Kassie
It was almost two o’clock on a gorgeous Friday afternoon. Kassie took a half day at work so she could mentally prepare herself for the party at Kaden’s. She sat at the café table with her mom and her sister-in-law, Ali. She poked at her french fries and barely nibbled on her sandwich. The party was tomorrow, and her nerves were a mess. Her stomach was in knots, so eating wasn’t high on her list. But milkshakes, they went down just fine.
“Dear, what are you so nervous about?” Kassie’s mom asked.
“Nervous? Me?” Is it really that obvious? Or was it just obvious because her mom knew.
“Kassie, you’re downing that milkshake with no problem, yet you’ve barely touched your meal. I’m your mother, remember? I know your tells. It’s just us girls here, and a baby, so spill.”
Kassie looked from her mother to Ali, who was holding little Kaleb. She adored her sister-in-law, and they were close. But this was something she wasn’t sure she could trust Ali with. Looking back at her mother, she tried to convey her concern without words.
“Ali, can we trust you with a female-only situation?” Kassie’s mom asked with a twinge of annoyance.
“Mom!” Kassie rolled her eyes.
“Female only? I assume that means don’t tell your son?” Ali asked, as she popped another french fry into her mouth. “Boy problems? Spill!”
“Ali, you cannot tell my brother. Okay? If you can’t do that, and I wouldn’t blame you, if you can’t do that, then this conversation ends here.” Kassie’s anxiety was getting the best of her, and it wasn’t pretty.
Ali frowned, concerned. “Kass, relax. I tell my husband everything, but there IS a girl code too, right?”
“Oh my god, what’s with all these codes?” Kassie groaned.
Ali looked at Kassie’s mom, who was calm and almost laughing. “Mom, what am I missing here?”
It was a good thing that Kassie’s mom spoke up first, because Kassie wasn’t sure she’d be able to fess up. “Kassie has a crush on a hockey boy.”
“Oh! A hockey boy? Nice! They really are the best, aren’t they?” Ali was all smiles until her words registered with her brain. Then her face went pale for a second. It almost matched her blonde hair. Once the pink came back to her face, she dunked a fry in way too much ketchup, and smiled at Kassie while she ate it. “Kass, a Renegade?”
“It’s nothing serious. But my brother can’t know. Please.”
“Kass!” Ali shook her head, the color returning to her face along with the smile. “I was shocked for a second. But it’s girl code. Obviously my lips are sealed. Now tell me about this crush.” Ali rested her chin on her palm and turned all her attention to Kassie.
“I kind of like this guy, and unfortunately he plays with Kaden. I found out the day I met him, but it was already too late.” She’d known the moment she’d run into him in the coffee shop that she was crushing on him.
“Why— Oh, that’s why you didn’t want me to set you up with a date for the party. You’re going with him.” Ali’s face did a weird thing, like she was excited and nervous all at the same time.
“Yes. And Kaden doesn’t know yet. Ali, be honest, is this going to blow up in my face? Not that I care what my brother thinks about my love life, but he still has to work with Kaden, so putting him in that situation is what I’m more worried about.”
“Kass, are you going to tell me who your hockey boy is?” Ali asked.
Kassie wanted to. She wanted to yell his name from the rooftop. “Ali, does it matter? I wish I was with him every second of every day, and we haven’t even kissed yet.” Woops, that was way more information then I planned on sharing.
“Kass, if you feel that strongly about him, then let whatever happens happen. I can’t control your brother any more than you can. He’s going to be mad and probably act like a big jerk because he loves you so much. But he only wants what’s best for you. Keep that in mind. Also remember, he’ll get over it.” Ali bounced Kaleb while he fussed.
“I’m not going to tell you who he is, because I refuse to ask you to keep that from your husband. You’re keeping a big enough secret as it is. You can see tomorrow night with everyone else. But you’ve got my back, right Ali?”
“Absolutely, sis! Your brother looks big and bad on the outside, but on the inside, he’s just a big teddy bear. He loves you more than anything and will do whatever it takes to protect you. Just remember that when he’s yelling like a moron.” Ali laughed.
