by Toni Aleo
Lucy: What?
Benji: You’re wishing I was out there with Angie.
Lucy: I am not.
Benji: Didn’t I tell you about that lying stuff? I can see right through you, woman.
Lucy: Whatever. You don’t even know me.
Benji: Okay…
Lucy: And I haven’t even thought of you. Not once.
Benji: Is your nose growing?
Lucy laughed out loud and quickly covered it as she shook her head. He was crazy, or so she thought, because then her FaceTime started to ring.
It was him.
He was nuts!
Answering it, her face was puzzled as she said, “Hello?”
“Hello, it’s me,” he sang like Adele did in her song, which made Lucy sputter with laughter.
“Oh my God, dork,” she giggled and he smiled. He was in a locker room or something, his jersey hanging above his head. Her smile dropped and her eyes went wide. “Are you in the locker room with my brother?” she screeched and he laughed.
“No, I’m in here alone. Everyone is in the hall playing soccer. Plus, I have my earbuds in. No one can hear you, so please proceed to tell me what you want to do to me naked.”
She closed her eyes, laughter bubbling from the base of her throat. When she noticed one of the moms looking at her, an offended look on her face, Lucy’s face burned as she dug her earbuds out of her purse and put them in. “I did not have mine in, and another mother just heard you,” she said into the phone, which made him laugh.
“Oh, well. She probably doesn’t get laid or she’s jealous of how hot you are,” he said simply and she rolled her eyes.
“Stop sucking up to me and tell me what you want,” she demanded and he grinned.
It took her breath away.
He was a little sweaty and his hair was pushed to the side, obviously by his hands. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his jaw was covered in hair. He hadn’t shaved, and she decided she liked him a little hairy. Yesterday, he was clean-shaven and he was adorable, but he looked sexier with a five-o’clock shadow.
“Well, if you must know, I still want you.”
Shaking her head, her face burning, she had a hard time not grinning. “Stop.”
“Fine, show me the ice. How’s Angie doing?”
Her heart grew in her chest as she hit the button to turn the camera so he could see the ice. She watched his face as he looked closer at the phone, finding Angie and then nodding as she ran the drills. “She looks good. Was she okay? Not nervous?”
Really? How was she supposed to be hard and cold around this dude?
“Eh, when she went on and did her laps, I could tell she missed you.”
“Yeah, I wish I was there. I was thinking about her all day, worried how she would do. Who’s out there with Adler?”
“I don’t know who they are, but he introduced them as his buddies.”
He looked closer. “Oh, I think they played with him his rookie season. I’m not sure. I trust Adler with my life, so I’m sure she’s in good hands.”
“Yeah, he offered me Elli’s house.”
“Put me on you,” he said and she did what he asked. “There you are,” he said, his eyes dark. “I think you get more beautiful by the second. Ooh, and today we get a peek of boobs. Why didn’t you wear that shirt last week?”
Covering her chest, she laughed as she looked away. “Stop, you’re making me blush.”
“Good, I like that color, along with the dimples. They’re my favorite.”
“Are you done?” she demanded and he shrugged.
“I can be, for now. But you’re fair game, Lucy Sinclair.” She looked at the screen, and when she saw herself in the little box at the top, she almost didn’t recognize who that person was. She looked different.
Happy.
Wow.
“So, Adler’s house is way out of the way. Like an hour. Could you pull that?”
She shook her head. “No, that’s why I said no.”
“Oh, okay. So what’s going on? Do you have an ETA?”
“No, he said it wouldn’t be Tuesday for sure. The more they got into it, the more problems they’ve found. My landlord’s daughter told me she thinks I should start looking for something else. That they might have to give me my money back for the month and my deposit. It’s a mess.”
“Shit, that sucks, babe. I’m sorry. Can I help?”
She smiled, shrugging. “Thanks, but not really. I’ve just got to find a place to live and an office building. Has to be by Angie’s school, not out of my price range, and will allow me to grow in it.”
