by Amy Brent
“No. Those days are long over.” Aaron told her, watching her push her plate away. “I just don’t want you to not live your life because of this.” He gestured his hand between them, watching her face sadden. “We will spend most of our time here. If you can trust your roommate to keep this secret, we might go there but I won’t expose you to the media by taking you out in public. We’d be in front of the firing squad quickly and they’d be digging into your past. I don’t want that for you.”
“I can find another job if this really turns into something. There’s a lot of companies in the city that would hire me. Not that I want you to throw your position away but I would consider it.” Holly told him, standing to move to the windows. “Was this a mistake?”
“No. It wasn’t.” He stood to walk over to her and gaze over her shoulder out at the expansive city before them. “Let’s just play it down for now so I can see how this would go over in the next few weeks. It might be fine as long as they’re sure I am not showing you any special treatment.” He kissed her hair. “I wouldn’t. I know you can do your job without any help. We checked your references and they were solid even if I couldn’t tell by knowing you.”
Holly left quietly after dinner, kissing him at the door before she went down in the elevator. Aaron remembered why he liked the quickies back in his younger days as he achingly wondered if he was going to end up hurting her in all of this. Holly had given herself to him, body and soul. She’d been through something terrible and she wanted him to replace the memory of her attack, coming so easily in his arms.
He thought again to his father’s words, knowing that Glen would give him a firm lecture if he learned about this. His father had never been thrilled with his shenanigans before but he respected that Aaron kept it out of the public eye and respected the girls as much as he could in the situation. He’d been young once himself and gave his son that much respect.
CHAPTER SIX
Aaron spent the night tossing and turning, missing the woman behind the smell on his sheets and pillow. He got up early to clean the sex off of his skin reluctantly and work out in his building, trying to get the blood flowing through his veins. He needed to be the owner of a team today, not a distracted man. He ran hard on the treadmill, still imagining Holly in his bed and on his couch as he sped up to escape the memory that wouldn’t leave his brain.
Once he was done, Aaron showered again and pulled out his black suit to hang against the bathroom door. He pulled on his boxer briefs and a white undershirt, sliding a new white shirt over it and buttoning up carefully. His hair was tousled but with product tonight and he slipped a blue tie on to honor the team. Aaron finished buttoning up his pants and slipped the coat on as he grabbed his keys, deciding to drive tonight.
He was nervous as the doorman wished him to have a good game and was aware of the eyes on him and the voices talking about him. Aaron flashed them his traditional smile, accepting their well-wishes as he went down to the garage to get his vehicle. He drove in the crowd to the arena just a few blocks away, seeing his team’s name in lights as his heart burst with pride. They were going to kill it this year.
Parking and entering the busy hallway, Aaron looked around as everyone greeted him. The level of adrenaline was overpowering as he soaked it all in, grinning as he remembered it from before. The team was just coming back in from practice and he high-fived them as they trudged by to shower and dress for the game in two hours, getting food in that time as well.
Aaron headed to his office, pausing in front of the therapy room as he glanced inside. Holly was there, dressed in dark blue workout pants and a white tank with the team jacket draped over the chair near her. She was choosing to watch the game, ready to head back when needed and she looked focused until she glanced up and met his eyes. Heat passed through them as well as sadness and he returned the look until somebody bumped into him and made him break away from her gaze. Aaron gave her one more look before stepping out onto the ice to confer with the coaches and referees, standing to gaze over the empty ice for a long moment. He weighed the love for the game over the possibility of love as he took in the view, watching as the Zamboni moved to clean the ice.
In just a little while, this place would be filled with fans of his team as well as the Bruins, all screaming and cheering their teams. The media would be interviewing him about this first game and the changes as he waited for one glimpse of the beautiful redhead that he craved already. He’d have to hide it from the team, the coaches, his family when they came to sit in his box seats and even the woman that he was protecting.
Aaron turned to go to his office for a few moments of peace, gazing down at the therapy room once again as he wished he could go in and kiss her. Tell her hello and that he missed her last night.
Aaron settled on sending her a text once he was alone. They’d exchanged numbers listed under fake names so nobody would be suspicious at a glance. Aaron doubted that she got it as she prepared for the night and he slid his phone into his drawer and paced across the room to the window to look out again.
He headed down for more interviews, straightening his tie and jacket before he stepped out near the bench. Aaron spoke about a positive ending to this game as well as the season and told them how good he felt about the team. He knew all too well what to say to the cameras and he smiled wearily as they moved on to talk to Pat.
Aaron stayed down as the team skated onto the ice to piercing screams and cheers, watching everything reverently as Pat moved next to him to lean against the wall. “Miss it?” His voice was loud enough for Aaron to hear but for it still to remain private.
“Yeah. I do.” Aaron admitted, looking over to see Holly securing her hair in a low ponytail as she stepped out to watch the team. She was wearing the jacket and covering her up her body that he’d loved last night, and he stared at her before turning his eyes back to the ice. It was a secret if there even was anything to hide now. It was hard to tell with the way they were having to act.