Kassie knew Ali was right. This was going to get ugly before it worked itself out.
“Kassie, you’re a big girl. You can make your own decisions, and you know what’s best for you. Kaden can’t deny you happiness.”
“And always remember, dear,” her mom added. “Ali and I are behind you one hundred percent.”
“But the code?”
“The stupid boys’ code?” Ali asked.
Kassie nodded.
“They’ll get over it. I know it’s cliché, but follow your heart. It’ll never steer you wrong.”
Kassie hoped Ali was right. But no one knew better than her sister-in-law. Ali and Kaden had had their own fairy tale romance before baby Kaleb came along. That was when they realized that they were truly meant to be together.
Luc led Kassie up the hall to Kaden’s loft. No matter how he tried to motivate her, she was still falling behind, not really wanting to do this now. Her stomach was a mess, the nerves making her physically sick.
She pulled on Luc’s arm, making him stop in his tracks. “What if we skipped it? We could do anything else you want to do. I’ll even pay.”
“Nonsense.” He closed in on her, placing his arm behind her. She was pinned between him and the wall.
Luc’s breath was warm on her face, which caused a whole different kind of nervous to pop up. She tilted her head and asked again, “You sure?”
“Positive.” He ran his forefinger down her jawline, sending chills up her spine. He tilted her chin up ever so slightly with his thumb and forefinger. His lips were mere inches from hers. But he stopped right there. “We haven’t done anything wrong. We have nothing to defend.”
Her heart was pounding and she was breathing as if she’d just run a marathon. Kaden knew she was bringing a date, but he didn’t know it was Luc. That’s what had her stomach in knots. How was her brother going to react when he saw them together?
Luc’s eyes ran over her. “I forgot to tell you how nice you look tonight.”
She smoothed her hand down her navy blue shift dress that was short and loose. It had three-quarter sleeves, which she thought would be good for a cool October night, but at this moment, although the shoulders were cut out, she was still flushed and hot. “Thanks. These heels are already killing me.”
“Sweets, you look amazing and always make me feel underdressed.” Luc shook his head with a grin.
“We can always turn around and go back to my place.” She hoped he would find that option enticing enough to accept, even though they hadn’t really gone there yet.
Shaking his head, still holding her against the wall, he laughed. “It’ll be okay. One way or another, I will make it okay. I promise.” Releasing her from the wall, he held out his elbow for her to take. “Shall we?”
As much as Luc looked like a player, he was very much a gentleman. That made her swoon for him even harder.
Voices from Kaden’s loft echoed in the hallway. The party must’ve been in full swing already. That would be helpful, because a large crowd was easier to get lost in.
Approaching the door, Kassie took a big breath before opening it. Everyone was mostly in the living room, and that was at the end of the long hallway. Luc offered his hand, and she held on tight as they walked down the hall. It felt like forever before they reached the living room.
The first faces she saw were Sam and his wife. They were the perfect couple. Both blonde and beautiful, like surfer blonde. And both very good people.
“Luc.” Sam jetted his hand out to shake Luc’s. His baby blues then flashed their attention over to her. He had eyes that looked like the ocean. “Kassie, nice to see you again. You remember my wife, Trina?”
“Hi.” Trina looked up at Sam, probably looking for some sort of assurance before she went on. She smiled at Kassie. “Very nice to see you again.”
Trina then turned her attention to Luc. She threw her arms around him as much as they’d go, seeing as she had a very pregnant belly. “Hey there, Rock-Star.”
“Hey Tri, you been feeling okay?” Luc asked.
“Yep. It’s just a baby.” She joked and patted her belly. “We’ve missed you. You haven’t been around much lately.”
Sam nudged his wife with his elbow. “He’s been busy with better company than us, Tri.”
“I’ll be around to bug you guys soon enough. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Luc teased.
Kassie just smiled and nodded. Normally comfortable around most of these folks, anxiety had taken over.
“I think we’re going to work the room,” Luc said, and flashed Sam an odd look. “How’s the temperature?”
