by Ciz, Alley
“Seriously, Gem.” Deck spoke around a heaping spoonful. “Marry me.”
“Oh, Deck.” She patted his face patronizingly. “I told you…if you ever want me to take you seriously, the proposal needs to come when my food isn’t involved.”
“You never learn, Deck,” Becky added.
“She’s so mean to me, Beck.” He wrapped himself around her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder with a pout.
“I know, buddy.” She reached around to stroke his hair. “It’s not your fault. You’ve taken one too many hits to the head. It affects your ability to think straight.”
Deck reared back in offense. “Cold, Beck. Stone cold.”
“What did Deck do now?” Rocky asked as she and Gage entered the apartment.
Using the momentary distraction of the new arrivals, Vince made his way over to Holly. His leg brushed the outside of her thigh as he leaned back against the counter on his elbows.
His height gave him a prime view of the way her spectacular cleavage rose as she sucked in a harsh breath. He didn’t crowd her, but he was close enough for her to feel his body heat.
“Morning, Cupcake.”
She hit him with some major side-eye as she returned his greeting with a stilted, “Stud Muffin.”
Yet her whiskey eyes darkened the longer she looked up at him.
He worked to chip away a piece of her resolve against him daily. Every day he left Espresso Patronum grinning like a fool because their time together while she worked was the best part of his day.
They could be so much more than friends if only she gave them a chance. All he needed was an opening to prove it. If using sexual tension got it done, so be it.
He kept his distance physically for the most part. When he couldn’t fight it, he made sure to linger and used his eyes to telegraph each filthy promise he thought of.
Doing so may have left him with balls so blue he was afraid he was becoming part Smurf, but he knew the belt at the end of the fight would be more than worth it.
“We good to go?” Rocky asked the room.
Everyone was dressed casually in either jeans or leggings for Sean and Carlee’s NJ Blizzards Youth Hockey League game. Vince noticed Holly was the only one without any Blizzards attire and ran back to his place to grab one of the other hoodies hanging in his closet.
“Here, wear this.” He held out the navy hooded sweatshirt for her to take.
Her eyes studied him until they crinkled in the corners with her smile. “Is this your way of trying to mark your territory by getting me to wear your clothes?”
Her feistiness was one of his favorite things about her.
“No, this is me not wanting you to be left out.” Her eyes softened at his words, another baby step forward for him.
By the time she switched tops, they were the last ones inside the apartment. Taking advantage of the rare moment of privacy, he backed her against the wall, caging her in with a hand on either side of her head.
It was a bold move, a risk even, but he thought she'd let him.
“When I mark my territory, it will be with a hell of a lot more than a simple piece of clothing.” He bent to place his lips against the fluttering pulse in her neck. “No. When I finally get you to give in to your feelings for me”—he spoke against her dessert-scented skin—“you’ll be wearing hickies for days. Right here.” He kissed the spot with the gentlest of sucks.
“Vince.” His name was a broken plea.
“Don’t worry, Cupcake.” His thumb brushed away the last of the sting, her skin already returning to its usual creamy complexion. “I won’t do it till you beg me for it.”
His hand skimmed along the length of her arm until his fingers threaded their way through hers. With a gentle tug, he led her out of the apartment so they could meet up with the rest of their friends.
She wasn’t ready for him yet.
But soon.
* * *
Holly followed the stream of people into the sports complex that housed all the NJ Blizzards Youth Hockey League’s home games, impressed with how nice the building was. The entrance was a wide-open space that flowed into a decently sized concession area.
Vince walked the entire way from the car with his arm casually draped across her shoulders. When she tried to shake him off, the jerk had the audacity to laugh.
She wanted to be mad, to say she didn’t like how touchy-feely he was with her, she really did. But she couldn’t. There was a pull, a draw he had that had her longing to be close that far surpassed the attraction between them. That was the thing that scared her.
They bypassed the concession area, heading directly for the rink. Seated behind the team benches was everyone else. Jake and Jordan were there with their girls and introduced her to both sets of their parents, each grandmother holding a twin also decked out in miniature Blizzards hoodies.
She saw Skye sitting with Sammy and Jamie, while Maddey was in a heated discussion with Ryan. She also recognized the other fighters from the gym who did not live in their building sitting with Beth and her husband Wyatt, their own child already reaching her pudgy arms out toward Gage.
Done resisting, she let Vince lead her to the open seats next to Maddey and Ryan, his arm only leaving her body to greet the guy she recognized as Jase Donnelly in a handshake, back-slapping bro-hug.
“Bro, your fight with Bishop was epic. It’s rare to see you throw down like that in a game,” Vince said in greeting.
Jase gave a sheepish grin. “Yeah, well I can’t fucking stand the guy.”
“Jason!” His mother scolded. “Little ears.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
“Relax, Mama D,” Jake turned to his mother-in-law. “They hear worse from their mama here.”
Jordan backhanded him on the chest. “Oh, yeah, because when you and the guys get together you’re so much better.”
He kissed her temple, and Holly was mildly jealous of the easy affection between the two.