He slowly nodded, watching her. “The offer still stands for my place.”
“Benji, be real. We’ve known each other a week.”
His face lit up. “Aw, it has been a whole week. I’ll send you some chocolates.”
Giggling, she rolled her eyes as she leaned back. “I’ll be okay. I always am.”
“No doubt. I can tell that about you.”
She looked away as she swallowed hard. She didn’t like to admit weakness—it wasn’t her. But for some reason, he made it a little less shitty to make such a confession. “Just sucks. I could really use a hug today.”
His bottom lip puckered out, and just like that, a grin covered her lips. “Would a virtual hug work? I’ll even tongue the phone.”
Sputtering with laughter, she shook her head. “Not the same.”
“I know, but I got you Saturday.”
She let out a sigh and said, “So far away.”
Crap. Did she say that? Why did she say that? Crap!
“Yeah,” he said slowly, a little bit of sadness in his eyes as he moved his hands through his hair. She didn’t know why he looked sad; she meant nothing to him, just some chick he slept with. But the look in his eyes said something entirely different and that was crazy. They’d just met. They were just friends. Sort of dating.
Ugh, she was stupid.
“But, hey,” he said, pulling her back to their conversation. “You know what I just thought of? I have an office building.”
Her brow quirked in confusion. “What? No, you don’t.”
“No, I do. Behind my house, there is like an in-law guesthouse that they had turned into an office. The people before me ran a carpet business out of it. You could use it if you want.”
“An in-law guesthouse?”
“Yeah, it’s a good size. You could easily put five people working comfortably in there. Go by the house and look. I have an extra key under the rock by the third bush on the side, where I parked my truck.”
She paused, giving him an incredulous look. “Benji, you shouldn’t tell people that when you’ve just met them.”
He shot her back the same look. “We’ve known each other a week, I slept with you the other night, and plus, you’re designing my house. You aren’t a stranger.” She rolled her eyes and he scoffed. “Shut it, just go check it out. See if it’s something that can work.”
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I mean, we’re cool now, but what if we aren’t later?”
He shrugged. “We’ll have a contract if that makes you feel better, and I’ll even take your money if you want. But what I do with it is my business.”
Her brows came together, her lips curving in confusion. “What the hell does that mean?”
“None of your business, just saying.”
She eyed him and then shook her head. “Let me think about it.”
“Fine, but while you’re at it,” he said and she brought her attention back to him, “make sure you think of me.”
Chuckling, she held his gaze. “Why would I do that?”
“’Cause I give good hugs.”
He sure as hell did.
And she was craving him like mad. Her lips curved as she leaned on her hand, looking at him. The tattoo on his chest was screaming at her, and man, she wanted to know, but it didn’t seem like the right time to ask. No, she’d want to do it face-to-face when they were alone. Sh
e had no clue when that would be, but maybe…
“What are you thinking about so hard?” he asked, his eyes on her.
She shrugged. “Do you wanna go on a date with me?”
He was taken aback and then he laughed. “I actually asked you out, I think, Wednesday, and you turned me down.”
She grimaced and she nodded. “I did, but if we are still talking in say, two weeks, do you think you could meet me somewhere to eat and hang out?”
He shook his head and her heart fell. He was rejecting her? “No, I can’t. Because after two weeks of us talking and getting to know each other, I’ll come to where you’re living. I’ll knock on the door, and when you answer it, I’ll be holding a single rose and I’ll tell you how beautiful you look. Then I’ll drive you to dinner and a movie, or dancing, or whatever you want. I’ll then take you back to my house for a long night of you know what,” he said, waggling his brows and making her giggle, “and then, I’ll kiss you goodnight. But I will not meet you somewhere, Lucy. You are way too special for that, and we aren’t fuck buddies.”
No one had ever spoken to her like that.
Breathless, she held his gaze. “We aren’t?”