“Ah, I’d say tepid. But you may want to limit your rounds to that corner there.” Sam pointed to a corner of the room. Kassie noticed it was the opposite side as her brother.
“Thanks. But I think we’re good.” Luc turned to Kassie. “Right, Kass?”
“Yep. We’re good.” She looped her arm into Luc’s as if it was second nature. “Nice talking to both of you. Maybe we’ll circle around again.”
“How are you doing?” Luc whispered to her as they made their way through the crowd.
“I’m thinking maybe we should start in the kitchen. I need to catch my breath. Maybe get a drink. And I know where he hides the good liquor.” She tightened her hold on Luc as they walked. She wasn’t good. Her heart raced as she worried about how her brother would react. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, why does Trina call you Rock-Star?”
Luc chuckled, trying to help ease her stress. “It’s because I like to listen to rock music really loud in my car. And the fact that it’s a sports car. So, the guys think it’s funny to call me Rock-Star. Even though I’m more of a puck star.”
Unfortunately, the wisecrack about his self-proclaimed nickname was lost on her. She heard him say it, but her brain was more worried about other things. With any luck, she’d remember to ask him about it later.
Reaching the kitchen, they found it was less crowded and not as noisy as the living room. Kassie knew where everything was and went right to the fridge, while Luc opened and inspected a few coolers.
“You want a water?” he asked, holding out a bottle to her.
“I was thinking more along the lines of alcohol. A little liquid courage is never a bad thing. Right?” Kassie grabbed a bottle of liquor and poured herself a shot, downed it, and then poured another.
“Woah! Take it easy, Kass. Remember, I know how you get when you start drinking shots.”
“You know I don’t really like beer, and this should work quicker.” It was as good a reasoning as any. After the two shots, the alcohol started doing its job. She wasn’t so tense now, and that was her objective. “So, you’re pretty close with Sam and Trina, huh?”
“Yeah. They’re good people.”
“They seem like it.”
“How long are we going to stay in the kitchen? Just trying to plan my night,” Luc teased.
“Not long, smart-ass.” Kassie took one more shot for good measure. “Ready.”
“Yeah? You want to make rounds or just go hang in the corner? Or do you need me to prop you up somewhere after all those shots?” he joked.
“Ha, ha.” Kassie waved off his concern. “I typically don’t make rounds at Kaden’s parties, so hanging in the corner sounds nice. I assume my nephew is around here somewhere, unless he’s over at my mom’s.” Kaleb would be a nice distraction. Maybe Kaden wouldn’t yell like a maniac in front of the baby.
“C’mon, sweets. Let’s get this over with. Hiding out in the kitchen isn’t getting us anywhere.” Luc held his hand out to her and smiled. “It’s a party, so let’s go have some fun. Isn’t that what we’re here for?”
“Oh, is that what we’re calling this? Fun?” Kassie commented, as she took his hand and followed him back out into the living room.
The music was loud and the conversations louder. They walked hand-in-hand through the crowd. She smiled at people, but just kept walking. There was a spot open by the fireplace. There were a few coolers with drinks in them in this corner, which might come in handy.
“Hey.” Luc leaned in close to her ear. His hand slid onto her hip. “You doing okay?”
His hot breath tickled her neck. Goosebumps ran down her arms, creating a unique shivering sensation through her body.
Luc pulled back, but kept his hand on her hip. She felt safe and secure with him towering over her, even in this sea of people. She liked having him so close. Even though this was new, and they had an entire roomful of people watching.
Things were progressing with them, and she liked it. He made her feel safe. He made her feel special.
“You!” Kaden’s voice echoed throughout the room. “This is the girl you’re dating? This is the girl who has the great Luc Marcella under her spell? My little sister? All this time you’ve been talking about my little sister? How dare you! You can kiss your ass and your career goodbye, Marcella. You’re a dead man.”
“Oh, here we go,” Kassie mumbled, adding an eye roll for good measure. Kaden was reacting just as she expected.
“Kassie! What in the hell are you doing?” Kaden’s voice shattered her perfect little moment.
