Chapter 10

The locker room was in chaos before the game. Cage was out. We’d just been told he had the flu. Brody Kingston, Cage’s backup, was good, but Cage had been on a hot streak and you never pulled the hot goalie. Add to that the fact that our backup for Kingston, who had to be called up from the minors at the last minute, hadn’t arrived at the arena yet. He was in transit, but it was going to be close.

Simard tapped my shoulder to let me know Coach Martin had walked into the room. Martin signed for me as he spoke to the room at large. Bad news. None of our AHL goalies can make it here on time to back up Brody so we’re getting a goalie from EBUG and he’ll be here soon. I don’t have to tell you that I want Brody to have an easy day today. You keep the puck away from him as much as humanly possible. I’m not saying someone on the Rangers would purposely try to take our goalie out, but I’m not saying it’s never happened either. Are we understood?

We all answered with some form of yes. EBUG. We’d never had to use the NHL’s emergency backup goalie unit before. I wondered what we were getting. The last time a team had to use a goalie from EBUG, he was a cop. He wasn’t half bad, but it wasn’t realistic to expect a goalie who’d never played professional hockey to be able to stand strong against the big-leaguers.

I raised my hand to get Coach’s attention. What are we getting, do you know?

He’s Stockton University’s hockey coach. Decent player. He stays active in a men’s league. I’ve played with him once or twice before.

It could have been worse. At least this guy was currently playing. We were damn lucky he was willing to put aside his holiday plans and come suit up for us. Most likely he’d only be warming the bench, but I had to imagine it was an exciting prospect for the man.

No sooner had we quit our discussion of the EBUG than he walked in. My first impression of him was favorable. He was a tank—tall and broad shouldered. If he was limber and could move quick as well, we couldn’t ask for more on such short notice.

Coach brought him over to my corner. “Magnus, this is Corey Brown, Brody’s backup for the night.”

Since I was the lead defenseman and an alternate captain, he wanted us to chat for a minute or two before the game. I stuck out my hand when he approached. “Magnus Eriksson. Nice to meet you.”

His eyes flew open wide. “I thought you were deaf.”

I laughed good-naturedly. “I am, but I can speak and I read lips. I wasn’t always deaf, so...”

“Cool.” As soon as the word came out of his mouth, he tried to take it back. “Oh wait, man. I didn’t mean cool-cool…I meant cool that you knew how to talk. I mean not that you’re stupid or anything—”

I held up a hand, my shoulders shaking with mirth. “I’m going to throw you a lifeline here, man. Just stop talking.” I laughed some more. “I know what you meant. It’s no problem. Now what you need to know is that I obviously can’t read your lips through your mask if it comes to that. So if you need me to move when we’re helping you defend the net, just give me a tap on my leg with your stick if you can. If you want me to move to the right, tap my left leg, got it? Just like you’re pushing me out of the way.”

“Got it. Thanks. I tend to speak without letting the words pass through my brain.”

“Must be a goalie thing. Cage does that all the time.”

I left Corey and the coach to go back to my cubby for my pre-game routine. I’d slept on my home game white sheets, I’d eaten my grilled cheese sandwich with ketchup, and now I kissed my stick, ran my hand over the taped end, and lightly hit my nameplate marking my cubby with my helmet. I was good to go, as was the rest of the team as we made our way down the tunnel to the ice.

***

The roar of the crowd. That explosion of noise was what got me and my teammates’ blood pumping the second our blades hit the ice. I couldn’t exactly hear the roar, of course, but I felt it. The air changed quality when there was so much noise—it felt thicker.

A unique energy manifested itself when a huge mass of people cheered, clapped, hooted, and hollered. For me it was a tangible thing. It surrounded my entire being when I entered a filled arena. With my eyes closed for a precious second, I sucked up that feeling like life-giving oxygen—until the spell was broken when my captain lightly checked me into the boards.

“Daydreaming about getting laid again, Eriksson?”

I wasn’t, actually. I was entirely caught up in my hockey world. And wasn’t that a first since I couldn’t get Jennie out of my mind? “Funny.”

Without looking down, O’Dell slid a puck my way and snatched it back just as I was going to take it. Alpha-male games at their best. “The guys and I were thinking that it’s been so long since you’ve done the deed that you might be a virgin again. It’s not good to keep that shit to yourself for so long. And now you’re seeing our very own Ms. Jennie Fields, so…”

I wasn’t a “kiss and tell” kind of guy. Even with O’Dell, whom I considered a friend. “So, what?”