The game was fast-paced and everything that the fans wanted, with the Rangers scoring two goals in the first period to loud horns and cheers throughout the room. Aaron excused himself when it ended to see how his family was, pausing in front of Holly for just a moment as the team rushed by. “I should go see if they’re all okay.” She spoke in a monotone, her eyes dull and tired.
“I missed you last night.” His words were soft as she wiped her eyes and turned to leave him standing there, while the reporters rushed him to ask what he thought about his team in the first period. He responded on auto pilot before heading up to his family, greeting his young nephews and nieces with hugs as they ran towards him babbling about the man with the sticks. Aaron moved to his sisters next, hugging them and shaking the hands of their husbands as they congratulated him again.
Last was his mother after he hugged his dad, and he held onto her a little longer than normal. “Are you okay, Aaron? You look so tired.”
“That’s all it is, Mom. It’s a big day.” He took a seat in front of the window and chatted about the game with his family, unable to stop thinking about the empty look in Holly’s eyes.
****to be continued as PART 2***
PART 2
CHAPTER ONE
The night ended with Aaron and a bottle of whiskey in his bed after he chose a low-key dinner with his family to celebrate the first win of the season. The team had headed to their favorite bar to eat and have some beer, inviting him along, but Aaron didn’t want to drain the energy from the room.
Sure, he’d faked it through the interviews and smiled as he boasted about the scores and the defense. Aaron had seemed like the picture of a professional, standing with the coaches and some of the players as they laughed and carried on about some of the finer points of the game.
He couldn’t help but to feel her eyes on him as she watched the festivities from the bench, trying not to make any eye contact that would break his facade. One look into her sad eyes would break him, and Aaron wasn’t ready for th
at yet. He didn’t know what it was about this woman but the time that he’d spent with Holly had gotten him hooked, both his body and his mind. She challenged him while she turned him on and few had ever done that to him in the past.
His mom had looked at him in surprise when he offered to take all of them to one of the best steakhouses in the city, sharing a long glance with his father.
“Son, this is your team and you should celebrate with them. Your heart is still on that ice.” Glen told him, making Aaron laugh bitterly inside of his head. His heart felt more like it was still with Holly in his apartment the day before.
“I’m not in the mood for the crazy. I’m an old man now, Dad.” Aaron replied, smiling around at his family. “I owe you for this, too. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for you guys.”
“You’d have found your way, Aaron.” Glen said calmly, both of them men feeling tears in their eyes. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Aaron replied gruffly, slinging an arm around his mom. “Want some grub?” The kids started squealing and jumping around him in response while his sisters smiled at each other, asking if he was sure that he could handle it. They made their way out of the crowded arena as he glanced back to see Holly watching him, her eyes bright and shimmering as their gazes locked.
Aaron woke up in his bright bedroom, blinking as his head started pounding. Fucking hell but the whiskey was coming back to haunt him. After dinner, everyone else had headed home and he’d followed suit before finding himself alone and miserable. Instead of dealing with it like an adult, like he should have, Aaron broke out the bottle and started drinking as he watched highlights of the game and tried to force himself into that mindset. He tried to reason with himself why he was better off single as he always had been, free to do what he needed to do. He’d gotten sloppy drunk and passed out in his boxers and tee shirt like he would do in college.
Aaron was embarrassed as he slowly sat up, taking slow breaths and trying to figure out what he was capable of. There wasn’t anything pressing today, with just a practice scheduled and an away game the following night over in Philadelphia. Aaron didn’t need to travel with the team, though he had planned to upon the purchase when it was close and convenient. He loved the game and he wanted to be as much a part of it as he could.
Right now he just needed to recover. He glanced around as he stood slowly, his stomach lurching as he closed his eyes. “Asshole move, Neller.” He smiled wistfully at the fact that he called himself by his last name as it was done in the league. There was a beeping sound from somewhere in the room and he sat back down to look around slowly, seeing his phone on the mattress next to where he was sleeping. He reached over gingerly to grab it, standing up for some much needed water from the fridge along with a few Advil.
Water first. He took it to the couch, breathing in the air from the open window as he took a seat on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. Aaron glanced at the screen to see a few notifications, unlocking it to skim through them. There was a lot of congratulation themed messages on every form of his social media, along with Goggle alerts and emails. There were even a few texts that he decided to read, cringing when he saw the thread with Holly’s name. He’d been a jerk to her, starting an argument about the night before while drunk and senseless as he read through her concerned responses. The last one must have been after he’d fallen asleep, asking over and over if he was alright.
Well, fuck him. Aaron took a deep breath and another long sip of water before he stared forward for a few moments. He needed to say something, to do something. He started typing an apology, sounding weak and unfocused as he read it with a scowl on his face. Aaron had brushed off a lot of girls this way yet he found himself having trouble apologizing? What the hell was happening to him?
It was Holly. He could still smell her in the apartment if he inhaled deeply enough. Aaron could still feel her tight around him, clinging to him as she reached her intense orgasms as he heard her cries.
He forced himself back to reality and shook his head, composing something that sounded sincere and responsible, as opposed to what he’d sent last night. Apparently, he’d tried to sect her along the way as well, making him shake his head. He hit send and sat quietly, wondering what would happen from there.