Except for Vince, her own experience with love was much different.
Not that she was in love with him or anything.
He was the first person she was comfortable letting into her personal space. A fact she’d worry about analyzing another day.
“This the newest member?” Jase asked Vince, nodding in her direction.
“Member?” She pushed down the bottom of her seat so she could sit.
“Yup,” Vince replied, throwing his arm back around her. “Jase this is Holly. Cupcake, this is Jase, JD’s twin brother.”
“And best-looking brother.” Jase winked. She blushed under the attention of the guy who looked like he could be related to the Hemsworths.
Snorts and scoffs rang out through the group.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yuck it up, assholes. You know it’s true.”
“Asshole,” a high-pitched voice said, and all heads turned to look at the Donovan twin who spoke.
“Asshole.” The other twin parroted before both girls volleyed the word back and forth between them, their mom facepalming herself in resignation.
“Thanks a lot, bro,” Jake failed to bite back his laughter.
Once they'd gotten their own hysterics under control, Holly repeated her question.
“What exactly am I a member of? I don’t remember drinking any Kool-Aid, so it can’t be a cult.”
Jase shared a knowing look with Vince before returning his attention to her after Vince’s nod.
“Nah, The Coven isn’t a cult. It is its own entity.”
“Me?” She pointed a finger to her chest.
Jase gave her a quizzical look. “Wait.” He shifted in his seat to face everyone. “Did you guys not tell her?” His tone was incredulous.
“There’s no formal ceremony or anything.” Skye held up a hand as if to say are you for real right now?
“This is true,” Jordan agreed. “It’s really only you two idiots that are obsessed with calling us The Coven.”
“We just roll with it,” Rocky ad
ded.
“You wanna do the honors since she’s your girl?” Jase asked Vince.
She didn’t get the chance to correct Jase on her being Vince’s girl before he was agreeing.
“Absolutely,” Vince said, then focused all his attention on her.
She squirmed in her seat as his gray eyes locked onto hers intently.
“Cupcake.” He cuffed her under the chin, his thumb stretching out to stroke across her bottom lip and setting off starbursts in its wake. “We’d like to formally”—that was pointed—“induct you into The Coven.”
Her heart turned over, exposing its soft underbelly. As much as the guys joked about The Coven, she had learned exactly how important each member was to the whole group. She didn’t think they handed out “membership” lightly. Easy acceptance into a clique wasn’t something she had experience with.
“Hell yeah!” Becky cheered.
“Someone get this girl a text handle,” Rocky declared.
As she listened to the buzz of those around her, she got lost in the unfamiliar feeling of acceptance radiating through her.
Did she really just find her squad for the first time in twenty-three years?
THERE WAS NOTHING more competitive than a group of athletes, especially professionals—they took all sporting events seriously, even youth hockey. The passel of nine- and ten-year-olds on the ice were already getting big cheers from their section and it was only warmups. Things would only escalate once the game got underway. He was pretty sure the coaches hated all the extra “bench coaches” in the stands.
Along with their standard squad, it wasn’t out of the norm for other players from the Blizzards to catch a game to support their Captain’s younger brother.
“I’m serious, Madz. You should say something to Just. It’s a little weird.” Vince heard Ryan say. The two had been in a heated debate since they'd arrived.
“No way.” Maddey shook her head vehemently.
“Madison.” Ryan’s tone grew serious.
“Don’t you Madison me, Ryan Donnelly.” The barely-five-foot blonde got all up in the giant hockey player's face. It was interesting to watch them interact. They loved each other fiercely, even without the diamond ring connecting them anymore. “You make even the briefest of mentions of this to my brother, and I’ll write you into one of my books with a micro-penis and erectile dysfunction so bad not even Viagra can help.”
A look of horror washed over Ryan’s face as the rest of the males sucked in a collective breath at the threat. No one wanted to be immortalized in one of her best-sellers in a negative way. Their pixie friend had an evil streak in her longer than the Mississippi.
“You kids play nice now,” Vince teased.
He had no clue what the drama was about and was more than happy to remain in the dark. Instead, he lifted a hand to play with purple tips of Holly’s hair. Her eyes flashed his way, but she didn’t pull away from his touch. Progress.
“Don’t even start with me, Vincent.” Maddey was practically spitting fire.
He jumped into Jase’s lap, wrapping his arms around his friend. “Save me, Jase. Your triplet is being mean.”
Jase played right along, circling his own arms around Vince’s body, holding his fingers out in a cross gesture as if to ward off evil. “Back. Back, I tell you.”
Maddey’s stern expression softened before finally giving way to a smile. “You two are stooopid.”
“You love us,” Jase countered.
“Only because you’re both related to my best friends.”
“You ever been to a hockey game?” Vince asked Holly as he shifted off of Jase’s lap.
“No.” Holly looked down at the rink.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I'd never even watched a game until the night of my welcome party,” she said sheepishly.
“Looks like I get to be your tutor.” He rubbed his hands together.