“Kaden, shh! Can we not do this right now, please?” Kassie asked calmly. She had known this was a bad idea. But she didn’t want to be here with anyone else other than Luc.
“So, this is who you brought as your date? My teammate?” Kaden got louder and more obnoxious with each word.
“Kaden…” Luc’s voice was low like thunder, and Kassie heard the warning in his tone. But Kaden was her brother, and this was her fight right now.
“Kaden, yes,” she spoke up quickly. “Luc is my date. And stop referring to me as your little sister. I have a name.” That was certainly the alcohol talking, making her bolder than normal.
“Kassie, you know damn well that my sister will NOT date one of my teammates!” Kaden yelled. “I thought you knew better, Kassie.”
Luc moved forward, just an inch or two, but enough that Kassie knew he was readying himself to protect her.
“Listen, Kaden.” Luc spoke calmly, but there was a hard edge to his words. “Keep your voice down, and back off. Kassie doesn’t deserve this, and I won’t stand by while you yell at her.”
Despite her simmering anger about Kaden’s remarks, her heart warmed that Luc was standing up for her.
But Kaden’s eyes whipped to Luc, the fury in them unmistakable. “You—”
“Kaden, enough.” Ali’s voice could be heard, but she must’ve been behind Kaden. “This is not the time or the place… She’s still your sister.”
“My beef isn’t with Kass, yet. Right now, it’s with Marcella. He knows better than to screw with my sister. There’s a code, and he knows that,” Kaden yelled. He stepped towards Luc, but his wife stopped him.
“Now, I know none of you are bully enough to push a woman around. But I’ll call Trina over here if I have to go as far as to put a pregnant woman in your path.” Ali placed herself between Kaden and Luc with her hands out at her sides. “Kaden, your issue is with your sister, and you and her need to talk this over in private. Not in the middle of your party. Can’t you just let them have a good time tonight and deal with this tomorrow?”
“Ali, don’t—”
“Don’t what, Kaden? She’s your sister! She’s a big girl. Did you miss that she’s all grown up? She’s going to have boyfriends. You can’t scare them all off. And before you start about how he’s your teammate, and there’s a code, just don’t,” Ali yelled, putting her hand on her husband’s chest. Then her voice calmed back to normal speaking volume. “Let’s just have fun, okay? This is a party. Please?”
Kaden looked at his wife for a moment, and Ali smiled. But Kassie knew her brother, and she wasn’t so sure he was going to back off.
Luc moved in front of Kassie, but she didn’t need to be shielded. She didn’t need to be rescued. Kassie moved to his side and took his hand. “Kaden, why are you yelling? We’re friends. Luc is a good guy. And I like him. I’m allowed to like whoever I want.”
She thought she had her brother right where she wanted him, until Luc slid his hand around her waist. It sent chills through her. They were pleasant chills, and a smile started to cross her lips at his touch. Again, this was new to her, to them, and she liked it. But Kaden obviously saw it, because his calmness disappeared again, and his face grew beet red in anger.
“Kassie, when the hell were you going to tell me?” His words were sharp and mean. His eyes were piercing, and it would’ve terrified anyone else. But he was her brother, and she knew him too well.
She gave it back just as tough. “Tell you what, Kaden?”
“That you’re sleeping with Luc.” His eyes narrowed as he spat out the words like venom.
Heat filled Kassie’s face so quickly that she thought she might faint. That, coupled with the alcohol she had already ingested, made her so shaky that she had to grasp onto Luc to steady herself. “I am not sleeping with Luc. We are dating. But if that’s how little you think of your sister, I can certainly make that happen.”
“Really, Kass? Ugh! I can’t believe you!” Kaden threw his arms up in the air in an infuriated huff. “You, of all people, know better. But then again, so does Marcella.”
“Kaden, can we stop this, please?” Ali begged as she tugged at her husband’s arm. “There’s a time and a place, and this isn’t it.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He turned to walk away from them, but paused. His voice was low and cross. “Kass, we’re not done. And Marcella, I’ll deal with you later.”