Aaron wasn’t ready to let her go, not yet. They couldn’t out themselves to the world but they could spend time together and get to know each other. He imagined nights spent at his apartment as he closed his eyes and took a slow breath, feeling his stomach growl softly. Food. That might help.
The phone chimed, making him jump as he opened his eyes to see that it was a friend from college congratulating him on the win. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Aaron grunted, staring at it as he waited.
He stilled as the phone rang, displaying her name. “Holly?”
“I can’t believe you just dropped off the face of the earth like that last night. You were a goddamn mess, Aaron.” Her voice was emotional and high and he closed his eyes. “What the hell are you trying to do to me?”
“I don’t know what I was trying to do to myself, Holly. I hated last night…well, the part where I couldn’t do anything more than talk briefly with you. All I wanted to do was go in your room and hold you for a minute, kiss you hello. I had to hold back on all of that and it was harder than anything I’ve ever done.” Aaron told her, getting more confused with every word. “You’ve gotten to me. I don’t know how but something other than hockey has gotten under my skin. I need more of you.”
“I wanted the same, Aaron. You looked so handsome last night and I felt like I was nothing there.” Holly admitted, making him launch into another apology. “It wasn’t as much you as I’d like to let you think. It was me as well. I know that I’m falling for you and I’m scared to death.” Her voice softened as she took a breath. “I know that we shouldn’t be doing this at all.”
“I can’t stop.” Aaron admitted, relief flooding him when she told him the same. “I have to see you.”
“You sound like you’re in bad shape,” Holly noted as he ran a hand through his hair.
“I am. I was an idiot last night and I’m sorry, baby. I can’t do that again.” Aaron couldn’t tell her that enough and she sighed at the other end.
“Would you like some food? I can bring something.”
CHAPTER TWO
Aaron was damp from his shower when she knocked at the door, his hair falling into his face in damp chunks as he pulled a shirt on. He’d slid on some worn jeans as well and he brushed his hair back before opening it. “You certainly don’t look as on it as you did at the arena last night.” He let her in, breathing in her scent as she headed into the kitchen.
The smell of the deli sandwiches hit him next and he closed the door slowly as he watched her in her yoga pants. “I guess I don’t. Think the team would be proud now?”
“From what they were saying, I am certain a few of the guys are feeling the same way.” Holly replied, shaking her head as she turned to look at them. “I tell all of my clients what to do for their bodies but some never listen. I guess I wouldn’t either, being just a girl their age.”
“Much smarter and prettier than they are though.” Aaron walked over to the counter, chugging his Gatorade as she watched quietly. “The ones that want to make it will do what they need to do. It’s a tough lesson when you lose everything but it’s not like we’ve only been skating for a couple of years. This is a lifetime dream for most of us.” He set the bottle down and his face sank as he heard himself. “Us.”
“I saw your passion in the sport last night. You are a star up there talking about it, all knowledge and power and sexy as hell. I had a hard time standing still.” Holly assured him, making him gaze at her with curious eyes. “I wanted to climb inside you just to know what it’s like to love something as much as you love hockey.”
“Is that the only reason?” Aaron asked her, watching her flush a deep pink from her chest to her face.
“God, no. I wante
d to drag you somewhere and rip that suit off and have my wicked way with you.” Holly told him, her eyes wide with desire as he felt his cock tighten. “I mean…I am still upset with you.”
“I need to eat some of this before I think about that yet, but it’s the best way to make up.” Aaron told her huskily as she blinked slowly, looking fresh and beautiful as he considered skipping lunch. He walked over to her, holding her face as he kissed her softly and thanking anyone he could silently for the chance to do this again. Hell, he might start having a little faith again, wish was something he lost after his injuries. “God, you taste so sweet. I couldn’t stop thinking about these lips last night even with everything going on around me.”
His stomach growling again made him pull away from her reluctantly, grabbing the bag and some waters before asking her if she wanted to eat on the balcony. There was a nice breeze today and she nodded as she reached down to braid her wild hair slowly, following him once she’d secured it. He had a table out there for eight, explaining that sometimes his family came over during the summer for BBQ. They sat beside each other, the heat like electricity as he unpacked their food and looked at her for a long moment before unwrapping the huge meal that she’d brought him. “You’re close to your family?” Holly asked, watching him nod as he took a bite.
“Very. They were all their last night to see the game.” Aaron replied, smiling automatically at the mention of them before he realized that she might not be able to meet them. “How about you?”
“Close enough. The parents and the sister are all in Colorado still but we talk a lot. They’re very supportive.” Holly told him, seeing him nod as he looked at her warmly. “I try to go for the holidays, depending on my schedule. My sister is having her first baby soon. A girl.”
“How old is she?” Aaron asked and she picked off a piece of her bread.
“Twenty-six. They’ve been married five years and they’re so cute together. I don’t know…I haven’t had the time or the focus to even think about finding that.” Holly spoke slowly, sneaking a glance at him that spoke volumes. “I’m going to be twenty-three soon and it seems like I should.”