“So did you hit that yet?”

Friend or not, I didn’t like his questioning. “I’m going to ask you once to speak respectfully of Jennie, okay?”

His eyebrows shot up as a smile crossed his face. “Holy shit. You really like her. I mean you really like her.”

I tried, and failed, to contain my own grin. “I do.”

He slapped his stick on my pad. “That’s great, Mags. I’m happy for you. I won’t joke about her again. Now, let’s get this game started. We have some Rags to bury.”

And bury them we did. The final score was five to two, and since coach was in a giving mood—and the refs allowed it—he put our EBUG in goal for the last sixty seconds of the game—which was how I got a nasty shiner.

The Rags were not happy with the loss, as I completely understood. Ours was a new rivalry, but a rivalry to be sure. No team wanted to be shown up by the new kids in town, and we’d beaten them two times before. This being our third meeting, they were out for blood, but there were good and bad ways to get satisfaction.

The game was all but over when coach put Brown in the net. It was a purely cosmetic twist. No one expected any action to be taking place down at that end of the ice anyway. Cooke thought otherwise.

Cooke was the Rangers’ resident dirtbag. The only reason he was ever put on the ice was to teach the opposing team a lesson; therefore, he never should have been put on the ice in a decidedly lost game.

“What the fuck,” O’Dell mouthed to me, pointing at Cooke.

I shook my head and pointed my stick at Brown, who was now stretching out in the net. “If Cooke’s out, we really need to cover Brown. Cooke’s out for kicks.”

There was no more conversation as the ref dropped the puck and play resumed. Smitty, one of the Rangers’ forwards, took the draw off the faceoff and got past our defensive line. It was a good play that I cursed out loud. He’d sailed right by me.

I took off after him, but I wasn’t quick enough and it was just him and Brown in a one-on-one—goalie versus one of the best scorers on New York’s team. I watched in amazement as Brown executed a superb poke check to strip the puck away from him.

Cooke, hot on the heels of Smitty, took issue with the play and pushed Brown into the net, causing Brown’s neck to hit the post at a dangerous angle. There was no reason for Cooke’s hit except that he was a douchebag headhunter. I lost my cool. I tossed my stick away and dropped my gloves. I’d been itching for a reason to go after that asshole, but he was rarely pitted against my line.

“Drop your gloves, dickhead.”

He didn’t, of course. I did it for him. Unbeknownst to me, one of his teammates was right behind me. Before I had a chance to make a fist, I was twirled around. Smitty’s huge, beefy hand landed right in the crevice between my nose and left eye. That was going to leave a mark. Next, my helmet went flying and the fucker landed a roundhouse to my temple. I’d had enough.

All bets were off. I didn’t care about fair fighting, hitting below the belt, or anything else. I grabbed Smitty’s jersey and pulled it over his head. It momentarily got stuck on his helmet, but with a strong tug, I got it free. With his jersey positioned in such a way, his arms were useless. I pummeled him with flying fists. I connected everywhere I sought. Knowing I had only precious seconds left before the refs pulled us apart, I ripped his helmet off and got a few retaliating punches in on his face. Let him have a fucking broken nose.

O’Dell was the one who finally got me to back off. His arm was around my neck as he pulled me back. I couldn’t hear what he said, but he spoke none the less, and as I was sure he knew, the vibrations coming from him were enough to clear the haze of my rage.

I put my hands up in surrender. O’Dell pulled me back, and I let him. In my last view of my attacker, I noticed the pleasing sight of blood streaming down his face.

Once we were in the locker room, Brown approached me. “You’re an animal!” His face was so contorted, I knew he was screaming. I also knew it was pent-up adrenaline he hadn’t been able to release during his sixty seconds in the NHL.

My belly jumped with laughter. “Hey—you did a great job, Brown. That poke check was spot on. There was no reason for that asshole to go after you.”

“Yeah, but still. Fucking awesome!” He raised his hand for a high five, and I indulged him. I’d never forgotten how much I admired the players in the NHL growing up. It had to be an epic night for Brown, and I was glad for him.

I wanted him to remember this night. “You were awesome too. I know you only played about a minute, but that save was epic. Great job.” His smile was off the charts. “And thanks, man.”

“Oh my, God. You’re thanking me? You saved me from a thrashing! You’re kind of like, my hero.”

Okay, that took it a bit far. “Not at all, man. We’re a team here.” I gave him one last fist bump and left to take my shower.

