Hockey Christmas (A Holiday Sports Romance Love Story)

by Naomi Niles

  “I...” I started at the same time as Rhett spoke out.

  “We...”

  We both giggled a little awkwardly as an intense blush filled my cheeks before turning away from one another and eventually leaving the stands to congratulate our groups.

  Chapter 4

  Rhett–Wednesday

  I was still on a high all night and into the next morning after our crushing win at the water sports. It showed me just how good our teams were, and how likely Danica and I were to win the whole week.

  We’d been very lucky with getting great kids, but a lot of it was to do with her, too. The kids idolized her already, that was easy to see, and I could understand why. Her sweet, friendly nature drew people in and made her utterly irresistible.

  God, was she irresistible.

  As we prepared for today’s competitive activity, which centred on a complex–but seriously fun–obstacle course, I kept finding myself just staring at her, imagining what it would be like to kiss her. There was no way that I could remain just friends with this girl; I was far too attracted to her. But there was no way I would be able to get things to progress with all these children around.

  I needed to find a way to get us some alone time. That would be the only way.

  “Oh my God, Rhett,” she gasped excitedly at me. “We’re going to win again, I can just feel it!”

  I laughed at her appreciatively, nodding in agreement. “Come on, it’s time for the kids to eat. This isn’t a training camp for the Olympics, you know,” I repeated her comment from the previous day, which caused her to burst into giggles–a sound I didn’t think I would ever get bored of.

  “Come on, Belions,” she called out, using our adopted nickname we were growing to love. “Lunch!”

  We all sat at a table together during lunch, laughing and joking while discussing strategy. We had started to become like a big family, which I felt was a massive contributing factor to our success. Our table was definitely the loudest, and we seemed to be having the most fun. I wondered of everyone else was jealous of us or if they just hadn’t managed to bond as well.

  “Do you think we’ll win again today?” I heard the smallest, red-haired girl ask.

  “Of course.” Danica pulled her in for a hug, grinning widely at her while the girl looked up at her as if she were in the presence of a goddess. “We’re the best team here by far. There isn’t one weak link here.” I could tell that she was saying that to soothe the girl’s fears about her own ability, and it really did make me flutter inside. Danica was so intuitive, so kind, and I liked her all the more for it.

  “Right,” I announced as soon as lunch was finished. “Let’s get ready for this competition!”

  ***

  I couldn't even get myself to lie in bed later that night, despite the fact that the moon was out and we had another big day ahead of us. My insides were freaking out and driving me wild in the process.

  Our team had absolutely dominated in the competition–we had blown everyone else out of the water, solidifying our first place for the week–but that wasn't what was standing out in my mind. It was the accidental, sultry look that Danica had given me as our team had been celebrating. I was sure that she didn’t mean it, that it happened without her control, and that made it even more exciting for me. It was instinctual, which made it all the more genuine.

  She liked me, and I liked her. It was now abundantly clear to me.

  I rubbed my head with frustration as I remembered those bright-blue eyes gazing up at me. I couldn't stand it–there was no way that I could go another whole day without some serious one on one time with Danica. I absolutely had to get her alone before I drove myself to distraction.

  And since I couldn't sleep, tonight seemed to be the perfect moment to do that!

  With that thought in my mind, I shoved a short sleeve t-shirt and khaki shorts on quickly, my heart pumping with anticipation. As I pushed my way out into the cool, night-time air, I was overly excited, not even considering the consequences of my actions. It wasn't until I knocked on Danica’s door and she answered in her cute, cartoon pyjamas that I realised what a bad plan it was. What if she flatly refused to hang out with me? What if she’d been asleep?

  “Rhett?” she gasped, which filled me with hope once more. There was definitely happiness lacing her tone, meaning she was glad to see me. “What are you doing here?” She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, glancing down at her clothing. As her skin turned pink, I realised that she was actually embarrassed for me to see her in such a way, which was ridiculous.

  “Walk with me?” I asked her simply. She bit her lip and nodded quickly. “I’ll wait by the lake.” I wanted to give her the chance to get dressed, for which she seemed grateful.

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll... I’ll see you there.” There was a question in her eye, one that wanted to know what my plan was, but I didn’t intend to give her any hints. Not yet, anyway.

  “See you in a minute.”

  As I stood by the lake, simply looking over it and admiring the beauty of the place, I eventually heard footsteps creeping up behind me. I spun around to see a vision in a white sundress. Danica had kept her fully-natural look–hair hanging loose, no makeup on her face–which made her even more gorgeous. A warm happiness burst inside my chest at the mere sight of her.

  “Shall we walk?” I asked, holding my hand out to her. As she slipped her fingers in between mine, and we moved hand in hand, it felt like the most natural thing on the entire planet. As soon as I was certain we were alone, I struck up a conversation. “Tell me about yourself,” I asked. “I don’t really know a lot about you outside of here.”

  “Erm okay...” She thought for a second before speaking out. “Well, I’m twenty-one, I grew up not too far from here, and I...” She was struggling to think of something interesting to tell me, which I found incredibly cute. “Well, I go to college nearby, too, St. Henry’s.”