Kaden walked away with Ali in tow, but not before Ali glanced at Kassie and mouthed, “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
“Looks like Ali has your back,” Luc commented. He opened a cooler and grabbed a beer. Popping the top, he took a long sip. Flashing her a soft smile, he asked, “You okay, sweets?”
“Yeah, I will be. He’ll keep his distance for now.” But the damage had been done. The alcohol had her feeling a little anger now. “If he wants to be that way, fine. I’m done playing by his rules.” Grabbing the beer from Luc, she gulped as much as she could before he took it back. The grimace that surely formed on her face as she gagged on the sour beer had Luc holding in a laugh.
“You said you didn’t like beer. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” A smirk pulled at the side of his mouth as he put the beer to her lips. “You sure you don’t want another sip?”
Kassie pushed the beer away, the taste still lingering in her mouth. “I’m fine.”
“Do you want some water? Maybe it’ll help clear your head.”
She looked up into his dark eyes and saw nothing but caring and concern in them. As she stared at him, it was as if they were the only ones in the room. The talking and the music faded away, and it was just them.
The moment was lost with Kaden’s next interruption. Her brother grabbed the beer out of Luc’s hand and slammed it hard down on the mantel. His voice was low, probably because Ali had told him not to make another scene, but it was almost an angry hiss. “You’re driving my sister home, Marcella? I don’t want to see another fucking beer in your hand. Got it?”
When her brother turned to walk away, Kassie grabbed the beer and chugged the remaining liquid. It was disgusting, and she would never understand the draw to beer, but since she was still mad at Kaden, the drink warmed her from head to toe and eased her tension.
Luc still towered over her by the fireplace. His hand was back on her hip, and his body blocked her from the rest of the party, as if he was protecting her. She hadn’t let herself recognize how much she really enjoyed his touch until now. The heat that ran through her was overwhelming.
“There’s pizza over there. You want a slice?” he asked.
Her stomach rumbled in response to his question.
Luc chuckled. “I’m going to say that’s a yes.”
“Oh god, did you hear that?” She lowered her eyes to the floor, embarrassed. “I’m sure that’s super attractive. Ugh.”
“Hey.” Luc tipped her face up so she was looking him in the eye. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead as he said, “You’re adorable. Wait here.”
She had to catch her breath after that little show of affection. I’m adorable? He wasn’t like any other guy she had ever met. He hadn’t even kissed her properly yet; her forehead was the closest he’d gotten. As much as she liked the whole gentleman thing he had going on, she was getting impatient. If he didn’t make a move soon, she would have to. And since her brother already thought she slept around, what did she have to lose?
Luc quickly returned with two slices of pizza. Kaden always had pizza at his parties; it was his favorite food. The team had come to expect it. She nibbled on her slice of pizza as Luc inhaled his. When he was finished, he picked at the toppings on hers while she tried to finish it.
“I know it’s not tacos…” Luc teased. “But it’s pretty good, right?”
“Ha, ha. And do you mind? You’re eating all the mushrooms!”
Luc picked the last one off her cheese and popped it into his mouth. “Nope, don’t mind at all.”
He stood in her personal space, and for some reason, each and every word he said excited isolated parts of her body. She continued to eat her pizza, because jumping on Luc in the middle of her brother’s party might be frowned upon.
He was oblivious to her dirty thoughts. “You wanna walk around and talk to anyone?”
“Nah, I don’t really do that. Do you?”
Luc took her napkin and dabbed at the corner of her mouth after she finished her last bite of pizza. “You had some rogue sauce on your lip,” Luc said with a grin.
He was either the sweetest, most adorable boyfriend-material man on the planet, or he was overdoing it just to annoy Kaden. Or, she was tipsy and imagining all of this.
“You want to get out of here soon?” Kassie asked. She didn’t feel at home in her brother’s loft after the run in with Kaden, and she kind of wanted to be anywhere but here.
“Absolutely. I’m your designated driver and will take you anywhere you want to go, just name it.”
Without hesitation, she responded. “Let’s go back to my place.”