“Fuck, no. I’m thirty-two, I don’t have time for that. If I’m talking to you, being a complete and utter dork, showing who I really am, it’s because I see something in you. Something extraordinary. Something I haven’t seen in a very long time.”
Blinking twice, she looked down and sucked in a deep breath. “No clue what to say to that.”
“Don’t say anything. Just look at me, show me those dimples, and tell me to have a good game.”
Looking up, she gave him what he wanted, her grin so big she even felt her dimples cutting into her skin. When he smiled back, his eyes bright, she said, “Have a great game. Maybe text me afterward?”
“That was the plan,” he said simply and her heart fluttered. “I was going to try to score you a goal too.”
“I thought you were scoring one for Angie.”
He scoffed. “Do you know who I am? I’m the leading scoring defenseman of the league.”
She bubbled with laughter. “You are not!”
“Of the Assassins?”
“Nope,” she said simply and he laughed.
“Okay, I’m not. But maybe tonight, I will be. I feel I got some good luck from our virtual hug,” he said confidently with the cutest grin ever. It actually made her heart skip a beat. Like a freaking teenager’s. What was this dude doing to her? He was making her go soft is what he was doing.
“Well, either way, I’ll be watching.”
He feigned worry. “Shit. I better play good then, huh?”
“You always do.”
He eyed her, his lips curving. “Someone has been stalking me?”
“Just a bit.”
“Good. I like that.”
“I bet you do, weirdo.”
“Ha, you’re the one who likes me,” he accused and she looked away, laughing.
Looking back at the screen, she pressed her lips together. “Who said that?”
“I did, now don’t ruin my dreams. I gotta go score two goals, gotta get my head into the game,” he said, and she sputtered with laughter but didn’t let it out fully.
“Fine, you go be awesome.”
“That’s the plan, Stan. I’ll text you later.”
“Okay.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “Bye.”
“Bye,” she said as her heart went crazy in her chest before she hit end.
And when her phone went blank, she missed him.
Oh boy, she was in trouble.
Benji wasn’t one to go out, but when the Assassins landed in Wisconsin, most of the guys wanted to go down to the hotel bar and Benji agreed. He wasn’t sure why—maybe it was because Lucy was already asleep and he couldn’t text her, or maybe he just didn’t want to be alone in his room. But as he sat around with most of the guys as they cut up and razzed each other, he suddenly wished he hadn’t stayed locked up so much before.
These guys were actually really funny.
“I am not kidding, Phillipe is the next all-star goalie. He’s almost two and the kid can block anything. I try! I shoot at him all the time,” Tate Odder¸ their goalie, said, all seriousness in his eyes. “Audrey, she believes too.”
Lucas Brooks laughed but nodded. “No shit, I watch the kid too. He’s amazing for being so little. Well, young, I mean. The kid is a mini-giant.”
Everyone laughed at that as Tate nodded. “True! Aiden and Asher are always trying to score on him. They cannot!”
“Of course they can’t. They take after their dad,” Erik Titov joked as Phillip Anderson laughed from his gut.
“Yeah, isn’t it time for you to retire yet, Brooks?”
Lucas glared, leaning on the table. “I can outskate, outshoot, and whoop all your asses. Shut it and don’t start with me, Anderson. I’ll call your little son-in-law to take you out when we get to LA.”
Phillip scoffed. “I’m not scared of that little shit. No offense, Sinclair.”
Jayden laughed. “Hey, he is a little shit,” he joked. “But don’t act like you don’t love the dude. We all know you do.”
The look on Phillip’s face said otherwise as Erik teased, “Isn’t Claire pregnant yet?”
“The fuck? I will kill you!” Phillip said, reaching across the table for Erik, and everyone just laughed. It was apparently an ongoing joke about Claire, Phillip’s niece, who was basically his daughter. They’d had one rough start, but the girl, who was married to Sinclair’s brother, Jude, was doing well for herself. Phillip was really proud of her, minus her husband choice. Apparently, Jude was annoying. Surprising, with how awesome Jayden was.