  “No way!” I couldn't stop myself from interrupting. “I’m starting a fast-track course at Grange this year.” Our schools wouldn’t be too far from one another, which meant that we could see each other after the summer if we wanted. “I can come and visit you.” As soon as those words left my lips, I began to cringe inside. How forward was that? What if she thought I was a stalker or something?

  “That sounds good,” she shot back quickly, stopping my brain from going too far into a negative tailspin. “I’d like that.”

  Oh. My. God.

  That had to mean something, right?

  There was so much excitement coursing through my veins, that I hadn’t even realized we’d reached the end of the pier that hung over the lake until Danica asked if I wanted to sit there for a while.

  “It’s really beautiful out here at night,” she sighed happily, as we both dangled our feet into the water, and I couldn't help but agree–except my focus was mainly on Danica and how stunning she looked under the glistening moonlight. I was entranced by her pale skin, her red, kissable lips, and those eyes...always those eyes. I felt like I could lose myself in them forever.

  As she told me another funny anecdote of her childhood time at Camp Woodtree, I found myself completely unable to focus on her words. There was a fierce passion coursing right through me, urging me to make my move. As I looked at Danica, it felt like I’d already left it a lifetime before kissing her–far too long.

  But what if she pushed me away?

  No, she wouldn’t do that; I was sure of it. And even if she did, I wouldn’t be able to leave there having missed the opportunity. At least I would know either way. Sure it would make the rest of the week a little awkward, but that was far better than not knowing.

  So I shifted myself closer, positioning myself better. Danica seemed to sense that something was happening and that the night was finally going somewhere, so whatever she was saying fell apart on her lips and a hush overtook us.

  I tossed my arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer to me before lightly resting my forehead on hers.
I wanted to start kissing—of course I did—but the lead up, the anticipation, was almost as good as the action, and I wanted to hang on to that for just a few more seconds.

  But when Danica’s breaths started to shorten with nerves, I knew that it was now or never.

  I pulled her face closer to mine, resting my hands on her cheeks, and I went in for the kill. As our lips crashed together, fireworks of chemistry burst inside my stomach and bolted through my veins. She moved her body closer to mine, melding into me, before parting her lips, allowing my tongue to snake in–a sensation which sent shivers down my spine.

  An involuntary moan escaped her lips, which led me to grow in excitement, too. As my hands found their way all over her body, I started to wonder if things were going to go even further.

  “...and then he said that he didn’t because...”

  “What’s that?” Danica hissed into my chest, panicking just as much as I was. There were other people sneaking about in the dead of night, which meant that we were dangerously close to getting caught.

  Probably a good job things didn’t go any further!

  “Voices,” I whispered back. “Come on, let’s hide.” I grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her into some nearby bushes. There we waited, huddled together, while we listened to the snippets of the girls that had almost caught us out.

  “...he sounds like a bastard...”

  “...and what did you say to that...”

  “...it’s a shame she isn’t nicer to everyone...”

  It was the most innocuous, boring conversation that I’d ever caught the tail end of, but because of the situation, it became inadvertently hilarious to me and Danica. We were really desperately struggling to hold in the giggles, clinging on to one another for support.

  “Do you think they’re gone?” she finally asked when it had been silent for a while.

  I leant out to peek. “Yep, whoever it was has finally vanished.” I stared at her for a few seconds, wondering if we could recreate the magic, before settling on the sensible decision to head back for some sleep before the morning came around. “Come on; let’s get you to bed.”

  We laughed all the way back to Danica’s cabin, which was the moment I realized that those girls had actually done us a favour. Sure, they’d interrupted the best moment of my whole damn life, but they’d also given us an inside joke, something to laugh about.

  As I dropped her to her door, her expression finally turned shy. “Do you...” she started, biting her lip. “Do you think I could have your number? Just so we can keep in touch after this week?”

  “Of course!” I exclaimed, scolding myself for not being the one doing the asking–what an oversight. “Give me your phone.” I typed in my number and handed it back to her smiling. “Now send me a goodnight text, so I have your number, too.”

  “Okay,” she said with a grin, giving me one small peck on the cheek before sending me on my way.

  My good mood had me sailing on cloud nine back to my cabin, and that only intensified when I saw the One Unread Message notification on my phone.

  ‘Hi, Rhett; it’s Danica. Thank you for a wonderful night. I look forward to spending more time with you. xoxox’

  With that, I went to sleep with the biggest, beaming smile spread across my lips.

  Chapter 5

  Danica–Thursday

  I woke up the next morning with a light, buzzing feeling in my heart. I couldn't believe how well things had gone with my surprising night out with Rhett. When he turned up at my door, my heart had instantly started to flutter as I knew things were finally going to step up a notch. There was no way he would have turned up at my door for no reason.

  And that kiss! That was really something else.