Jennie

“We’re never going to be ready.” Izzy was freaking out. It was only three thirty and the game had just ended. The turkey had an hour and a half left to go, the white potatoes were peeled, the sweet potatoes were brown-sugared and buttered, and the green bean casserole was all but ready to go into the oven.

“Iz, relax. We have plenty of time. We’re actually in a holding pattern right now.”

She patted herself down. “But what about me? I’m a mess!”

As usual, she couldn’t have been more wrong. She was gorgeous as always. Her pants had nary a wrinkle in them, her tailored blouse sat on her frame as if it was scared of retaliation if it went one centimeter out of line, and her hair looked like she’d just stepped out of a salon. “Seriously, Izzy? You look fabulous, as always.”

I knew more than one of the guys would be looking her way.

“You always say that.”

“Fine. I have things under control here. You go freshen up.”

“Thank you!” She ran out of the room like the hounds of hell were on her heels, leaving me alone.

I was at loose ends. It was strange being in someone else’s house whom you’d only met a few times for business purposes. Not only had I made myself at home in O’Dell’s place, I had become intimate with his kitchen while cooking the Thanksgiving dinner. I’d rifled through his cabinets searching for china, silverware, serving dishes, and glasses. Not to mention the journey I’d taken through various closets looking for a tablecloth or two—not that I ever found any.

Izzy bounded back into the room. Her spirits were high, so I had to assume that whatever she did to herself had made her feel like she was a new woman. “They’re here!” She rushed around, filling the wine glasses on the bar. “What should I say to them?”

“Uh, how about ‘good game’? ‘Happy Thanksgiving’? Or you could go all out and say ‘hi!’” I knew she didn’t appreciate my sarcasm, and she wasn’t used to being around these guys like I was, but they were just ordinary people who were great athletes and happened to make a ton of money.

“Yeah, I can see how any of those things could work. I don’t know why I’m so nervous about meeting these guys. It’s not like I haven’t been around sports people most of my life. Maybe I’m still getting used to the fact that you’re dating Magnus. I’ll be on my best behavior. Promise.”

I wasn’t worried about her behavior. She was an adult. She could behave any way she wished. Besides, I knew she’d be fine after the initial introductions.

O’Dell was the first to enter. “Hi, ladies.” He walked over and kissed my cheek. “It smells incredible in here. Thank you so much for doing this for us.” He stuck his hand out to Izzy. “I’m Riordan, but call me Rio. It’s nice to meet you.”

I turned around to look for Magnus and ran into his solid chest. “Oof.” His arms steadied me before he leaned in for a kiss. “Wait. Let me see that eye.” I traced the angry black-and-blue bruise marring his beautiful face. “I hate Smitty.”

“I’m not a big fan either. That hurt.” His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tight. “Thank you for all of this.” His gaze took in our surroundings. The table was set for eight, with two additional place settings at the high-top bar.

“You’re welcome.”

Magnus’ arms left me and I felt bare, but he snatched my hand in his, tugging me along. “Come with me a sec.”

I happily followed. When we reached the relative privacy of a darkened hallway, he turned and kissed me in earnest. I’d never get enough of his lips. They were soft and hard at the same time. Rough and gentle. Giving, yet demanding. My hands rested on his chest as his went to my hips before they drifted down to grip my bottom.

“I love this ass.” His lips left mine to give attention to my neck and the hollow at the base of my throat. Magnus’ kisses were drugging. My body went tight in anticipation when he continued to move his hot, wet mouth over my skin. When I felt his tongue slip between my breasts, I jumped. I had to have him soon.

“Aw, come on, guys. Get a room.” Magnus hadn’t heard O’Dell come walking up to us, of course, so I lifted his head up. He wasn’t embarrassed in the least. I was pretty sure my face was three shades of red.

“Hey, Rio.”

Riordan smiled and continued down the hall, shaking his head.

Mags pulled me to him again, but I pushed him back. I had things to do, and as much as I enjoyed being mauled by him in the hallway, it wasn’t the best place to do so.

I managed to extricate myself from Mags’ grabby hands and get back to the kitchen where I was pleased to see Izzy comfortably talking to the guys and their girls, who had shown up while Mags and I were making out like teenagers.

After all of the introductions were done and drinks filled every hand, Izzy left to pick up her grandfather for our meal.

Rio’s girlfriend, Elise, and Derrick’s wife, Lucinda, wandered into the kitchen. “What can we do to help?” Elise asked.