“Umm…shouldn’t that job go to one of the many professional players here?” She circled a finger in the air.
“Fuck that,” he spat.
She laughed. The devilish twinkle in her eye told him he reacted like she thought he would.
When the referee’s whistle rang out and the puck dropped, everyone turned their attention to the action down on the ice.
Holly’s lack of knowledge of the sport allowed him to linger anytime he leaned in to explain what was happening or how the rules differed for youth hockey versus the pros.
Sean took a shot on goal, the puck hitting the post with a ping and ricocheting over the boards.
“What’s with the cooler?” she asked as one of the referees retrieved a fresh puck.
“They keep the pucks on ice. When the rubber gets too warm, it tends to bounce.” His lips brushed her earlobe, leaving behind another secret kiss to the soft skin. “Kind of like your knee is doing now.” He cupped the joint in his hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Vince.” His name a warning.
“I told you, baby—inevitable.” He reached up to brush the hair that fell in her face as her head listed forward, her breath hitching, eyes widening as he tucked it safely behind her ear.
“Vince,” she tried again.
His thumb caressed her cheek as he pressed his forehead to hers, effectively closing them in their own private bubble.
“I keep telling you.” He stretched his thumb out to stroke across her bottom lip, groaning as her tongue brushed it. “All you have to do is let me in.”
Her eyes flared, the moment growing heavy.
Not wanting it to scare her, his mouth hitched into one of his signature smirks, popping out the dimple in his left cheek. “Then you can start to fall in love with me.”
Just because he used a joking tone didn’t take away from how much he meant it, but it was enough to have Holly releasing a small giggle.
His free hand traveled down her arm, linking their fingers together.
Each and every time they touched, her body responded beautifully.
Even now, he could feel the twitch of muscle as his thumb stretched out to trace patterns on her thigh. His fingers itched to explore higher, having firsthand knowledge of just how quick he could bring her to screaming release through her clothes.
He had to shift in his seat to hide the evidence of how much the memory of her coming against him affected him. The people around them were his family, both by blood and by choice, they did not need to witness the steel rod pressing against his zipper.
“Come on, Sean, check his ass.” Chance Jenson, one of Ryan and Jake’s teammates, yelled, popping their bubble like a needle.
Vince faced the ice again, looking down to where Sean was battling it out for control of the puck along the boards
“Umm…I’m not sure how youth hockey works back in Canada"—Gemma’s tone bespoke of the animosity the two shared—“but here in America, there’s no checking.”
“I know that, Princess. I’m just cheering our boy on,” Chance retorted.
“Whatever you say, Rookie.”
No one knew why the two of them were so hostile, but whenever they were within five feet of each other, they got along like oil and water. Or more like a match to kerosene.
“Go, go, go,” Jake cheered as Sean got a breakaway and headed for the other team’s net.
“Pass it to Carlee,” Ryan yelled. “Pass it.”
Without looking, Sean deftly passed the puck to where Carlee waited to the left of the net, earning himself an assist as Carlee lit the lamp with a goal.
Their entire section was on their feet, cheering like it was the game-winning goal of game seven of the Stanley Cup.
During the first intermission, the girls went on a hot chocolate run.
“So that’s her, huh?” Jase nodded toward the doors the Covenettes disappeared through.
Vince followed his line of sight as if he could see Holly on the other side of the concrete wall.
“Yup.”
“Still no progress on the date front?�
�
“Not an inch.” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, adding to the messy style. “I know it has nothing to do with attraction. We have that in spades…it’s just…” He tried to find the right words to explain. “She’s scared.”
They watched the Zamboni clean the ice for the second period.
“I think you’re right.” Jase’s voice broke him out of the hypnotic trance of watching the ice resurfacers drive in calculated circles. “She definitely wants you. But sometimes that’s not enough.” He leveled him with a look. “You know what you have to do, right?”
He shook his head. Of course he didn’t. If he did, they would already be dating.
“You’re gonna have to call in reinforcements.”
Jase’s eyes tipped up with his smile as he watched the realization of his words sink in.
Sonofabitch. He meant The Coven.
“Time to bend the knee, bro.”
It took everything in him to remember this was his best friend and it wasn’t his fault he was right. If anyone could help him convince Holly to agree to a date, it would be the girls and whatever voodoo magic he swore they used to get people to do what they wanted.
They'd earned their name for a reason.
They were going to give him so much shit.
Sonofabitch.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Another week passed, and Vince was still dateless.
He saw her daily at EP. They talked. They joked.
They had bi-weekly self-defense lessons.
If they were out with the squad, they sat together, his thigh pressed to hers or his arm around her. Still—no date.
With the calendar creeping closer to Thanksgiving every day, he thought it might finally be time for him to take his best friend’s advice and seek out help from The Coven.
Just the thought of humbling himself to some of the most important women in his life made him drop his head on the matted floor underneath him while he cranked out a super-set of pushups.
They were never going to let him live this down.
He knew from talking to his sister earlier that Holly wouldn’t be joining them for their girls' night because she already had plans with Kyle and Lyle.