  I remembered his lips against mine, and the way that made me melt against him. His big, strong body felt so right against me; he made me feel so feminine, so protected, and like a goddess all at once. Having the attention of someone as gorgeous as Rhett all focused on me was overwhelming and exciting, and I loved every second of it. I felt like I was basking in the warmth of his sun, and I hoped things would only get better.

  I instantly glanced down at my phone, noticing that the screen was lit up. Just knowing that he’d taken the time to send me a message made me feel on top of the world.

  ‘Good morning, beautiful. I cannot wait to see you again today. xxx’

  The kisses he’d written sent my insides wild with desire, and I jumped out of bed anxious to see him all over again. As I dragged the brush through my hair before spinning it up into a messy bun, the grin didn’t leave my face even once. I looked like a bit of a fool in the mirror, but I didn’t even care. I was light, swelling with happiness, and I couldn't wait to see how things were going to go today.

  I wondered if he would stick to his words and to come and see me at college. The thought of having him there, on campus with me, made me feel far more excited than it should. Especially, as it might not happen.

  I shouldn’t get too carried away when I had no real idea where his head was at. It might just be a fling, for all I knew. In fact, if this did turn out to be nothing more than a little fun, I would be okay with that. Sure, I liked Rhett a lot, but I would be happy to only have this time with him, if that was all it was going to be.

  As long as I got the rest of the week with him, I could cope with whatever would come next.

  As my group and I walked towards the ropes course, my heart pounded happily against my chest. The girls were buzzing with excitement, too, practically shrieking with the events that were to come.

  There was definitely some flirtation going on between Rhett’s group and mine, but it was all very tame and innocent. Nothing more than a sweet, summer romance that they’d think about all year. I even suspected that there might be something between Holly and Ricky–a confidence boost I knew she needed.

  “Right, Belions,” Rhett called out, taking control of the situation. “We’re doing team building tasks today, so we’re going to need to work together if we want to keep our first place.” The kids all nodded and made agreeable noises. “We’re currently the team to beat, so everyone is against us–which is perfect. They are all jealous and struggling to cope with our success.”

  As he continued to motivate the team, to rile them up into a frenzy, I focused on his lips. As much as I loved the activities and the fun, it was him that my brain centered around. I knew the team building activities well enough from my own time here, which meant I didn’t actually need to focus.

  The only problem was my distracted state got even worse as we started training. Everything we did seemed to involve being far too close to Rhett, touching him in one way or another. Under normal circumstances with anyone else, that would be absolutely fine. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but with all the chemistry radiating between us, it felt downright inappropriate. I was so aware of every aspect of his entire body–his breath, his skin, his lips–I found it difficult to even think about what was going on around us.

  As the day drifted towards the time of the competition, I found myself feeling closer to Rhett than ever. We hadn’t been able to discuss us and our feelings during the day, of course, but I felt like there was a lot of unsaid tensions being explored–just between us. Every brush of skin, every knowing look, even the odd wink where possible. It was nice having a juicy little secret; it made me feel even more connected to him.

  This time, the counsellors were much more involved in the competition, even taking part in some of the races to “prove our worth,” so Rhett and I didn’t have that tension of waiting to see how our team was going to do. We were helping them, getting mucky in the mud alongside them–a part that I’d really been looking forward to when I signed up to be a camp counsellor, which now felt like time taking me away from my time with Rhett.

  Unfortunately, the camp counsellors played dirtier than the kids, which meant we really had to up our game. It was tense, there was a lot of cheating and trash talk on the field, but fort
unately, my and Rhett’s competitive spirit won out in the end, and we came first–but only just. It was the closest we’d come to letting our top place position slip, and there was a definite air of pressure in the air.

  We celebrated as normal, but there was something a little lacking. Rhett and I knew it...and so did our kids. As we all hugged and cheered, my mind whirred with guilt, knowing that a massive part of things going wrong was my fault. I wouldn’t get distracted again, I would have to find a way to concentrate on both Rhett and the teams–because let’s face it, there was no way that I wouldn’t be able to think about him at all. I needed to do better for my team–they deserved the best that I could offer them.

  But then Rhett leaned forward and whispered in my ear, making my promises all fly away. “Lake again tonight?” I nodded, all of my feelings for him floating to the surface all over again.

  How the hell am I supposed to worry about team building activities when he was driving me so crazy with desire at every damn opportunity? It was impossible!

  ***

  As the moonlight overtook and it became officially night, I slid another sundress over my head. This time it was a shocking red colour–guaranteed to get Rhett’s attention. It was cool, but not so cold that this outfit was inappropriate, which was perfect for me. It meant I could show him the girly side that he didn’t get to see during training.

  Then, I allowed my hair to hang loose and put on a small amount of makeup on my face–just enough to highlight my eyes. I enjoyed Rhett staring into them because the look he gave me made me feel amazing, so I wanted to make them pop as much as I possibly could.

  ‘I’m waiting, and the stars are looking beautiful. xxx’

  I heard my phone ping, and a small shiver ran down my spine. As I read over his words, I couldn't even consider playing it cool and making him wait. The image of his beauty under the wonderful starlit sky was firmly fixed in my mind, and I needed to see him for real.