“My mom is begging for a new grandbaby already. And since I know Bay and I aren’t getting pregnant, I feel sorry for her ’cause I don’t think they’re gonna come through for her either,” Jayden said and Phillip’s eyes narrowed.
“They don’t need any kids. They are kids.”
Everyone nodded but Jayden. He just smiled. “You just don’t want to be a grandpa.”
“Of course, I don’t. I just became a father for the second time. Third, if you count Claire, which I do.”
Jordie laughed as Karson leaned against the table, a grin on his face. “Speaking of new fathers, got some news.”
“You’re pregnant?” Vaughn asked. “I thought you were getting fat.”
Everyone horselaughed as Karson glared. “I am not.”
“Eh, your ass is getting bigger,” Phillip decided, but Karson just rolled his eyes.
“Anyway, we just found out that Lacey’s pregnant, asshole.”
That started a round of cheers from the veterans around the table, while the rookies all looked as if life was ending. Benji, though, he was happy for his friend. Lacey, his wife, had some trouble with postpartum depression after she had their first daughter, Mena. But she had been doing great from what Karson had said. A new baby was awesome, and while Benji was a little jealous of his friend, he slapped him on the back. “Congratulations!”
Karson grinned. “We are excited. Nervous, because of all the issues after Mena was born, but at least, this time, we know what to do.”
“She’ll be fine. Lacey is the strongest chick I know. Don’t tell your sister I said that,” Jordie laughed and Karson grinned. But Jordie was right, Lacey was one strong chick. With beating cancer and then living her dreams by making lingerie for breast cancer survivors, Benji wasn’t the only one that looked up to her. But Kacey, Jordie’s wife and Karson’s sister…that woman was scary strong. She kicked their asses as the Assassins’ strengthening coach and owned her own gym, one that Benji had no desire to go into. She’d made Benji cry at least twice. So, yeah, he gave her a wide berth when it came to fitness.
“Yeah,” Karson agreed, and then he sent Lucas a grin. “Heard Fallon is going for baby number five, trying to tie with the Adlers.”
Lucas’s face went white.
“Who the hell told you that?”
“Heard it through the grapevine,” Karson laughed and everyone snickered at Lucas’s alarmed expression.
“Dude, no. I’m getting my shit cut. I can’t do any more. Have you met Emery? That baby is her mother made over. And I’m sorry, I love my wife, I do, but she’s insane. I can’t do her pregnant again. She’s so damn hangry.”
Tate laughed. “It’s probably ’cause Aiden took all the awesome genes.”
Lucas let out a long breath. “That kid. I’m gonna strangle him. He has a girlfriend. A fucking girlfriend. Do you all remember what your first girlfriend was like at sixteen?”
The guys snickered as Benji grinned. He had done a whole lot of nasty things at sixteen, which made him cringe for his buddy.
“Do you know what it’s like to have the sex talk with your kid? Oh no, because I’m the only one here with a teenager.”
That got him a round of old guy cracks that he did not appreciate, but Benji thought it was funny. “Man, it’s not right without Adler not being here,” Tate said and everyone nodded. It was weird. He had been the most adult out of all of them and had such a big presence.
“Yeah, he was our old man. Now we have to settle for Brooks,” Vaughn said sadly and Lucas glared.
“Fuck off. But yeah, it does suck without him.”
“Yeah, someone should tell him to come back,” Karson said with a nod.
“He’s happy,” Benji said, leaning on the table. “He loves coaching the girls’ hockey team, and he’s really good at it. I heard he’s got a stacked team for the boys.”
“Oh, yeah, especially with how good Owen and Evan are,” Jordie said with a nod, speaking of Shea’s boys. “Who’s all going to the games this weekend?”
The ones closest to Shea raised their hands as Benji said, “I’ll be there for the girls, but I’m not sure about the boys.”
“Yeah, me too. I think Lacey has a doctor’s appointment that day,” Karson said, and Jordie looked over at his brother-in-law.