Maybe her boldness was alcohol induced and maybe not, but she was rolling with it, regardless.
“Ready?” she asked Luc.
“Oh, you meant now? Sure.” He held out his arm for her to lock onto, like he had been doing all night, and he led her to the door.
She looked over at her brother, thinking she should say goodbye, but the disgusted look she got in response made her reconsider. However, Ali waved to her and pushed through the crowd to get to her.
“Kass! Hey, you guys leaving already?” She poked her bottom lip out in a faux pout.
“Yeah, we’re going to get out of here. Kaden doesn’t want us here. Well, not together. No use us hanging around and causing any more drama.”
“Aw, well, okay. Call me, soon? In the meantime, I’ll work on your brother.” Ali gave Kassie a bear hug. “Love you, sis.”
“Love you, too.”
Ali turned her attention to Luc. “And you, Mr. Puck-Star, get her home safely. And don’t worry too much about my husband.”
“Thanks, Ali. He’s just being a big brother, and I knew what I was getting into. I’ll take whatever he hands out, if it means I get to spend time with Kass.”
“Aww.” Ali swooned while Kaden glared across the room in their direction. “Marcella, you might just be too adorable for your own good! You two be careful going home.”
They hurried down the hall towards the elevator. Kassie knew Ali would never let her brother chase them, but the worry still lingered in the back of her mind. And she didn’t want to wait around to see.
Luckily, they had the elevator all to themselves.
“Hey, thanks for having my back in there. You were like my knight in shining armor.” She wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him. It felt right being this close to him. She wasn’t sure why she had waited so long. Well, yeah, she did.
She bit her lip out of anxiousness at having his body pressed against her. His deep eyes were trained on her. He had the cutest little dimple on his left cheek that was more noticeable when his jaw was clenched. His cologne infiltrated her senses, a sexy mix of bergamot and amber. She couldn’t place the brand, but nonetheless, it had her heart thudding against her chest and her pulse racing. Her breathing was heavy and ragged.
The faint ding of the elevator reminded her that they were still headed towards the lobby, and this intense interaction would end soon.
Everything around her stopped as Luc lowered his head to hers. She’d been waiting for this moment. Anticipating his kiss, craving his touch. She closed her eyes and held a deep breath as Luc’s soft, plump lips finally brushed against hers, gentle and warm. She returned his slow, innocent kiss with her own. Sliding her hand up to his chest, she could feel the thud of his heart beating through his soft t-shirt.
The elevator sounded with a tone that told them they’d reached the lobby, and the doors opened with a low hum. None of that mattered while his lips moved with hers. Luc cradled her jaw in his rough hand, while he pulled her body close with the other. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, and then—
“Um… Hey, Marcella.”
Kassie pulled back from Luc and looked in the direction of the voice of the man who had interrupted them. His face was familiar, a Renegades player. The look on his face told her all she needed to know: he knew who she was, and he knew Luc’s lips weren’t supposed to be anywhere near hers.
Luc’s face was tense with what seemed like annoyance. He ran his hand through his dark hair with an almost silent sigh, but she heard it. “Patrick. Hey, man.” Luc grabbed Kassie’s hand and pulled her from the elevator.
“Leaving the party so soon, Marcella?” Patrick smirked, but it was noticeably not as friendly as it should be. He and his wife entered the elevator.
Not waiting around to talk, Luc held on to Kassie’s hand and pulled her towards the exit. He called over his shoulder. “You know me, Dubois, I always cut out early. Can’t hang around with you old folks all night. Tell Kaden I said hi!”
Kassie, shocked and amused by the last comment, smacked his shoulder as he led them to his sports car. “Really? You needed to add that?”
Luc shrugged. “Sometimes I like to be a smart-ass.” He opened the door of his white Porsche for her. “Shall we?”
The ride home was smooth and fast, because Luc had a lead foot. Every time a rock song came on the radio, Luc turned up the volume and sang along. And each time he focused his attention on her, heat filled her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol taking effect, but she was pretty sure it was more than that.
It was this hockey boy.