrived. Whatever costumes she creates, she’s coming to Denver.
Alone. And we have the entire night ahead of us.
Blood rushes to my cock just thinking about it, but I have to keep it under control.
Not that I have any hope we’ll end up fucking around considering I’m to drive her back to Boulder after the party is over.
My phone pings with a weather alert. Crazy. A storm is brewing and could hit later tonight with white-out conditions.
Well, that changes things completely… if we’re caught in the hotel and can’t drive home. Good thing I have that penthouse suite for the night.
The doors of the hotel slide open. And there she is, her hair tucked into a loose knot, cheeks pink from the cold, eyes bright when she spots me, and dressed in a trench coat. A bellman follows her with a suitcase and a garment bag.
I erase the distance between us in three strides and wrap her up in my arms, pressing a kiss into her hair before I could stop myself. Her floral scent wafts through my nose, and she’s the best thing I’ve seen all week.
“Hi,” she says, smiling into my chest.
“Hi,” I echo, steadier now with her in my arms. “Penthouse,” I wave the bellman ahead of us. “We can change upstairs.”
Her brows lift. “Penthouse?”
“Just in case the evening runs later than planned.” I can see the clouds rolling into her eyes, already thinking about getting back to Aiden. I squeeze her shoulders. “Hey. You’re here with me on a date. A costume party, no less. It should be fun. Don’t think too far ahead.”
She quirks her lips and nods. We head up the elevator with the bellman, but I keep her hand in mine the entire way, not ready to part from her for a second.
The suite is elegantly appointed for a hotel of this caliber, with the city lights glowing beyond the windows. Stella peers at the city lights while I deal with the bellman.
“Nice view,” she comments, tossing her coat and scarf on a chair, revealing a body-hugging outfit.
I eye her silhouette against the light. A perfect curvaceous figure, rounded hips, small waist. I come up behind her, wrapping my arms around her middle, resting my chin on her collarbone. “No. I’m holding the best view in my arms.”
She chuckles. “I hope that’s not a preview of more cheesy lines to come tonight?”
“Depends on the costumes,” I quip. “What kind of hero am I? The kind who jokes a lot, or the kind who is serious and in command?”
“Okay.” She leaves me and reaches for the hanging garment bag with a grin. “No laughing.”
I snort-laugh immediately.
Half an hour later, Aiden’s idea had turned into something incredible.
I wear green sweats and a fitted sweatshirt the exact shade of the Aspens’ jerseys.
A yellow felt shield stitched over my chest has large, black and bold HH letters in the center.
The green satin cape drapes down my back, the same felt emblem and letters stitched again between my shoulders.
A yellow mask covers just enough of my face to make me feel like a comic-book idiot in the best way.
Even the green satin boot covers are tailored perfectly to fit. The costume is better than I expected.
“This is great. And the HH stands for?” I ask.
“Hockey Hero. Aiden wanted you to be his hero at the party.”
I grin. “I’ll be anything he wants, anything for him.” That’s how much I’ve come to care for him. Being someone’s hero isn’t something I ever planned on—but damn if I don’t want to keep earning it.
“It amazes me how close you two have gotten in such a short time.”
“He’s the kid I’d hope for if he were mine.”
“Do you want children?” She eyes me in the mirror, finishing her hair and makeup.
“Yeah. Do you?”
“I could have them. I guess I never thought I’d have the chance to give Aiden a sibling. After the divorce, I thought that was it. I’d be alone for life.”
“You’re not alone anymore,” I state with full meaning, and so much goes unspoken between us as she fusses with her hair and makeup. I watch and lean against the doorway, mesmerized by her red hair and green eyes. She has no idea the super power she holds, capable of undoing me with a glance.
She wears the inverse costume to mine—a yellow one-piece bodysuit that hugs her curves in ways I do not deserve to gaze upon all night.
A green satin mini skirt, green mask, and a yellow cape flutter behind her when she moves, completing her look.
High heels add to the effect, with green satin shoe covers and leg warmers.
She finishes curling her hair and teasing it big and wild.
We stare at our reflections for a beat. I have to admit—we look damn good, even though we are a bright and wild combination of yellow and green.
“Oh, Aiden made me promise I’d send photos of us.” She grabs her phone. We go out to the living room part of the penthouse suite and make all kinds of action hero poses and take dozens of photos.
We sort through them for the best to send him. Then she gets the giggles nonstop about it all. It’s contagious as I laugh. We’re almost rolling in tears when I pull her to me and kiss her, my lips warming hers up. Something I’d been dying to do all week.
“I hope I get plenty of these tonight,” I murmur against her mouth.
Her teasing smile baits me. “Kisses are nice.”
Nice… but the kiss deepens anyway into anything but nice. I pull her closer, her body to mine, our tongues tangling, her thigh lifting onto my leg. Until she pulls back first, breathless.
“We’d better stop. I have to redo my lipstick as it is.” She reaches up and wipes away bright red lipstick from my mouth.
I growl reluctantly, nodding, parting to let her back into the bathroom. I observe the way she lines her lips in red and tops it with gloss.
“You deserve a night out after midterms and stress. Anything you want tonight, Stella, it’s yours. Champagne, chocolate, dancing, and then a nice bath here in the room before I take you back to Boulder.”
She glances toward the large claw-foot bathtub where I have set out candles waiting to be lit and a few bottles of luxurious bubbles because I wasn’t sure what fragrance she’d like.
“You’ve thought of everything.” Her gaze returns to me, sweet and soft, ready to leave the room. “I’m just happy to be here with you.”
I’m intoxicated by her before we even enter the party.
Ethan and Journey are by the ballroom door greeting every guest when we step into the event space.
They spot us and we all erupt, seeing each other again.
Stella squeals when she sees Journey, and the women hug.
Ethan and I shake hands. They’re villains for the night, dressed as Sneed and Dolly Danger.
“It’s been forever. How have you been?” Journey asks, taking Stella a step aside to catch up.
“Nice surprise to see you two back together again,” Ethan elbows me.
“This time, I hope it sticks,” I elbow back.
More teammates arrive—Cam and Becca dressed as glamorous retro spies, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Kris and Bailey as Spiderman and Gwen—and introductions flow easily. I catch Cam eyeing me.
“Told you he’d bring her,” he mutters to Kris.
“Glad to see you’re getting along,” Kris adds with a grin.
I overhear Stella admiring a detail on Bailey’s costume. “That looks exactly like something my mom sells at her craft shop.”
She smiles. “That’s because it is. I love ordering from the Cozy Corner Craft Shop.”
Stella turns to me, a curious look on her face, holding us back as everyone heads deeper into the event, toward the bar.
“What?” I shrug innocently. “It doesn’t hurt to network.”
Her mouth twitches. “You told everyone about the shop?”
“And the WAGs, too,” I admit.
“Orders have been rolling in.” She shakes her head, smiling despite herself. “I guess I can’t be mad about that. Thank you.”
“I’d do anything for you. But by now you know that.” I pull her into me and kiss her temple. We join the others at the bar. I go in with the guys, ordering bottles of champagne.