“Nothing, really. Everything’s done. I’m just putting the casseroles and potatoes in the oven. We’ll be ready to eat in about an hour.”

“Great.” Elise slipped her arm through mine. “Then how about you come out to the living room and relax a while with the rest of us. Besides, we’re getting tired of watching Mags look like a lost puppy when you’re not in the room.”

“I’m sure he’s not that bad.” Of course that wasn’t an awful thing to hear. “Is he?”

They both laughed and Lucinda nodded her head. “He has it bad, Jennie. Don’t doubt it.”

“I’ll tell you girls a secret. I have it pretty bad too. Magnus is great. I can’t believe I get to be with him.”

“I think you guys are adorable together. Now how about Izzy? I was thinking maybe she and Mitch?” Lucinda had set up Elise and Rio. Matchmaking was a hobby of hers, apparently.

“I thought about him for her too. Izzy doesn’t have a whole lot of self-esteem, though. She’s a tough one.”

Both Elise and Lucinda looked surprised. “The Izzy we just met? The same girl who came bounding over to us and introduced herself? She certainly didn’t seem to be lacking any self-esteem.”

Elise agreed with Lucinda’s assessment. “Seriously. My first impression was of a confident woman who really had her shit together.” She put a finger to her lips in thought. “Interesting.”

“Interesting is a good word for my Izzy. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a fantastic friend. Heart of gold and all that, she just has a few quirks.” I didn’t want them to get the wrong idea. Any one of the guys would be lucky as hell if Izzy gave them the time of day.

I needn’t have worried. Elise smiled and said, “Don’t we all.”

***

Dinner was a noisy affair with ten people enjoying several different conversations. Izzy and her grandfather had sat at the bar top a little away from the crowd. Thankfully, Pop was having a good day, but too much stimulation could throw him out of whack. He refused to put his now signed hockey cards away for the meal, and they sat on the bar all around him. The guys had made Pop’s day. Hell, probably his year.

“Are you ever going to stop cleaning? You know Rio’s having a crew come tomorrow to do this.” Magnus had walked up behind me at the sink and wrapped his arms around me once again. I shook the soap off my hands to answer him since he couldn’t see my mouth.

I know, but I can’t leave dirty dishes in the sink.

“Yes you can. Come on. You’ve done enough. Grab a glass of wine and join us. You’re making the rest of us look bad.”

He had a point. I had done enough. Cleaning up after dinner was just something I did. Always. But the food was all packed away, the dishwasher was running its first load of the night, and I really didn’t feel like hand-washing the rest of them. The cleaning people could do the rest tomorrow. Who was I to argue? It wasn’t even my house.

I turned in his arms. “Okay. I would like to get off my feet.” And on my back, come to think about it. That was all I thought of when Magnus had me in an embrace.

The rest of the evening went by in a blur. Before I knew it, it was nearing midnight and my yawns were getting bigger and longer. I was beat.

Izzy had taken Pop home hours ago. She had been my ride to Rio’s, so that left Magnus with the task of seeing me home. Even though I could barely keep my eyes open, I was going to do my damndest to lure him inside so I could seduce him properly. I knew he wanted me, but what I didn’t know was what he was waiting for.

Rio walked us to the door, thanking me again for cooking. “Dinner was great, Jennie. As good as Mom’s, but I’ll deny that if you tell her.”

Elise drew me in for a hug. “Let’s get together soon. Maybe grab Lucinda and Izzy and have a girls’ day.”

“I would love that. A girls’ day sounds like just what I need. We could do some Christmas shopping or something.”

Rio groaned. “Don’t say the C-word. It’s still Thanksgiving.”

I looked at my watch. “Only for another five minutes. Sorry, but I’m a Christmas fanatic. My tree goes up tomorrow.”

Mags draped my coat over my shoulders. “I missed a lot of that. You better not have been talking about me.”

He was kidding, I knew, but I hated that he missed some conversations. It was difficult to keep him in the loop with several people speaking. I wondered if Magnus had ever thought about that for himself. I always had one foot in the medical world from the time I understood what being deaf meant. There were new procedures every day that could possibly give someone their hearing back.

Only good things. I let out another unladylike yawn.

“Come on, Jennie. Let’s get you home.”

I fell asleep on the short drive home, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Magnus to come inside to take advantage of me. If he was trying to build up the sexual tension for our first time, he was doing a bang-up job. At this rate, I would be so tightly wound that I’d probably go off before he even got me naked.